[pianotech] business

[William R. Monroe]

Wim,

It's not a question of existing ailments, it's a question of what a  
particular job is worth, exclusive of hours. High risk occupations,  
for example, often demand higher compensation. I consider squares  
"high risk.". It's not that we already hurt, it's that this work has  
the potential to hurt us. Charge a premium fir risk. I accept that not  
every job in life is strictly based upon job hours.  Accepting that,  
I'm liberated and charge according to a number of considerations in  
addition to hours.

William R. Monroe

On Jul 1, 2010, at 10:53 AM, tnrwim at aol.com wrote:

>
> My take,
>
> If you feel a job causes you more work (physical, mental or  
> otherwise) and you feel inclined to charge more, do so. No one  
> forces clients to use any one of us and if we have a distaste for a  
> particular job, we are free to decide whether to take it or not or,  
> whether to charge more or not. In a case like that, I would offer to  
> my client that they may be able to find someone to do it for less,  
> but that is my fee. Charging more, purposefully, does not equate to  
> gouging. Charging more arbitrarily does.
>
>  Wim, getting sore playing racqutball is totally unrelated to work.  
> There are those that suggest that tuning a square actually is.
>
> William R Monroe
>
>
> William
>
> I respect your opinion on this, but I totally disagree. We need to  
> figure out what we charge per hour, and as professionals, we need to  
> charge that fee for the work we do, regardless of what kind of work  
> it is, or how difficult it is, mentally or physically.
>
> When someone has a bad back, or sore arms, it doesn't make any  
> difference how that back or arm was injured. A sore back is a sore  
> back. It could have been injured stringing, or picking up a plate,  
> or playing softball or racquet ball. The bottom line is, it's not  
> the customers problem, and she/he should not have to pay for it.
>
> WIm
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: William R. Monroe <bill at a440piano.net>
> To: pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Sent: Wed, Jun 30, 2010 2:36 pm
> Subject: Re: [pianotech] business
>
> My take,
>
> If you feel a job causes you more work (physical, mental or  
> otherwise) and you feel inclined to charge more, do so. No one  
> forces clients to use any one of us and if we have a distaste for a  
> particular job, we are free to decide whether to take it or not or,  
> whether to charge more or not. In a case like that, I would offer to  
> my client that they may be able to find someone to do it for less,  
> but that is my fee. Charging more, purposefully, does not equate to  
> gouging. Charging more arbitrarily does.
>
>  Wim, getting sore playing racqutball is totally unrelated to work.  
> There are those that suggest that tuning a square actually is.
>
> William R Monroe
>
>
> William R. Monroe, RPT
> A440-William R Monroe Piano Services, Inc.
> 314 E. Church St.
> Belleville, WI 53508
> 608-215-3250
> www.a440piano.net
>
> On Jun 30, 2010, at 9:40 AM, tnrwim at aol.com wrote:
>
>>
>> YES! Even squares, for a nominal extra fee to pay for my aching  
>> back after ward!
>> I'm sorry, Mike, but this, in my opinion, is not ethical. It's not  
>> your customer's fault that you have a bad back. That's your  
>> problem. Either put up with it, or don't accept the work.
>>
>> On occasion, after playing a hard couple of rounds of racquet ball,  
>> my shoulder aches so much I can hardly lift my arm above my  
>> shoulder. But I don't charge my customer extra because of that.
>>
>> You can charge your customer extra because it takes longer to tune  
>> the piano because the pins are in the back and all the other  
>> unusual techniques you have to use to tune the thing. But you  
>> should not charge extra because it hurts your back.
>>
>> Just my 2 cents worth.
>>
>> Wim
>>
>
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