vert hammer replacement

[pianolover 88]

>If you want to be fair to yourself AND the client<..Blah, Blah, Blah,....

My post was simply an observation of the vast disparity in fees, not a "cry 
for help". I charge about 2/3rds of my tuning fee as an hourly labor rate 
for repairs, regulation, and such. Pretty cut 'n' dry; but heh, that's me.


Terry Peterson





----Original Message Follows----
From: Erwinspiano@aol.com
Reply-To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: Re: vert hammer replacement
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2004 00:53:38 EST

    Joe-

  thanks for the perspective. My thoughts exactly.
Dale Erwin
Pianolover88 queried: "After a bit of research, and talking with several
techs, I've found that
their time spent hanging new hammers in a vertical piano varies wildly from
tech to tech; ............yada yada."

If you want to be fair to yourself AND the client use the GPW Repair Labor
Guide. (End of commercial.<G>) Sure, I can sling a set of hammers on a piano
in less than 4 hours, but, is it a total job? Not!!!!!!! Anytime you are
making a proposal to a client, take the time to research the costs of
materials, use the RLG for "average" fair labor times multiplied by your
hourly rate and that should be a good basis to WRITE a comprehensive
estimate, for the client. Each piano is different, so take ALL things into
consideration before committing. If you are talking about a 10 year old
piano with only the hammers shot, (not bloody likely), then it would be no
biggie to only take a few hours, w/little or no regulation needed. If it's a
100 year old upright/grand that is totally shot, but is worth doing this
sort of work on, then it's going to be a "pile" of other things in addition
to the "replacement of hammers"! I'll be giving a class, on this very
subject, in Eugene, in February.
Anyhoooo, get an RLG from Randy Potter. He publishes and markets it. Yes, I
do get a residual.<G>
Best Regards,
Joe Garrett, RPT, (Oregon)
Captain, Tool Police
Squares Are I

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