[CAUT] Money, (was Job Available)

[A440A at aol.com]

Greetings, 
Paul writes:

<<  I  thought this was way out of line to quote prices for tunings.  <<

      I am not sure why.  Right here in this town, there are advertised 
prices for plumbers, window cleaners, chiropractors, lawn maintenance, gasoline, 
Lazik eye surgeons, attorneys,  and a bunch of others.  There is nothing sacred 
about us tuning pianos.

>>(by the way, they are way out of line for the area and circumstances) << 

       I don't know what Lance's circumstances are, so I don't know how that 
can be determined.  This country is built on supply and demand, (seen any 
change in gas prices over the last 10 years?).  Those La. prices are lower than in 
L.A. (from what I gather), and about the same as I am charging in Nashville.  
Even after growing up in Louisiana, I wouldn't want to charge less than that 
to deal with the humidity, bugs, politics, and heat.  

>>I thought prices for work were sort of kept out of ear shot. << 

    I don't remember any time that piano techs didn't know what was being ch
arged around them.  

>>I have no desire to apply for  this position and would recommend no RPT do 
so. >>

    What would you tell them,  that there is simply too much money to be 
made?  That a tradesman simply cannot in good conscience charge what their market 
willingly pays?  We are not selling a cure for cancer.  Pianos are usually 
classified in the luxury market.  How about the interior designer that charges $ 
150 an hour to hang window drapes.  Is he more artistic than the sensitive ear 
deciding how many needles to put in a hammer?  I have more than a few 
customers that pay more than a tuning fee for a bottle of wine.  
    Perhaps it would be instructive to know that copier technicians charge 
approx. $ 125 and hour, (and that copier doesn't cost near what a grand piano 
does).  They have far less invested in training and tools.  Or perhaps, an 
appliance repairman.  They generally charge at least as much as a piano tuner, and 
rarely spend the time on a call that I do.  
    If we still have our health and the requisite skills, the sun is shining. 
 We better make hay while we can, because there are few pensions out there 
for us, and sooner than most of us think,  our ability to repair and tune pianos 
will be gone.  Joint problems and arthritis abound in this field, so I 
suggest that all technicians strive to constantly increase their skills and prices 
to go with them.  
  
Regards,
 
Ed Foote RPT 
http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html