<div> <pre style="font-size: 9pt;">David: I love what you've said, and I can only add that in 1972, when I first started working on pianos seriously, I hand-wrote the following and put it up on the wall of my shop: "Quality Creates its Own Market". It's been our byword and on-going goad to constantly improve what we do rather than do more of what do, While I fully appreciate what your point is, "expansion of repertoire".first and foremost is the expansion and honing of the services already offered. Always work toward the high end, as several people have said. The hardest thing for a small business is to stay small! Paul </pre></div> <div> </div> <div> </div> -----Original Message----- From: David Love <davidlovepianos@comcast.net> To: 'Pianotech List' <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Fri, 15 Feb 2008 6:50 pm Subject: RE: Valuing ourselves <div id="AOLMsgPart_0_d0111fa9-82f7-49ba-8d5d-70502d37c827" style="margin: 0px; font-family: Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <pre style="font-size: 9pt;"><tt>Unfortunately, it's more complicated and regional than Ric or David A are suggesting. You have to make assessments based on where you are in your career, where you work, what kinds of opportunities there are. For me, an established tech in one of the highest markets in the country with high density urban benefits (San Francisco), where the median priced house is $750,000, I can (and must) charge $225 for a 1.5 hour appointment or $160 for a Basic Service appointment (1 hour) which puts me at the higher end but not out of bounds. Someone in rural Mississippi or Alabama would be crazy to ask those kinds of prices. The other issue to consider is what function service calls play in your entire business plan. The reality is, you make more money when you don't have to travel and when you can benefit from value added, i.e. rebuilding, more extensive shop repairs, action rebuilding, etc.. While I think it's important to keep pace with your fees and not fall into the trap of fearing a rise in prices, you will be best served in terms of earning money by expanding your repertoire to include more extensive services and sales. It's only where you can benefit from value added (and I don't mean the tax) that you have any chance of making more than an hourly wage and escape the built in limitations of that type of enterprise. David Love <a href="mailto:davidlovepianos@comcast.net">davidlovepianos@comcast.net</a> <a href="http://www.davidlovepianos.com" target="_blank">www.davidlovepianos.com</a> -----Original Message----- From: <a href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org">pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a> [<a href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org?">mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a>] On Behalf Of alan forsyth Sent: Friday, February 15, 2008 3:22 PM To: Pianotech List Subject: Re: Valuing ourselves Yikes! If I charged that here it would be almost cheaper for people just to go out and buy a new piano every time it needs tuning, as in cheaper to get a new printer rather than buy the ink refills. There ain't many high end pianos around here, even though the brand new 4X4 is in the driveway and a 2 hectare plasma screen hangs on the wall in every single room of the house.(not my house). AF ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Brekne" <<a href="mailto:ricb@pianostemmer.no">ricb@pianostemmer.no</a>> To: <<a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a>> Sent: Friday, February 15, 2008 6:02 PM Subject: Valuing ourselves My standard price over here is 1150 NOK + 25 % VAT. Thats roughly 210 dollars plus the VAT. </tt></pre> </div>  <div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> More new features than ever. Check out the new <a href="http://o.aolcdn.com/cdn.webmail.aol.com/mailtour/aol/en-us/text.htm?ncid=aolcmp00050000000003" target="_blank">AOL Mail</a>! </div>