A Test Question

[jpiesik@arinc.com]

     Dear Randy,

     I agree with all your responses to Warren.  I might add, though,
     regarding "free" work, that, if this was a regular client, and I was
     performing a regular service (meaning basically just a tuning to
     A440), I would probably do the quicky repair as part of the service.

     At $75 per tuning (figured at 1.5 hours at a $50 per hour rate), I
     should be able to complete this tuning in about an hour with a little
     time left over for a quicky repair.  It would only be fair to provide
     a full service when charging a full service rate.

     Steve Brady has really perfected his way of servicing and charging his
     clients.  I won't state exactly what he shared with us at a seminar I
     attended in Pomona, CA in 1995 given by Steve (I'll let him do that if
     he desires to), but I will say that he charges a hefty flat rate for
     his basic service, BUT he stays for the entire time that he has
     charged and attends to all the needs of the piano - after he has tuned
     it - as he continues to work for that client.  This is a great
     concept, one I wish more people would appreciate - the essence of a
     "complete piano service!"

     Regards,

     John Piesik, RPT
     Piesik's Piano Service
     Carlsbad, CA
     JPIESIK @ARINC.COM


Warren Fisher asks:
>You are tuning for a regular customer whose piano is medium to good and
>you are about half way through and are rushing to avoid being late to a
>dental appointment afterwards when you discover several hammers warped
>enough by humidity or whatever to be missing one of the strings.
>Do you:
>1. Ignore the situation?  If not, why not?
>2. Tune the unstruck string, and if so how?
>3. Align the hammer, and if so is this enough?
>4. Twist the shank.  Is this all that needs to be done?
>5. Travel the hammer.  How is this different from Aligning?
>6. Reshape the hammer.  Why would this be necessary?
>7. Throw up your hands in frustration.  (My choice for a lot of
>situations)
>8. All of the above?
>9. Choose your own numbers or add some.


Randy's response:
     Do I charge an extra fee even if it only takes me a few minutes?