billing procedures

[Pengelly Pensionè]

I have never been totally sure of the proper procedure for marking up the
parts I use
in the repair of a clients piano. Is there an industry standard for how
much we mark an
item up? Does one mark up just the item and not the postage and insurance
or include
it all as a business expense and mark up the total? I sometimes feel guilty
about making
a profit on parts and feel that profit on labour is morally correct. Maybe
I'm a lousy
businessman but this aspect I was never taught.
Sincerely
John Pengelly



On Top of Old Spaghetti"

----------
> From: Delwin D Fandrich <pianobuilders@olynet.com>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: Dissing S&S rails (:)}}?
> Date: September 8, 1998 10:44 PM
> 
> 
> 
> Ron Nossaman wrote:
> 
> > . . . .  If you question whether
> > the rails are responsible for any detectable accoustic properties, that
> > ought to be pretty easy to ascertain. Ask someone who has swapped out a
> > Steinway tubular rail action in favor of a more conventional system if
the
> > quality of sound was degraded by the process. Del?
> 
> Actually they both played and sounded much better.  Of course they also
got new
> soundboards, strings, hammers, etc., which may have had something to do
with the
> sound.  In other words, I can't really give you an answer.  However...
I've
> listened to a multitude of theories about the mystical qualities of
various
> features of the piano for several decades, now.  I'm at the point of not
> believing much of anything that can't be proven.
> 
> Aside from the Renner having somewhat stiffer action rails and somewhat
better
> action geometry, there is really very little functional difference
between the
> Renner stack with its laminated wood rails and the Steinway action with
its
> brass rails.  Assuming that the butterfly wippen design is used in each,
of
> course.  Which now generally the case.
> 
> I should point out that with the easy availability of good replacement
wippens
> and shanks, there is less incentive to replace a Steinway stack with a
Renner
> stack.  Some years ago this was really the only way to get good new
action parts
> in a Steinway piano.  The only alternative was to use new parts from
Steinway
> complete with Teflon bushings, poorly aligned and assembled components,
and
> incorrect geometry.
> 
> 
> 
> > >I'll bet that Steinway
> > >has done some tests and a standard wooden rail type action _would_
change
> > >the sound of the piano somewhat.
> >
> > * Perhaps they have, but I doubt that it would.
> 
> I doubt it as well.
> 
> -- ddf
> 
>