<HTML><HEAD></HEAD> <BODY> <FONT= size=2>List, A few of you have mentioned you don't charge for= pitch raises because you can do it within your normal tuning= time.  IMHO, this is making the customers problem= yours and I know this is more wear and tear on my body,= going through it twice is harder work (if your younger, you= might not understand this).  I'm willing to take up the= customers problem but I want to be paid for it.  Part of my= phone conversation is the fact that regular service, i.e. once= or twice a year, will eliminate pitch raises and I quarantee= that if they set up for the next appointment.  I quote for= the next appointment "whatever is my going rate."  All= customers get price increases .  My normal rate is for= one hour of work, which is how long it takes me to tune a piano= at pitch, quick vacuum of accessible areas and minor pedal= adjustments.  Pitch raise takes about an extra 15= minutes.   I also charge by the hour for all repairs= etc.  I don't see the logic in breaking down a repair= into:  1 broken hammer repair=$X, 1 string= replace=$X.etc...sometimes the repair takes longer than= estimated time...I simply say if I'm there for 2 hours or= whatever it will cost $X amount.  2 hours would be twice my= rate.  How many of you take into consideration travel time= to the appointment?  Is that built into your fee= structure or do you figure it is cost of doing business. = For me, it takes roughly 15 minutes to get to the next job and I= don't add that to my fee but I'm thinking about it.  I= think the bottom line is to look at how much money you made= today and divide it by the hours spent.  Look at your= hourly take home fee and start calling other service in the= home companies, plumbers etc. to see how you match up... David I.   -----= Original message= ----------------------------------------> From: <<A= href="mailto:Piannaman@AOL.COM">Piannaman@AOL.COM</A>> To:= <<A= href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>> Rec= eived: Sun, 1 Sep 2002 02:44:14 EDT Subject: Re: Potential= Customers In a= message dated 8/31/02 9:54:58 AM Pacific Daylight Time,= mathstar@salemnet.com writes: <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px;= BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"= TYPE="CITE">I'd like the list to share ideas about this:= Telephone call: "How much do you charge to tune a= piano?" 1. If it is obvious from the conversation that a= pitch raise or other work will be needed, do you talk about= charges beyond the standard tuning?</BLOCKQUOTE> I very politely tell= people my basic rate for a tuning, which covers an hour and a= half of my time.  Anything beyond that time gets charged at= an hourly rate.  The hour and a half will normally cover a= pitch raise if necessary(though the 1/2 <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px;= BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"= TYPE="CITE"> 2. If you have a reeeeally incompetent bozo= 'tooner' in the area (armed with a tuning hammer and electronic= guitar tuner and literally does not know the meaning of the= terms temperament, tempered tuning, inharmonicity, etc.) do you= try in any way to s I do try to get the business away= from him, but not by being negative about that person, rather by= pointing out the advantages to my work.   <FONT= lang=0 face=Arial color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px;= BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"= TYPE="CITE"> 3. What "techniques" do you use to try and= secure the business?</BLOCKQUOTE> See answer to= question 1.  Being competent, thourough, polished, and= polite will win most people over.  I also make sure to= present a neat bill, along with a service sticker that they can= put inside of their bench(NOT in the piano), and a= fe T <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px;= BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"= TYPE="CITE">hanks Alan R. Barnard Salem, MO= </BLOCKQUOTE> </BLOCKQUOTE></BODY><= /HTML>