Paid for Pitch Raises?

[Gregor _]

I don´t agree. In my (former) life as aural tuner it took me 1.5 to 2 hours 
to tune a piano. If a pitch raise has to be done, it takes 2 passes and 
still takes 1,5 to 2 hours. Of course, the result will be not so fine so 
that the piano has to be retuned after a few weeks (I talk about heavy PR of 
25 cents and more). Of course the retuning is paid again.

Now, in my new life as ETD tuner, things changed: I tune nearly every piano 
in 2 passes. The reason is: the ETD gives absolute pitch, aural tunings do 
not. If I raise 5 cents, that string becomes lower during tuning. But as 
aural tuner I react to that, so that the octave may be perfect, but a little 
bit lower than absolute pitch. The result is a piano which might be 2 cents 
flat, but that´s the reason why I come back in a few weeks. And: who cares 
about 2 cents if it´s NOT a concert tuning.

When the strategy is to tune every piano twice if pitch is 2 to 5 cents 
flat, then one should not charge for the 2 passes. And: I always charge an 
allowance, and here in my hometown every tech does it. I can´t tell the 
customer: the price depends on how long I tune. If I did so, all the 
customers would call the other techs with a flat rate.

Gregor


>From: David Andersen <david at davidandersenpianos.com>
>Reply-To: Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org>
>To: Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org>
>Subject: Re: Paid for Pitch Raises?
>Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2007 10:12:17 -0800
>
>Daniel---please don't take this personally, brother, but you've  triggered 
>off a rant.
>What the HELL are you people doing----working without getting paid?  That's 
>insane.
>You really need to check your approach to life, IMO, if you submit to  this 
>kind of bullshit.
>Raising the pitch on a piano takes WORK---intense work, between 20  and 40 
>minutes, if done right. To not get paid for that, or to work  for people 
>who don't intend to pay you for that, is dysfunctional.  Period. What are 
>you thinking about? Would you ever ask any other  kind of service tech to 
>come to your house or business and work for  20-40 minutes FOR FREE?
>Never. NEVER.
>
>Wake up. WAKE UP. You need to start valuing your time, your life, and  your 
>skills.
>Stand up for yourself, and tell that a**h**le who owns that  store to  sell 
>you a piano for his cost.
>See what he says. Wake up.
>
>Until we demand respect and acknowledgement for our immense knowledge  and 
>skillset we'll be treated like field hands, or dismissable  underlings, or 
>naive idiots, or pathetic losers.
>
>There. I feel better now.
>
>David Andersen
>
>
>
>
>
>On Feb 11, 2007, at 8:21 PM, daniel carlton wrote:
>
>>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.
>

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