Paid for Pitch Raises?

[Leslie Bartlett]

When I started i was told that dealers don't pay squat, but it is a good
chance to amass experience quickly and get one's tuning time down in short
order. I tuned for a dealer for a couple years and now I get occasional
warranty tunings from another dealer- the assumption being I keep the
customer. That makes it pretty worthwhile.........
les bartlett

   _____  

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Farrell
Sent: Monday, February 12, 2007 7:17 AM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: Re: Paid for Pitch Raises?


I agree with what Dave has stated. I have found that there is a range of
dealer-types - a few who want to take care of their instruments and realize
they have to pay someone to do it - and at the other end of the spectrum
there are those who nickel and dime everything and will only deal with
beginner piano technicians because they know they can pay them a minimum.
 
I know that many techs find very good advantage to working with some
dealers. My few experiences have been poor ones and I have chosen to simply
not get involved with any dealers - my life and career are better for it.
You may be associated with a dealer that will only pay minimum. It can be a
frustrating experience.
 
I guess all I can suggest is to move as much in the direction that Dave
describes and do some benefit-cost analysis of your relationship with this
dealer.
 
Terry Farrell

----- Original Message ----- 
I charge dealers for pitch raises, both in the field and in the store when I
was doing in-store work.  You should expect to be compensated for extra time
and effort.  Don't let yourself be taken advantage of.  It's a bad habit to
get into.
 
You might think about setting an hourly rate that you're comfortable with,
and the dealer is maybe slightly uncomfortable paying.  If you get paid
hourly, you can do pitch raises, repairs, perhaps even some regulation if
necessary without having to be penalized financially.  
 
If the dealer doesn't whine at you that he's paying too much, you might want
to raise your rates.
 
Dave Stahl
 
-----Original Message-----
I tune for a couple of dealers where I live, and when I started, they both
told me that they've never paid any technicians for pitch raises. One of the
managers told me to go ahead and charge accordingly when I had to pull a
piano to pitch that was a half step or more either direction. But I'm
wondering if dealers in other areas pay for "routine," pitch raises of, say,
less than a half step.  
 
The owner of one of the stores explained that they don't want to have to
spend more money than they have to on the used pianos in particular if they
can only sell it for so much. I guess I do see the logic in that, but what
about all the pitch corrections I have to do on the new pianos? I don't get
anything for my time. 
 
I just can't stand leaving a piano off-pitch unless it's just absolutely not
worth it.
 
Any comments?
 
Daniel Carlton


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