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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I agree with what Dave has stated. I have found that there
is a range of dealer-types - a few who want to take care of their
instruments and realize they have to pay someone to do it - and at the other end
of the spectrum there are those who nickel and dime everything and will only
deal with beginner piano technicians because they know they can pay them a
minimum.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I know that many techs find very good advantage to working
with some dealers. My few experiences have been poor ones and I have chosen to
simply not get involved with any dealers - my life and career are better for it.
You may be associated with a dealer that will only pay minimum. It can be a
frustrating experience.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I guess all I can suggest is to move as much in the
direction that Dave describes and do some benefit-cost analysis of your
relationship with this dealer.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV>I charge dealers for pitch raises, both in the field and in the store
when I was doing in-store work. You should expect to be
compensated for extra time and effort. Don't let yourself be taken
advantage of. It's a bad habit to get into.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>You might think about setting an hourly rate that you're comfortable
with, and the dealer is maybe slightly uncomfortable paying. If you get
paid hourly, you can do pitch raises, repairs, perhaps even some regulation if
necessary without having to be penalized financially. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>If the dealer doesn't whine at you that he's paying too much, you might
want to raise your rates.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV style="CLEAR: both">Dave Stahl<BR> <BR>-----Original
Message-----<BR>I tune for a couple of dealers where I live, and when I
started, they both told me that they've never paid any technicians for pitch
raises. One of the managers told me to go ahead and charge accordingly when I
had to pull a piano to pitch that was a half step or more either direction.
But I'm wondering if dealers in other areas pay for "routine," pitch raises
of, say, less than a half step. </DIV>
<DIV id=AOLMsgPart_2_81ef6daf-ba0d-45dd-a11b-839f404931e9>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The owner of one of the stores explained that they don't want
to have to spend more money than they have to on the used pianos in particular
if they can only sell it for so much. I guess I do see the logic in that, but
what about all the pitch corrections I have to do on the new pianos? I don't
get anything for my time. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I just can't stand leaving a piano off-pitch unless it's just
<EM>absolutely</EM> not worth it.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Any comments?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Daniel Carlton</DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>