[CAUT] mileage fees.

[Willem Blees]

Chris.

You are right that I have a different perspective on building, and 
operating, my business. I'm not saying what you are doing is wrong, 
because obviously it works for you. But I have a different approach to 
dealing with my customers. Maybe the diffrence is an "East Coast" 
mentality as opposed to "Midwestern" approach to doing business, but I 
could never, in good concience, do what you are doing. 

Wim 

Quoting Chris Solliday <solliday at ptd.net>:

> Wim,
> you obviously have more hours in your day than I do and a different
> perspective on building a business within a 75 mile radius. Good
> luck. I
> prefer to work 8-5 with as little travel as possible. After that I
> want
> overtime. As for NYC or Philly, the work I do is  mostly half day
> tune ups
> of all systems for professional pianists, wealthy clients, studios
> and
> performance venues who need it and can afford it, Or all day
> recording. It
> is rare when I make 3 or 4 stops in NYC (aaprox 75 miles) on one day
> but it
> does happen on occasion.  I don't do many tuning-only clients outside
> 35
> miles, and I try to stay within 20 miles if possible. Anything this
> side of
> the Hudson is a whole different strategy than crossing, mainly due
> to
> traffic and parking. Take Wednesday this last week for example. I had
> a 5-6
> hour action and voicing tune up planned for a recording studio
> Steinway B in
> mid town. It took me one hour to get to the Lincoln Tunnel and then
> 55
> minutes to go from the tunnel entrance to 54th and 8th avenue, about
> 12
> blocks. That was at least 30 minutes longer than it should have
> taken, and
> there have been times when it is even worse than that. It makes
> precision
> scheduling nearly impossible. I don't know the scene in Houston but
> it is a
> notorious driving problem according to a CNN show I saw on traffic
> congestion. I heard Atlanta is even worse. You must have it easy in
> Birmingham or maybe you use the chopper. Getting to Philly has its
> own
> travails from the Lehigh Valley.
>  I don't understand how you can make any money doing it your way,
> that far
> away. Wim, you say "In other words, if a customer lives 60 miles
> away,
> charge $90.00 (60  miles x $ 1.50) plus the service call. Now, one
> way to
> have the customers save some money, and make more money for you,
> divide that
> fee between two or 3 customers and if there are 4 or more don't
> charge the
> mileage fee."  First why are you concerned with saving your customers
> money?
> And second if you divide the (travel) fee between 2 or 3 customers
> and don't
> charge any (travel fee) if there are four or more how did you make
> any more
> money other than the fact that you tuned a couple more pianos at your
> local
> rate. Seems like less value for you each minute or each piano
> whichever way
> you figure it. Wouldn't you be better off building your customer
> base
> locally that way? BTW reread my response and you will see I don't
> divide my
> travel fee at all and only answered you by saying, divide if YOU want
> to.
>  I also don't get "rais(ing) your fee for everyone" so that these
> poor folks
> who don't have a local tuner won't feel badly if they are penalized
> for
> living in some God forsaken out in nowheresville hick town (pardon
> the
> hyperbole). Aren't you then penalizing your local customer base for
> the
> existence of this fringe market???  Nor do I get what you mean by
> "building
> rapport (sic) and supporting your customers." I build rapport with
> my
> customers by educating them and providing high quality service, and
> my
> customers support me by paying me.  I think it is important to not
> under
> value yourself and services. At the very least supply and demand are
> on our
> side, and I don't understand any moral imperative in the transaction,
> other
> than providing quality and not gouging, if you are in fact implying
> one.
>  Les will do well to charge a mileage fee to everyone, as John R (I
> think it
> was John, sorry I've been deleting again) has said, because when one
> or two
> call and need service and you can't schedule 4 or 6 (how do you do 6
> in a
> day and travel 150 miles round trip? and get home before dark?
> supper?
> family and/or recreation time?) your customers are used to paying
> the
> mileage charge or at least a higher rate and good customers usually
> don't
> shop around but they do notice if you vary your rates all the time.
> (Now
> there's a sentence or two...) And don't worry about me too much, I do
> tell
> them to get someone more local, and I charge them more, but it must
> be my
> good looks that keeps them coming back.  I'm sure you have the same
> problem.
>  Stay well,
> Chris Solliday
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Willem Blees" <wblees at bama.ua.edu>
> To: "College and University Technicians" <caut at ptg.org>
> Sent: Friday, July 21, 2006 6:38 PM
> Subject: Re: [CAUT] mileage fees.
> 
> 
