Is this normal procedure?

[Wimblees@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 98-10-01 10:02:23 EDT, you write:

<< Good Morning Y'all (for Jim Bryant!).
 
 I just received a bid proposal for the school system here. It seems
 pretty black and white until you get to the end.
 
 137 Pianos (or more)..work to be completed by 12/1/98...bid must be
 received by 10/7/98.
 
 seems like a short time for alot of work, doesn't it?
 
 First they carefully list how many pianos are in each
 school..address..phone#..etc.
 
 and then at the end they make that statement..are they just covering
 themselves?
 
 For those who do this kind of work, does that seem like a real short
 time to tune that many pianos?
 
 thanks for the input,
 
 Phil
  >>


I have never done that many pianos for a school distrcit before, but I have
done bids before. Usually it takes about 2 or 3 weeks, sometimes even a month,
after bids are received, before the work is awarded. In this case, you would
then only have one month to do 137 pianos. Lets see, 137 divided by 30 days,
is 4.57 pianos per day, 7 days a week. You can do that, can't you Phil. Who
needs a home life? :)

I would suggest you call the purchasing department and ask them if the
completion date is correct. Someone in that department is probably not aware
that it would take you at least 2 months to do that many tunings. 

I hope you get paid full boat for these tunings. The reason I don't do many
school distrcits is because I don't bid on them. Schools usually want tuners
who will tune for half price, or in the $30 -  $40 per piano range. I don't
want to do that. They also want you to work after shcool, and work until 6 or
7, and I don't do that either. 

I do not tune pianos for less than my normal rate. (I will give a 20% discount
if there are 4 or more pianos to be done at the same time in the same
building). I have a number of private and public schools I tune for, but they
are done on a one at a time basis, and I get paid my regular tuning fee, and I
schedule them during the day, when the music room, or whatever, is free of
children.  

Willem Blees