<br><br> <div><span class="gmail_quote">On 10/10/07, <b class="gmail_sendername">Michelle Smith</b> <<a href="mailto:michelle@smithpianoservice.com">michelle@smithpianoservice.com</a>> wrote:</span> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid"> <div lang="EN-US" name="Compose message area" vlink="purple" link="blue"> <div> <p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Thanks Jim.  </span></font></p> <p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></font></p> <p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I actually posted yesterday evening but it didn't show up for a while.  I was, however, up at 4:40 this morning dealing with a 5-year-old issue.  Sheesh! </span></font></p> <p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></font></p> <p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Have a good one!</span></font></p> <p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></font></p> <p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Michelle Smith</span></font></p> <p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></font></p> <div> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <hr align="center" width="100%" size="2"> </span></font></div> <p><b><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">From:</span></font></b><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"> <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org" target="_blank"> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a> [mailto:<a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org" target="_blank">pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a>] <b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On Behalf Of </span></b>James H Frazee<br><b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, October 10, 2007 6:45 AM<br><b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</span></b> Pianotech List<br><b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> Subject:</span></b> Re: School districts and markup</span></font></p></div><span class="q"> <p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> </span></font></p> <div> <div> <p><font face="Trebuchet MS" color="black" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black">Michelle,</span></font></p></div> <div> <p><font face="Trebuchet MS" color="black" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black"> </span></font></p></div> <div> <p><font face="Trebuchet MS" color="black" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black">I'm not sure I'd take a full mark-up, it would depend on the situation.  (read, do I pay taxes in this district)  But I'd certainly charge them more than just wholesale - you're time is worth something, just ask a teacher . . . And, by the way, what are you doing up so early? </span></font></p></div> <div> <p><font face="Trebuchet MS" color="black" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black"> </span></font></p></div> <div> <p><font face="Trebuchet MS" color="black" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black">Jim Frazee</span></font></p></div></div></span></div></div></blockquote></div> <div><br>Hi Michelle,</div> <div>I have tuned for several school districts over the years although ironically never the one I live in(go figure)! Against the advice of my older, more experienced, wiser bretheren in the trade I offered a discount which I thought was appreciated when I began doing school work. I found it wasn't and my services were taken for granted as schools/teachers/directors are wont to do. I was called frequently at the last minute expected to re-arrange my schedule to accomodate theirs and still offer the discount. I eventually learned what my colleages had tried to tell me, never discount to anyone! I still do on occasion, in a case by case basis. Usually only on  purchases of items, cutting some percentage points or including some labor. In some cases offering a package deal. In rare instances I'll discount a tuning for a mention in the printed program. </div> <div> </div> <div>For instance in the sale you are asking about you might offer a percentage off with installation at your regular labor rate as a package. Explain that installing piano trucks isn't as simple as it appears and really should be done by someone with experience installing them and with knowledge of pianos. I have done the same thing when I sold piano trucks, Dampp-Chasers w/covers, etc.  </div> <div>I hope this helps, good luck with the 5 year old,</div> <div>Mike <br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is to not stop questioning.-- Albert Einstein<br><br><br><br>Michael Magness<br>Magness Piano Service<br>608-786-4404 <br><a href="http://www.IFixPianos.com">www.IFixPianos.com</a><br>email <a href="mailto:mike@ifixpianos.com">mike@ifixpianos.com</a> </div>