Fee Structure was: RE: myths

[Erwinspiano at aol.com]

David
  Really good post.  This approach works  well for me as too. If the client 
trust you then I never have any squabbles  about the price. They know I will do 
what's best for  them.
  Dale

This has  been gone over on previous threads.  There are basically  two
approaches.  You can have a minimal fee for minimal service and  charge for
every additional item no matter how small, or you have a full  service fee.
For me personally, I find that trying to explain every $2, $3,  $4, $5 or $10
dollar item becomes more time consuming (and quite honestly  annoying to the
customer) than the job is often worth.  So I build  into my fee enough time
that I find on average I need to accomplish what  I've found is necessary on
most service calls to accomplish what I think is  necessary.  There are
extraordinary circumstances that change the best  laid plans.  The other day,
for example, I ran into a stripped player  grand that was so filthy and
needed to be disassembled in order to clean  that all I got done in my
usually allotted time was the cleaning.  She  paid a full fee and I had to
reschedule to come back to tune the piano  (which will entail another full
fee).  Along these lines, more  involved work like a major voicing (filing,
fitting, etc.), or regulation,  for example, would entail a follow up
appointment.  I expect 1 - 1.25  hours for an appointment but allow 1.5 hours
max and give customers beyond  the first appointment an appointment "window"
rather than a set time to  allow for the scheduling unknowns.  My basic fee,
therefore, does have  a small range and will depend, for the most part, on
time.  But my  minimum charge for a service call always includes enough time
for a few  other things.  They are not given away, by the way, customers pay
for  them and I do my best to deliver what they pay for.  By doing  things
that way I feel that I can leave the piano in better condition  consistently
than if I have to haggle for every little  item.  Leaving the piano in better
condition within the  scope of a basic service call makes me look better,
removes possible  objections, saves time in explanation and avoids feelings
of resentment for  those customers who feel that the nickel and dime approach
represents a  "foot in the door" sales strategy that they might view as less
than up  front.  

David Love
davidlovepianos at comcast.net  
www.davidlovepianos.com


 
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