referall fees

[Farrell]

You make good points Jim. I like how you described ethics and trust. I
suspect that as we move further away from dealing with another technician,
prices can wander more. What I mean is, I agree with you in your example in
working with another piano technician. When subbing work out to a
refinisher, I think one may feel a little more comfortable with getting
whatever they can for a refinishing job. I have subbed two refinishing jobs
out. The first on a small ebony grand, I quoted the client $1800 for
refinishing. I paid my subcontractor $3000 to refinish (yea, yea, yea - long
sad story). I charged my client $1800 for refinishing. Other job I quoted
$1200 for refinishing an upright. I got someone to do a really nice job for
$600. I charged my client $1200. Both clients were very pleased with the
work.

I'm not sure why, but I would likely not do that with another technician
(like if I were to sub out a board replacement, etc.). I would tend to want
to share the profit on the upright job. But then again, I know I would
likely not find anyone that would cut me a break just because I goofed on
the bid like in the grand example above. I guess it just seems more like
purely business when the subcontractor is not in the same business as you.
Does that make any sense? Am I gonna get flamed for it???  :-)

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message -----
From: <JIMRPT@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2001 10:51 AM
Subject: Re: referall fees


>
> In a message dated 27/08/01 5:05:52 PM, tompiano@gate.net writes:
>
> <<" Jim,
>
>   I guess I opened a can of worms and ruffled a few feathers along the
way.
> ">>
>
> Tom...worms are good for the soul occasionally and you ruffled not 'my'
> feathers. :-)
> Ethical concerns didn't even enter my mind in my response.......hmmmm
perhaps
> I need to think about that one.(?)
>
>  The primary tech has the right to set whatever price he and the customer
> agree on and the primary tech needs to take into account his own business
> needs.....................
>
>  Our own experience does indeed color our opinions and attitudes for
> example...........severrrrral years ago I undertook the rewhatever of an
S&S
> with the *stated* price of *8,400* with 20% going to the primary tech.
After
> the job was done, and several months later, the customer called me to tune
> the piano since the primary tech was out of town. While I was there she
> mentioned how pleased she was with her piano and that she thought the
price
> of *14,200* was really well spent. The customer did not know that I had
done
> the work. I asked her who had done the work and she told me....yada
> so&so..........................and pulled her copy of the contract out of
the
> bench along with her other records of the piano. The price quoted was
indeed
> 14,200, it was 'my' quote printed on the other techs letterhead.
> Unethical?...... Between the customer and primary tech? No absolutely
> not....Unethical between the primary tech and myself?...........'possibly'
> not really...... except that I had been told the quote was for 8,400 and I
> agreed to work with those figures. Will I 'ever' work with that tech
again?
> Absolutely not. Did the primary tech do anything wrong? Not really, but
they
> can now do that "nothing wrong" with someone else.
>
>  The question of "ethics" never entered my mind but the question of
'trust'
> certainly did. Subcontracting and/or cross referrral is a great thing for
> everyone involved. As long as the playing field is honest, open and
> trustworthy......... This includes the 'add-on' contracts you describe.
>
>  So we really agree Tom..huh?
> Jim Bryant (FL)
>
>
>