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

[wimblees at aol.com]

Since it's not one of your regular clients, first suggest she calls her regular tuner. If for some reason that doesn't work, if you have to make a special trip,charge her a very small fee, as low as $10 - $25,  Or, tell her you'll stop by as soon as you can between clients when you're in the neighborhood, and not charge anything. Unless that teachers blabs to everyone you work for free, I don't think anyone will think you're "cheap", or expects you to work for free. 


Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT 
Piano Tuner/Technician
94-505 Kealakaa Str. 
Mililani, Oahu, HI  96789
808-349-2943 
www.Bleespiano.com
Author of: 
The Business of Piano Tuning 
available from Potter Press 
www.pianotuning.com



-----Original Message-----
From: David Nereson <da88ve at gmail.com>
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: Fri, Jan 15, 2010 12:49 am
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  

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