Pricing Models - Tuning, Now Troubleshooting

[Z! Reinhardt]

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First-time customers are quoted a ballpark range.  The tuning fee would =
be between $X and $Y, depending on what I find upon meeting the piano =
for the first time.  A discussion with the customer while I'm setting up =
the appointment usually gives me a pretty good idea about which end of =
the range I might end up charging them for.  Also in the discussion is a =
run-down of the most common things that could run the bill up (extensive =
pitch correction, dealing with corrosion, breaking strings, clearing out =
obstructions in the action and/or repairing broken action parts, etc.).  =
When all is said and done, they are prepared to pay $Y, but are =
delighted when the bill comes out to be less than that.

+ + + + +

Are the guides on how long a job should take still in print?

Invaluable resources, I should think, for the newbie who is trying to =
determine what to charge for what kind of a job.  They're also a help =
for the experienced pro who is having one of those bad-head days when =
everything is taking longer than it should.

The real acid-test is troubleshooting skills.  I'm sure we've all been =
there ... you spend 2 hours looking for something it takes the next =
technician just 5 minutes to find.  You spend another hour or so fixing =
all of the symptoms when the other technician fixes the cause of all of =
those symptoms in just 10 minutes, then has to undo all the work you did =
on the symptoms.

Who gets to charge who for what?

Z! Reinhardt  RPT
Ann Arbor  MI
diskladame@provide.net

  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Wimblees@AOL.COM=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2002 6:10 PM
  Subject: Re: Pricing Models


  In a message dated 2/2/02 5:04:18 PM !!!First Boot!!!, =
drpt@sk.sympatico.ca writes:=20



    I suppose the ultimate in fairness would be to charge a hourly rate =
for all=20
    service. The client that has a wonderful piano and wishes to have =
superior=20
    service would end up paying less and the "once in a lifetime" folks =
would=20
    pay a great deal more.=20




  The problem with this is that a customer won't know if you are really =
doing a lot of service for a fair hourly rate, or if yo are new to the =
business, and taking extra time to fix problems that a more experienced =
tuner can do in half the time.=20

  I had that happen to me once when I had my furnace worked on. The =
company sent out a new recruit, who took two hours to fix a problem. =
Later I found out the problem should have been fixed in about 15 =
minutes.=20

  Wim=20

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