[pianotech] rock solid for how long?

[William Truitt]

Hi David:

When we do concert tuning, we are paid our normal rate to retune the piano,
even if it has only been 24 hours, a week, or whatever, yes?  

You answered your own question.  No, she cannot tolerate slight out of
tuneness.  

I would suggest to her that she get on a monthly schedule for tuning.  I
have had serious players on such schedules.  What percentage of your normal
tuning fee you want to charge her for is up to you.  You may want to do
little touch ups on regulation or voicing on those occasions when you are
only dusting off a few unisons, so as to give her value for your time there.

It wouldn't hurt to explain to her that she is only seeing 15 minutes of
your time for the touch up, but that your total time investment is
considerably more when travel is added in, you are driving x number of miles
to get there and go home or to the next tuning, cost of gas and wear and
tear on the car, etc.  

If you charge her too little, it can leave the unintended impression that
you are charging so little because you are coming back to redo your bad
work, when in fact that is the farthest thing from the truth.  

Will Truitt

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of David Nereson
Sent: Thursday, January 07, 2010 2:01 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: [pianotech] rock solid for how long?

    Is "rock solid" really possible?   And for how long?  I have 
a client who calls me every time a unison develops a slow roll. 
She must have a super-sensitive ear.  She does pay me to come 
over and touch-up a few notes, but jeez, to get up, load up, 
drive over, touch up notes, pack up, & drive back oughta be 
worth at least $50.  I hate to charge that much each time, and 
feel guilty that my tuning didn't stay perfectly solid. 
Sometimes it's only been a few weeks.  But even a former PTG 
brochure about tuning admitted that no piano holds a tuning 
perfectly for more than 24 hours. Can't people tolerate some 
slight out-of-tuneness for a few months?  I can.  It has to be 
quite bad before I refuse to play it.
    To me, it should be sorta like mowing the lawn.  If it looks 
good when you're done, great.  No need to make sure each blade 
of grass is to the nearest millimeter (like tuning to the 
nearest 10th of a cent), and if a few blades grow faster than 
others in between mowings, so what?  The lawn still looks good 
as a whole.  Just accept the longer blades of grass as a little 
"flavor," variety, or "spice," and live with it until the next 
mowing.
      If you're a Horowitz, that's different.
    --David Nereson, RPT