<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2180" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>Hello Terry, </FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>Whenever I am in doubt as to how much to = charge, I usually specify each individual action on an invoice; i.e. copy exactly = what you have listed in your post. That way the customer has little defence. = Sometimes I also state that the labour charge is also a "nominal" amount = (as if doing them a favour).</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>Hope this will ease your conscience.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>Alan</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com href="mailto:mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com">Farrell</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, October 21, = 2004 10:42 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Vertical Damper Lift = Rail</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I repaired a vertical damper lift = rail the other day. Typical thing where one of three little steel L-shaped hookies = that pivots in a flange broke off. I just made the appointment to = re-install the rail and the guy asked me what the charge was. I told him. He = didn't sound happy at all. I am expecting..... shall we say a difference of opinions? My question (before I tell what my charge is/was) is = how much time would you charge at your normal hourly rate for such a repair?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'm in Florida and rates are pretty = consistent here with most of the mid-west. I typically charge $60 an hour for = on-site service work and $50 an hour for shop work. And I think I gave him a = good deal actually.......</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The piano is a recent model = Kawai.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The tasks I had to do:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>1 - diagnose problem (pretty fast on = that one)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>2 - remove action</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>3 - remove damper rail</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>4 - replace action</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>(I tuned the piano at this = first visit - so no need to charge for a service call specifically to remove the damper = rail.)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>5 - repair rail (make new L-shaped = pin, drill hole in rod, epoxy pin in place)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>6 - service call to remove action, = install rail, re-install action (25-mile round trip - I wasn't scheduled to go out = that way for two weeks and the girl that plays the piano is active on the piano = and so she wanted it back together ASAP - so this was a special = service call to that area.)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks for any input.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>