[pianotech] age-old question of what to charge for almost nothing

[Al Guecia/AlliedPianoCraft]

I always start out with the question "Does your piano need to be tuned or 
would you like to have your piano tuned also? If you get the piano tuned, 
the charge will be minimal at worst". If not, I explain about the service 
charge. I'll say that I get the tuning about 95% of the time. The other 5% 
that don't want their piano tuned, usually don't want to pay for the service 
call.

Al -
High Point, NC

--------------------------------------------------
From: "David Love" <davidlovepianos at comcast.net>
Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 10:02 AM
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Subject: Re: [pianotech] age-old question of what to charge for 
almostnothing

> Why didn't she call her regular technician (if she is not your client)? 
> Is
> she just having you come because the regular person couldn't or wouldn't 
> for
> free?  Is she shopping a new technician?  Are you interested in 
> establishing
> this person as a new customer and is that an option?  You need to tell her
> up front that you have a minimum charge (on the phone) so that there's no
> surprise.  That gives you a chance to see what she expects and if she
> expects you to work for free (or less) you can decide to accept or reject
> it.  Tell her you typically have a minimum and then ask if there's 
> anything
> else that needs doing while you're there.  If not, and if she objects to 
> the
> full minimum fee and if you want to try and ingratiate yourself and if you
> can schedule it geographically so that it can be done while you are in 
> route
> to something else you can make a compromise of your minimum charge to
> whatever seems reasonable, maybe a 30 minute charge.  If you have to drive
> out of your way to get to her place then stick to your minimum.  Tell her,
> when you are there, that if she wants to avoid these kinds of things in 
> the
> future you can show her how to remove a pencil herself.  I wouldn't worry
> about word getting around that you're cheap, it's a false concern.
>
> David Love
> www.davidlovepianos.com
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On 
> Behalf
> Of David Nereson
> Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 2:50 AM
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Subject: [pianotech] age-old question of what to charge for almost nothing
>
>    A piano teacher (not my client) calls me out of the blue to
> come remove a pencil as soon as possible.  It sure seems
> callous, unfeeling, gouging, and unprofessional to charge a full
> minimum 1-hour billing fee of $75 just to remove the pencil.
> But if we don't, then word gets around that we're cheap, so
> everyone calls expecting low rates, and we end up working for
> free, almost.  So do I go ahead and charge $75 just to remove a
> pencil?
>    --David Nereson, RPT
>
>