<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <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=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16608" name=GENERATOR><o:SmartTagType name="PostalCode" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType name="State" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType name="City" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType name="place" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType> <STYLE>  </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY lang=EN-US vLink=blue link=blue bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV>Good advise, Dean.</DIV> <DIV>Fenton</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">From: <A title=deanmay@pianorebuilders.com href="mailto:deanmay@pianorebuilders.com">Dean May</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">To: <A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">'Pianotech List'</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">Sent: Friday, February 15, 2008 6:02 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">Subject: RE: Valuing ourselves</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV class=Section1> <DIV> <o:p> </o:p> From: <A href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org">pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</A> [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of John Formsma Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 10:00 PM To: Pianotech List Subject: Re: Valuing ourselves<o:p></o:p></DIV> <o:p> </o:p> <DIV> <DIV> >>I wish I was, and I'm moving up steadily.  As of right now, my fee is $85 and $40 for a pitch correction.   And, most of the guys in our chapter (<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Memphis</st1:place></st1:City>) are around that figure.  I have been raising my rates steadily.  But keep in mind that cost of living is much lower than in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cali</st1:place></st1:City>.  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p>  <o:p></o:p> You might bump your price to $89. It is an easy hike to make and the little extra really does make a difference. Then go to a two tier price- $95 for out of county. The out of county people really do understand about paying more. I’ve never had any out of county complain about paying a higher price and I’ve been doing it for years. And that little extra really will make a difference. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> You should also consider bumping your pitch raise price. People who haven’t had their piano tuned for years are expecting a big bill. I do a sliding scale- $1 extra for every cent above 10 that they are out- up to a maximum. For you I’d recommend a maximum of $175. So if someone asks how much you charge, give them your standard rates, then say, “unless they are really bad. If it has been several years since being done it might be up to $175.” Communicate that if they are outside a certain range in “in tuneness” that the fee will be somewhere in there depending on how bad it is. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> You need to consider more than just time spent in doing a pitch raise. They can be very draining and it is a lot more wear on your ears, especially those boogers that are 100+ cents out. <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> <o:p> </o:p> >>The numbers don't lie.   But I seriously doubt I would get enough work at that price.  It's a balancing act, and I'm never quite sure what my market will bear.  I admit very readily that while I love what I do, but I'm the world's worst businessman.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Are you maintaining your customers in some sort of computer database? Can you do a direct mail piece to them using mail merge? Can you get a monthly report of who is due to be tuned? Getting a new customer can be expensive. Once you get them you must maintain contact with them.<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> >>I do charge $60/hour if I'm doing non-tuning stuff.  I'm choosing not to work full time, though.  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> If you do quality work you should bump that to $100/hour. You should make at least as much as you make tuning. You are taking away time that you could be spending tuning someone else’s piano. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> >>I'm widowed, and have two boys (6 and 41/2.) it takes a ton out of me to do piano service and then come home to do my "other job" as a father and housekeeper.  It is rewarding, but I don't make any $$ doing it yet.  <g>   But ... since I will be totally debt free in a few months, I'm slowing down this year to home-school my boys while I work more selectively (hopefully).  We're starting this in March, so right now it's all on paper and not in practice.  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Nah. You started when they were born. They speak English? How did they learn? It’s because you home schooled them and didn’t even know that is what you were doing. If you maintain that perspective when you start schooling them “for real” you’ll be successful. It ain’t about forcing them through some curriculum and completing workbooks. It’s about maintaining a loving relationship with your boys, having them hang out with you as you go through life, and capitalizing on the natural curiosity God gave them to explore their world. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> You’re doing some good stuff there, John. God bless.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p>  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Dean<o:p></o:p> <U1:PERSONNAME u2:st="on">Father of 11 of the brightest home schooled you ever saw- and fun to hang to hang out with too!<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Dean May</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"><U3:PLACE u4:st="on"><U3:CITY u4:st="on">Terre Haute</st1:City></U3:PLACE></U1:CITY></U3:CITY> <U1:STATE u2:st="on"><st1:State u5:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">IN</st1:State></U1:STATE></st1:State>  <U1:POSTALCODE u2:st="on"><st1:PostalCode u6:st="on"><st1:PostalCode w:st="on">47802</st1:PostalCode></U1:POSTALCODE></st1:PostalCode></st1:place></U1:PLACE><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center> <HR tabIndex=-1 align=center width="100%" SIZE=2> </DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>