Tuning price

[Michael Gamble]

Hear Hear! Susan.
But it's not only Hubberts Peak, but Global Warming that we should really be 
worrying about. The ice in Greenland is meltind at an unprecedented rate and 
the melting will (so scientists say) raise the sea levels globally about 
twenty feet..... Is "The Day After Tomorrow" really that close? Who will 
want pianos then? Sometimes I pack a light-weight kit and go out on my 
bicycle to do my rounds....
Regards from Dusky Sussex
Michael G.(UK)
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Susan Kline" <skline@peak.org>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 21, 2005 6:58 PM
Subject: Re: Tuning price


>I don't envy you that parking situation -- worse than parking on campus, 
>and I didn't think anything could be worse than that.
>
> In semi-rural Oregon I charge $80 locally and $90 on the coast and in 
> McMinnville, which are both about an hour or an hour and a half away. I'm 
> aware that I've been at this rate too long, and am about to raise it. 
> Compared to the cities, this doesn't seem like much, but my living costs 
> are pleasantly low.
>
> I agree with what people are writing about the benefits of actually making 
> a living. However, I see a trend which I am very unhappy about -- the 
> middle class is under siege, and most of it has either gotten much richer 
> or much poorer (mostly much poorer).
>
> I think this is deplorable.
>
> Those who apparently are living well are often in debt up to their 
> eyeballs, and have been eating up their home equity, which is usually 
> inflated now, so that they are spending imaginary money. It's only a 
> matter of time before the real estate bubble bursts, and many of them find 
> themselves owing far more than their houses are worth. Many are now using 
> credit cards for current purchases like groceries. The latest quirk I've 
> heard about is that some people are taking equity lines of credit on their 
> cars. Desperate insolvency surely cannot be fended off much longer, for a 
> huge number of people.
>
> What has this to do with pianos? Well, pianos have usually been spread 
> widely among the different income classes, available to all but the most 
> poverty-stricken. I would not like to see the middle class (what's left of 
> it) lose the capacity to own a decent piano, reasonably maintained. I 
> think we should consider what we can do to keep looking after our less 
> affluent customers, especially since so many of our ordinary customers may 
> be joining that group soon. We still have to look after ourselves, as 
> well. As Peak Oil becomes impossible to ignore, we're going to need new 
> ideas about how we book our jobs and get to them. For instance, for more 
> distant places, if we were to find a local person with a spare room, we 
> could book several days of work and only drive once. Thriftier vehicles, 
> alternative fuels, lighter and more versatile kits which could be carried 
> easily on mass transit (if only there _were_ usable mass transit ...)
>
> I don't like the idea of a two-tier structure for tuning work, kind of 
> means-tested, but I don't like being chronically underpaid and/or working 
> only for rich people, either. I do agree that high end work for people who 
> have plenty of bucks should pay us very well. Too bad that some of these 
> people are not musical, while some who really get the most out of their 
> pianos and can truly tell the difference are not as well-heeled.
>
> Whatever economic crises we go through, I still want to do my best work on 
> the loveliest pianos for the most musical players -- and I'm willing to 
> bend the rules a little if need be. For instance, if we had a full-blown 
> depression I might do some of the concert work pro bono, just to keep it 
> going. A dead concert venue does no one any good. One also might work out 
> barter for families with good piano students, who have something else one 
> could use.
>
> If you don't know what on earth I'm talking about, type Hubbert's Peak 
> into your browser, and visit a couple of sites like 3-2-1 Energy and 3-2-1 
> Gold. For those who know about it, but think it's a false alarm -- well, I 
> believe that time will cure that. No harm thinking about how to be more 
> efficient, anyway.
>
> Susan
>
>
>
>
> At 10:12 AM 6/21/2005 -0400, you wrote:
>>Hi All.
>>
>>$120.00 in Hoboken NJ. Soon to go up to $135.00. Hoboken is one mile 
>>square on the Hudson River, densely populated and NO place to park, No 
>>mass transit. Taxis are $7 in town and if you go to the neighboring cities 
>>that are spitting distance away the fair jumps to $15 to $20. Last week I 
>>got a $45 dollar ticket and almost a boot. (immobilizes your wheel, cost 
>>about $120.00 to have City Hall remove)  My customer's wife insisted her 
>>husband pay my ticket. much appreciated, however I think the husband was 
>>none too happy. (the wife did advise me it was OK to park in front of her 
>>home) A parking permit in the next town (Jersey City) is $250.00 per year. 
>>A parking permit is needed for each town
>>in Hudson County. ( Bayonne, Jersey City, Hoboken, Weehawken, Union City, 
>>North Bergen, Secaucus, West New York, and Kearny) Plus the cost of 
>>renting my shop. Let's not forget the gas prices. Most customer's pianos 
>>require some repairs before tuning so I must always have my tool box with 
>>me. I will however, make minor repairs and adjustments at no additional 
>>charge.
>>So I have no choice but to raise my rates, however I will give a discount 
>>to customers and studios who book multiple tunings. I have to cover my 
>>expenses and pay my bills.
>>
>>My best to all and good luck.
>>
>>Aart M.
>>Hoboken NJ
>
>