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

[Gerald Groot]

Agreed.  We are a service industry.  Give it away if you want, but I thought
we were in this to also make a living?  We didn't drop the pencil in
there...  You might as well go and tune a piano instead and make money in my
eyes.  

If you do one for nothing or charge on client less than another, word gets
around on that too.  It is fair to charge the same rate for everyone, every
time in my opinion.  

Jer Groot RPT 

-----Original Message----- 
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Duaine Hechler 
Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 10:19 AM 
To: pianotech at ptg.org 
Subject: Re: [pianotech] age-old question of what to charge for almost
nothing 

Does a washing machine tech charge you for spraying contact cleaner of 
the contacts under the dial - hell, yes. 

(showing my age) Does a TV repair man charge you for reseting the tubes 
in your TV - hell, yes. 

I could go on - but - we ain't got all day ... 

Why should we be any different ? 

Thankfully, when I find myself in this position - there is always more 
to be done. 

Duaine 
> -----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 
> 
> 
>   


-- 
Duaine Hechler 
Piano, Player Piano, Pump Organ 
Tuning, Servicing & Rebuilding 
Reed Organ Society Member 
Florissant, MO 63034 
(314) 838-5587 
dahechler at att.net 
www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com 
-- 
Home & Business user of Linux - 10 years 



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