<html 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" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)"> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PostalCode"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PersonName"/>  <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> Have you ever priced bass strings for a bass fiddle? $30-$50 each.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I don’t do a break out on the string cost. I just charge a package installation price that includes the string- $27.50, and that is for a universal. I charge $22.50 to tie one. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Why shouldn’t you charge as much mark up as a store? We are actually justified in setting a higher margin. A retail store moves more product. The more product moved the lower the margin that can be charged. Just look at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club. Since we move less product our margins should be higher. Figure the time you spend studying catalogs, placing orders, paying invoices, making the appointment on the phone, travel time, plus the time you spend making the sale. Then add in the time for bookkeeping, advertising costs, vehicle costs, etc. etc.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Consider all the money you get tied up in an extensive inventory of repair parts, and how slow the turnover rate is. A lot of it will never sell until you are dead and gone, and then at a hugely discounted rate. So any profit on what you do sell now has to cover your expenses for the dead inventory as well. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Charging what we are worth is one of our biggest emotional struggles. I know it is for me, because I always like to get the best deal I can when I buy something. So I like to give my customers the same. But I also have a family to feed.  I finally had to come to a place where I was willing to charge more than I would want to pay. Otherwise I would have starved myself out of the game years ago. I don’t hold a gun to my customers and they keep calling me back. In fact I got a $10 tip yesterday after raising my tuning fee $14 from the last time I had tuned for this customer (3 years previous).<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The work we do for our customers is very discretionary spending for them. It’s a splurge. Its not a life sustaining service like bread on the table or gas for the car. Don’t feel bad about making a profit. If your standard of living isn’t at or above your average customer I’d say you probably aren’t charging enough. <o:p></o:p> <div> Dean<o:p></o:p> <u1:PersonName u2:st="on"><st1:PersonName w:st="on">Dean May</st1:PersonName></u1:PersonName>             cell 812.239.3359 <o:p></o:p> PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272 <o:p></o:p> <u1:place u2:st="on"><u1:City u2:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Terre Haute</st1:City></u1:City> <u1:State u2:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">IN</u1:State></st1:State>  <u1:PostalCode u2:st="on"><st1:PostalCode w:st="on">47802</u1:PostalCode></st1:PostalCode></st1:place></u1:place><o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </div> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Tom Sivak Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 8:28 AM To: <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Pianotech List</st1:PersonName> Subject: Re: bass string markup<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div> John, I'm with you.  I just can't do much markup on replacement strings.  WIth installation labor costs, it's already expensive for the client.  I mark them up a couple of bucks and charge for my labor.  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> I feel that 'retail standards', such as a 100% markup, are not appropriate when there is no store front with rent costs to be covered.  JMHO.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Tom Sivak<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:City> Farrell <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:<o:p></o:p> </div> <blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #1010FF 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt; margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'> 100% markup is a retail standard. Some, including me, lower that up to 50% for big-ticket items (>$100). Ever have a retail store owner frown with guilt when you made a purchase? You shouldn't either. Terry Farrell ----- Original Message ----- >I have to replace three wound bichords in a clients piano. I have ordered >them and they arrived today. I'm just wondering what the usual markup for >individual strings might be if any. While I'm on the subject, I have >always felt uneasy about markup on parts never quite knowing how much is >the norm. By the time it gets to me with shipping and various taxes, the >parts seem rather expensive and I feel guilty about marking it up further. >I would apreciate any thoughts on this matter. > > John Pengelly <o:p></o:p> </blockquote> <o:p> </o:p> </div> </body> </html>