> > Quoting Chris Solliday <solliday at ptd.net>:
> >
> > > I like the $1.50 because it includes some travel time
> > > consideration,unless
> > > Wim is still driving that ol piece of ....
> > > but I disagree with not charging if there are four.Thisis too
> much
> > > customer
> > > consciousness/empathy and too little business self preservation.
> > > Spread it
> > > out over 4 if you like, although personally I charge all the same
> so
> > > I avoid
> > > having to explain a large difference when I can't line up the
> same
> > > schedule
> > > when I next service the piano. Yes I am happy to keep the money
> and
> > > if I am
> > > crazy enough to do 3 or 4 pianos that far away from home on the
> same
> > > day I
> > > figure its overtime anyway. 70 miles one way is about an hour and
> 15
> > > minutes
> > > each way without traffic (you haven't lived until you try this
> > > crossing New
> > > Jersey and doing 3 or 4 in New York City, and then there's
> > > PARKING!!!!!!!!)
> > > and twice is 2 hours and 30 minutes travel time. Service calls
> are
> > > 1.5 to 2
> > > hours at best so times4 is ten andhalf hours and counting. I keep
> the
> > > OT but
> > > find it difficult to charge the 4th customer all the overtime so
> I'll
> > > use
> > > Wim's $1.50 a mile one way and not be one bit apologetic about
> > > keeping it.
> > > Chris Solliday
> >
> > Chris
> >
> > Thank you for thinking $1.50 per mile is a good idea. But the main
> idea
> > for eliminating it when there are four or more customers in that
> far
> > off place is building raport, and supporting the customers that
> are
> > willing to work for you. Yes, if you want to, you can charge all
> of
> > them 1/4 of the travel charge, but when you've divided it by 4, and
> a
> > 5th or 6th comes along, what do you do, go back and give everyone
> a
> > refund? It is also a way to build a clientelle in that town. I go
> to a
> > town about 75 miles away, and always have a full day. I even give
> the
> > piano teacher who finds me all the tunings a discount.
> >
> > BTW, if your're at the top of the food chain, as you call it, in
> your
> > area, what are you doing going all the way to NYC? It would seem to
> me
> > that you can tell those people to find someone else.
> >
> > Wim
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > > From: "Willem Blees" <wblees at bama.ua.edu>
> > > To: <l-bartlett at sbcglobal.net>; "College and University
> Technicians"
> > > <caut at ptg.org>
> > > Sent: Friday, July 21, 2006 9:42 AM
> > > Subject: Re: [CAUT] mileage fees.
> > >
> > >
> > > > Quoting Leslie Bartlett <l-bartlett at sbcglobal.net>:
> > > >
> > > > > I would like some help with travel fees.  The entire
> southern
> > > side
> > > > > of
> > > > > Houston is virtually without tuners. I'm called somewhat
> > > regularly to
> > > > > go
> > > > > that direction.  I know some people charge mileage outside
> > > certain
> > > > > boundaries.   I'd like to know how folks have figured that
> and
> > > > > managed to
> > > > > make it work.
> > > > > Thanks
> > > > > les bartlett
> > > > > HYPERLINK www.bartlettpianoservice.com
> > > www.bartlettpianoservice.com
> > > > >
> > > > > -- 
> > > > > No virus found in this outgoing message.
> > > > > Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> > > > > Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.2/393 - Release
> Date:
> > > > > 07/19/2006
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > Leslie
> > > >
> > > > If you're going to do more an more tunings in that area,,
> which
> > > also
> > > > mean you're going to do less in "your" area, I would do as
> Andrew
> > > > suggested, but instead of just those on the south side,
> increase
> > > your
> > > > fee for all your tuning. That way, customers won't feel
> "punished"
> > > for
> > > > living in an area where there are no tuner, while at the same
> > > time,
> > > > you're making up for the driving to that area, even when you
> don't
> > > > have to go there. This will also make it a lot easier to quote
> a
> > > > tuning fee over the phone without first asking where they
> > > > live.
> > > >
> > > > For customers who live outside both areas, I charge $1.50 per
> mile
> > > > from my house to the customer, one way. In other words, if a
> > > customer
> > > > lives 60 milea away, charge $90 plus the service call. Now, one
> way
> > > to
> > > > have the customers save some money, and make more money for
> you,
> > > > divide that fee between two or three customers, and if there
> are 4
> > > or
> > > > more, don't charge the mileage fee.
> > > >
> > > > Willem Blees, RPT
> > > > Piano Tuner/Technician
> > > > School of Music
> > > > University of Alabama
> > > > Tuscaloosa, AL USA
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > Willem Blees, RPT
> > Piano Tuner/Technician
> > School of Music
> > University of Alabama
> > Tuscaloosa, AL USA
> >
> >
> 


Willem Blees, RPT
Piano Tuner/Technician
School of Music
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL USA