<HTML xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:v == "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o == "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w == "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1 == "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html;= charset=US-ASCII"> <META content=Word.Document name=ProgId> <META content="Microsoft Word 10" name=Generator> <META content="Microsoft Word 10" name=Originator><LINK= href="cid:filelist.xml@01C4CAE5.CF654AA0"= rel=File-List><o:SmartTagType name="PersonName"= namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:Sm= artTagType><o:SmartTagType name="time"= namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:Sm= artTagType><o:SmartTagType name="date"= namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:Sm= artTagType> <STYLE> st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) } </STYLE> <STYLE>  </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY lang=EN-US style="tab-interval: .5in" vLink=blue link=blue= bgColor=white> <DIV class=Section1> But Terry will claim his referals are because he's= the cheapest...YIKES   Not how I want to be thought= of...   David I.   ----- Original message= ----------------------------------------> From: David Love= <<A= href="mailto:davidlovepianos@comcast.net">davidlovepianos@comcas= t.net</A>> To: 'Pianotech' <<A= href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>> Rec= eived: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 07:36:25 -0800 Subject: RE: wear and= tear on da nerves I was joking about charging extra for the noise.=  I guess I forgot my= smiley face.  I have= a flat fee for tuning, additional incremental flat fees for= pitch raising (the additional fee will= depend on how much pitch raising needs to be done), an hourly= for all other work. = My minimum show up fee, inspection fee, assessment <SPAN= class=GramE>or = appraisal fee is the same as my tuning flat fee.=  Basically, the= first hour costs more. = I do, after all, have to get there.<SPAN= style="mso-spacerun: yes">  My hourly fee is about= 75% of my basic tuning fee.    In all honesty, I don’t get near the= $300. price I read recently for a= tuning plus pitch raise. = A normal pitch raise just doesn’t take me that much= longer, maybe 15 - 30 minutes, so I add depending on how severe= the pitch raise is.  I just don’t find that a normal tuning varies= that much in time to worry about the hourly aspect of my tuning= fee.  Variations are= usually on the short side, not on the long side, so it wouldn’t= really be benefit to me. = At the least it would simply cost me time in= explanations.  I= prefer simple fee structures and I think customers do to.<SPAN= style="mso-spacerun: yes"> = <o:p></o:p> <SPAN= style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY:= Arial"><o:p> </o:p> <SPAN= style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Pricing= structure is important. = I am dubious about claims that a higher fee will send= everyone scrambling for the lower price. <SPAN= style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Most customers are= referred and will tolerate a variation in price structure if= they trust they are getting good work.  There probably is a point at which a higher= price structure will cost you more in lost business than you= gain by higher fees.  That’s the price point you need to find.<SPAN= style="mso-spacerun: yes">  If you can work less for= higher fees and make the same amount of money, you are better= off.  Having a= larger client base, however, gives you more access to potential= “other” work, rebuilding and things= like that so there may be other factors to consider.<SPAN= style="mso-spacerun: yes">  A larger client base= also gives you an option to pick and choose the work you want to= do.  That counts for= something as well. = <o:p></o:p> <DIV> <SPAN= style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; mso-no-proof: yes">David= Love <st1:PersonName>davidlovepianos@comcast.net</st1:PersonName><= FONT color=navy size=2> <o:p></o:p></DIV> -----Original Message----- <SPAN= style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:= pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]= On Behalf Of Sarah= Fox Sent:= <st1:date Year="2004" Day="15" Month="11"><FONT= face=Tahoma size=2>Monday, November 15, 2004</st1:date><FONT= face=Tahoma size=2> <st1:time Minute="44" Hour="6"><FONT= face=Tahoma size=2>6:44 AM</st1:time> To:= <st1:PersonName><SPAN= style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:= Tahoma">Pianotech</st1:PersonName><FONT= face=Tahoma size=2> Subject: Re: wear and tear on da= nerves <o:p> </o:p> <DIV> Hi= David,<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> >Bad idea.  I would say that most of the time my tuning= fee exceeds my hourly rate.  = <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> Hmmmm...<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> Then you may be charging too much for your= tunings or too little for your other= work?<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> Or if you think your fees are about right,= mix flat fees with hourly fees.  For instance, charge a= flat rate to come to the house, plus an hourly fee on top of= that.  If you feel the tuning work demands more money even= so, charge a higher hourly rate for the tuning work, explaining= to the customer that it's more intensive work, requires more= expertise, or however you want to justify= it.<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> Or perhaps have a flat rate  to come= out, a flat base rate to start tuning, and your typical hourly= rate on top of that.  Structure your flat rates and hourly= rates so that you come out where you want to be, on= average.  Justify the base rate however you= wish.<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> Or perhaps charge your normal tuning fee as= a flat rate, but allot a certain amount of time for the tuning= and charge a steep (double) hourly rate for any time you have to= go over.<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> However you do it, it's your option how you= respond to the vacuum.  If you're running behind schedule= and have several other clients waiting on you, you can just= suffer through, without as good an outcome.  If you're= ahead of schedule, take a paid break while you wait for the= noise to subside.  Your= choice.<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> Of if all that complicates life too much for= you and/or your customers, and you would still rather charge a= flat rate for tunings, don't complain when the job gets longer= because of doodads atop the piano, vacuum cleaners, etc -- or= difficult pianos, for that matter.  That's the cost of= simplicity.  But guaranteed, if you charge by the hour,= you'll either walk into houses with pianos stripped of= doodads, or you won't mind spending the time ($$$) carefully= moving them out of your way.  And the vacuum cleaner= probably won't be fired up, but if it is, consider it a paid= coffee break.<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> Anyway, it's all a tradeoff: = complexity of fee structure vs. aggrivation on the job. = ;-)<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> Peace,<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> Sarah<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p></DIV></DIV></BODY></HT= ML>