close enough>??

[Farrell]

I would agree with you Kevin that you likely undercharged her. I figure my rate at $60/hour. For tuning and pitch raising I do give set fees. Afterwards I often do the numbers in my head just to see how I did compared to my hourly rate. I'm usually pretty close, sometimes it just doesn't work out (once in a while not even close!) and sometimes I can do a bit better.

Terry Farrell
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kevin E. Ramsey" <kevin.e.ramsey@cox.net>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, January 24, 2003 7:32 PM
Subject: Re: close enough>??



----- Original Message -----  From: Susan Kline  To: Pianotech  Sent: Friday, January 24, 2003 9:24 AM Subject: Re: close enough>?? 


You estimate how much extra time you will need, and charge for that. If you estimate wrong by ten minutes -- big deal, and you get better at estimating. 

I don't see that charging for a 2 cents pitch raise is reasonable. 

First, if it were closer to pitch than that, a lot of people wouldn't even think it needed tuning at all. 


        OK, I think that it was I who made the reference to a 2 cent pitch raise. At least, I do remember saying that I would usually go over the piano twice if it were a little flat. To be truthful, I usually go over a piano twice if I'm trying to give it a good solid tuning that's going to last a year. I DIDN'T SAY I CHARGED ANY EXTRA FOR IT! Sorry, hate to have to shout. 
    The most I ever charged for a pitch raise and tuning was $120. The lady had gotten a very decorative Acrosonic from her Mother's estate, and it hadn't been tuned in twenty years. After I got there, she and her husband disappeared, leaving me in the situation of not being able to discuss things with her. ( They went water skiing in their back yard lake.)  So I said, well, better do it right. I did over three passes on it to get it up without breaking anything, put CLP on the bearing points, etc. I was there about three hours. When I was done I gave her the bill, and told her that she would never get another one that large unless she let it go another twenty years. Still, I think I undercharged her. 
    Kevin E. Ramsey