Yes, I'm talking about doing that on the phone at the initial inquiry. David Love ----- Original Message ----- From: "pianolover 88" <pianolover88@hotmail.com> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: March 16, 2002 3:47 PM Subject: Re: Fees > David, > > I take care of ALL the pre-qualification, such as you state below, BEFORE I > even step foot in the customer's house; on the phone! I have a simple, > effective system, and it works great- for me. > > Terry Peterson > > >From: "David Love" <davidlovepianos@earthlink.net> > > >That's not how I present it. Before I ever state the fee I go through my > >usual inquiries about type of piano, make, last time it was serviced, any > >particular problems they are having or want me to address. > >David Love > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: "pianolover 88" <pianolover88@hotmail.com> > >To: <pianotech@ptg.org> > >Sent: March 16, 2002 9:49 AM > >Subject: Re: Fees > > > > > > > I don't believe it's a good idea to tell the customer, "I charge $100 > >per > > > hour", or whatever. I charge by the job based on everything involved, > >plus > > > travel time, mileage and gas. > > > If you went to have Laser eye surgery and the Doc told you "I charge > >$20,000 > > > per hour", you'd run outta there so fast you'd leave your shoes behind! > >That > > > figure is not exact, but we know that the actual procedure takes only a > >few > > > minutes per eye, and costs, depending on the deal you find, between > > > $1,000-$3,000 per eye! Of course, the Doc isn't charging JUST for those > >few > > > minutes, but for post op, all the pre-op prep, and has to pay his staff, > > > office rent, and the cost of his laser. > > > But if he WERE to advertise his "hourly" rate, he wouldn't be in > >business > > > very long. I have NEVER been asked to "justify" my rate, and I don't; I > > > charge for the particular job I'm doing and that's that. > > > > > > > > > > > > Terry Peterson > > > > > > > > > >From: Wimblees@AOL.COM > > > >Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org > > > >To: pianotech@ptg.org > > > >Subject: Re: Fees > > > >Date: Sat, 16 Mar 2002 01:34:46 EST > > > > > > > >In a message dated 3/16/02 4:34:12 AM !!!First Boot!!!, > > > >davidlovepianos@earthlink.net writes: > > > > > > > > > > > > > Don't take me quite so literally. > > > > > > > > > > David Love > > > > > > > > > > > > >David > > > > > > > >I realize that the story you gave is not a word for word telephone > > > >conversation, and neither was mine. And I am not trying to persuade you > >to > > > >change your practice. I wish you all the luck in the world with it. I > >just > > > >wanted you to be aware that what you are doing might not solve the > >problem > > > >you described. It doesn't make any difference what you charge, and how > >you > > > >justify it. Someone is going to ask you to explain your fee structure, > >and > > > >they will not be happy with it. > > > > > > > >One of the problems we have in this business is that we are dealing > >with > > > >two > > > >different price structures. One is a set fee for a set task. ($80 to > >tune > >a > > > >piano). The other is an hourly wage to do everything else. Now we may > >have > > > >come up with set fees for doing other things, ($250 to put on a set of > > > >bridle > > > >straps, $800 to regulate an action, $350 for a new set of keytops). but > > > >they > > > >are all based on the amount of time we spend doing them, multiplied by > >the > > > >hourly rate we charge, (plus parts). > > > > > > > >That is why we should set our tuning fee by what we charge per hour. > >But > > > >you > > > >first need to figure out what that hourly rate is. Vivian Brooks and I > >both > > > >have excellent classes on this, and if you look in the archives, or on > >the > > > >CD > > > >ROM, you will probably find many articles on the subject. > > > > > > > >One thing I find disturbing, is there are tuners who charge $70 per > >tuning, > > > >and take an hour and half to do that tuning. But then they charge $70 > >per > > > >hour to do technical work. That means if they need to charge $70 per > >hour > > > >to > > > >pay the bills, every time they go do a tuning, they loose $35. If they > >did > > > >20 > > > >tunings in a week, they will have lost $700. They should be charging > >the > > > >same > > > >for a tuning as they do for technical work, which would be $105. But > >that > > > >would be way over what everyone else charges. So something's got to > >give. > > > >My > > > >recommendation is to learn to tune faster. > > > > > > > >Again, David, please don't think that I am arguing with what you are > >doing. > > > >As I said, if you think it is fair, and the customers are satisfied, go > >for > > > >it. > > > > > > > >Wim. > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > > Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Join the world's largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. > http://www.hotmail.com > >
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