<div dir="ltr"><br><br> <div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Aug 12, 2008 at 7:26 AM, Jim <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:jim@jimkinnear.com">jim@jimkinnear.com</a>></span> wrote:<br> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid"> <div bgcolor="#ffffff"> <div><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">Every now and then, this topic ( of rates ) comes up, and there are the usual bevy of cautions, warnings etc about Trade commissions, price discussions etc, mostly I think  of concern to the US practitioners.</font></div> <div><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2"></font> </div> <div><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">I can not believe, that with all the goings on in both our countries around, say the price of fuel,  and how every station mirrors every other one, matching every increase within minutes, that there would be any concern about a few crusty old piano tuners ( self included here ) having  a general discussion about what might be a fair cost . .  Note I said 'discussion', not an oath to agree to all charge the same !!! . . . Leave that to the gas companies.</font></div> <div><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2"></font> </div> <div><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">John, in far away Nova Scotia, does anyone in the provincial gov't actually give two hoots what you charge for your services??</font></div> <div><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">I don't think there is anyone here in Ontario, other than the tax guys who want 'their share', that even knows, let alone is watching closely . . . </font></div> <div><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2"></font> </div> <div><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">Are there gov't groups in the US that have nothing better to do ??</font></div> <div><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2"></font> </div> <div><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">Amazing . . . </font></div> <div><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2"></font> </div> <div><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">regards</font></div> <div><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2"></font> </div><font color="#888888"> <div><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">Jim Kinnear</font></div> <div><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">Collingwood, ON</font></div></font> <blockquote dir="ltr" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <div class="Ih2E3d"> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </div> <div style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial"><b>From:</b> <a title="jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca" href="mailto:jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca" target="_blank">John Ross</a> </div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>To:</b> <a title="pianotech@ptg.org" href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" target="_blank">Pianotech List</a> </div></div> <div> <div></div> <div class="Wj3C7c"> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, August 12, 2008 6:52 AM</div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Subject:</b> Re: Rates, etc</div> <div><br></div> <div><strong><font face="Arial" size="4">Remember, 'Big Brother' could be watching. :-)</font></strong></div> <div><strong><font face="Arial" size="4">That info is there forever.</font></strong></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"><b>From:</b> <a title="mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com" href="mailto:mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com" target="_blank">Farrell</a> </div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>To:</b> <a title="pianotech@ptg.org" href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" target="_blank">Pianotech List</a> </div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, August 12, 2008 7:25 AM</div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Subject:</b> Re: Rates, etc</div> <div><br></div> <div><font face="Arial">That's what I do most of the time, although sometimes when it might be a future customer, and I didn't have to drive out of my way to get there (maybe just a few blocks over from another appointment), and it only takes five or ten minutes, I'll just suggest that they slip me a 20 and I'm on my way.......</font></div> <div><font face="Arial"></font> </div> <div><font face="Arial">Terry Farrell</font></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"><b>From:</b> <a title="fmurray@cruzio.com" href="mailto:fmurray@cruzio.com" target="_blank">Fenton Murray</a> </div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>To:</b> <a title="pianotech@ptg.org" href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" target="_blank">Pianotech List</a> </div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Sent:</b> Monday, August 11, 2008 11:23 PM</div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Subject:</b> Re: Rates, etc</div> <div><br></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="2">Mathew, </font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="2">This is my how I charge for service calls, be it tuning, consultation or repair or a combination there of. A .5 hour charge for the service call, plus my time. So if I am at the house for 6 minutes, that would be .5 plus .1 equals .6 hour charge. It works for me.</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="2">Fenton</font></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"><b>From:</b> <a title="toddpianoworks@att.net" href="mailto:toddpianoworks@att.net" target="_blank">Matthew Todd</a> </div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>To:</b> <a title="pianotech@ptg.org" href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" target="_blank">pianotech@ptg.org</a> </div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Sent:</b> Monday, August 11, 2008 6:25 PM</div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Subject:</b> Rates, etc</div> <div><br></div> <div>Hello friends,</div> <div> </div> <div>I will be going to a new client in a few weeks.  They have an upright they will be selling, but a couple of the keys do not work.  So I will be going to repair them so she can sell it.</div> <div> </div> <div>When I go on a service call, I don't charge any less than my tuning fee.  My question is, what if the only problem with this pianos keys not working is a binding keyslip?  Would it be ethical to still charge my standard service call charge, whether I am there 5 minutes or one hour?</div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div>Thanks,</div> <div>Matthew</div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote> <div>John M.Ross<br>Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada.</div></div></div></blockquote></div></blockquote></div> <div><br> <div><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">Are there gov't groups in the US that have nothing better to do ?? Jim Kinnear asks</font></div></div> <div> </div> <div>I'm here to tell there are! My neighbor who is 74 years old owns a lake cottage built 40 years ago, which he bought 23 years ago. The county has been flying over his property taking aerial photographs so they can micro-manage how he cares for it. They insisted he move a neat pile of bricks INSIDE, told him to get rid of a few old tires he had on his boat dock, he uses them for boat fenders, they have holes drilled in them so they don't hold any water for mosquito breeding. He was told he'd have to get rid of an 8X10' slab of concrete because it was too near the water, he showed them a date of 1961 scratched into the corner of the slab when it was poured and they agreed to "grandfather" it in. Now they are insisting he buy a building permit for his pump house on the property, a 10' by 10' structure that was there when he bought it, he has refused. I told him to make them prove to him that he has to, by law, obtain a permit for a structure he didn't erect. If they can do that then he should do it, I'm certain they can't!</div> <div> </div> <div>So yes BIG BROTHER is watching, the Bill of Rights has been abrogated in the name of "The War on Terror" and "Homeland Security".</div> <div> </div> <div>To quote Elmer Fudd "Be vewwy, vewwy caweful"!</div> <div><grin></div> <div> </div> <div>Mike<br clear="all"><br>-- <br>I feel sorry for the person who can't get genuinely excited about his work. Not only will he never be satisfied, but he will never achieve anything worthwhile. <br>Walter Chrysler <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><br></div></div>