<!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=windows-1250"> <TITLE>Message</TITLE> <META content=Word.Document name=ProgId> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2523" name=GENERATOR> <META content="Microsoft Word 10" name=Originator><LINK href="cid:filelist.xml@01C4FA07.889556A0" = rel=File-List><o:SmartTagType name="PersonName" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagT= ype> <STYLE>@font-face { font-family: Tahoma; } @font-face { font-family: Verdana; } @page Section1 {size: 8.5in 11.0in; margin: 1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; = mso-header-margin: .5in; mso-footer-margin: .5in; mso-paper-source: 0; } P.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman"; = mso-style-parent: ""; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; = mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman" } LI.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman"; = mso-style-parent: ""; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; = mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman" } DIV.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman"; = mso-style-parent: ""; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; = mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman" } A:link { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; text-underline: single } SPAN.MsoHyperlink { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; text-underline: single } A:visited { COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; text-underline: single } SPAN.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; text-underline: single } P { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; FONT-FAMILY: = "Times New Roman"; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; = mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; = mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto } SPAN.EmailStyle18 { COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-style-type: personal-reply; = mso-style-noshow: yes; mso-ansi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: = 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; = mso-bidi-font-family: Arial } SPAN.GramE { mso-style-name: ""; mso-gram-e: yes } DIV.Section1 { page: Section1 } </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY lang=EN-US id=role_body style="tab-interval: .5in" = bottomMargin=7 vLink=purple link=blue leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7> <DIV><SPAN class=253215417-14012005><FONT face=Arial>YES, YES, That = is exactly my approach--some of you misunderstood--I just add that the customer = will understand what is needed and what it costs before I even begin. In = other words, no surprises. And that includes strings. If it's a big PR or there is = rust, previously spliced or replaced strings, etc., I sure mention the = possibility that "strings might break."</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=253215417-14012005><FONT = face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=253215417-14012005><FONT face=Arial>Floating or = variable fees are a baaaaaad idea for a lot of reasons. If I am doing discounted work, = I tell the customer (sensitively) what I am doing and ask them not to tell = others what they paid. This doesn't happen often, but I'd rather have a stable of = regular tuning customers and not be in the business of disappointing people over = a few bucks.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Alan R. = Barnard</FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Salem, MO</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV></DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr = align=left><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <B>On = Behalf Of </B>David Love<BR><B>Sent:</B> Friday, January 14, 2005 9:06 = AM<BR><B>To:</B> 'Pianotech'<BR><B>Subject:</B> RE: Pitch Raise and String Breakage<BR><BR></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=Section1> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT id=role_document face=Arial = color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I find it = difficult not to quote any price.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">  = </SPAN>I usually tell them that the cost depends on what needs to be done.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>I let them know that basic = tuning costs x for pianos that I service on a regular basis but that fees for = 1<SUP>st</SUP> tunings or for pianos that have been neglected for = awhile can be higher.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>How much = higher will depend on what needs to be done and then I usually give them a typical = range. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>I also tell them = <SPAN class=GramE>that repairs</SPAN>, voicing, regulation are charged in = addition and on an hourly basis.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <DIV> <P><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; mso-no-proof: yes">David Love<BR></SPAN></FONT><st1:PersonName style="BACKGROUND-POSITION: left bottom; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: = url(res://ietag.dll/#34/#1001); BACKGROUND-REPEAT: repeat-x"><FONT color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; mso-no-proof: = yes">davidlovepianos@comcast.net</SPAN></FONT></st1:PersonName><FONT color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; mso-no-proof: yes"> </SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Tahoma = size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">-----Original Message-----<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:</SPAN></B> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On Behalf Of </SPAN></B>Piannaman@aol.com<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Friday, January 14, 2005 = 6:49 AM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> pianotech@ptg.org<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: = bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Re: Pitch Raise and String Breakage</SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times = New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: = 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Verdana = color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: = Verdana">In a message dated 1/14/05 2:05:59 AM Pacific Standard Time, = terry@farrellpiano.com writes:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: = medium none; MARGIN-TOP: 5pt; PADDING-LEFT: 4pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 5pt; = PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; MARGIN-LEFT: 3.75pt; BORDER-LEFT: blue 1.5pt solid; = PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none"> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><EM><I><FONT = face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">"Lately = I've been ducking the whole "how much do you charge thing" quite succesfully = with calls like you describe. I simply say: "I don't want to quote = anything before I see a piano for the first = time."</SPAN></FONT></I></EM><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><EM><I><FONT = face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial">(snip)</SPAN></FONT></I></EM><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><EM><I><FONT = face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">"Also, = this let's me.....estimate the family's financial situation, find out how much = the piano means to them, etc."</SPAN></FONT></I></EM><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial = color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial = color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Hmmmmm. = Sounds suspicious to me. Don't you even have a standard tuning fee?<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Verdana = color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: = Verdana">I find it much easier to not have to deal with a "floating" fee.  = All of my rates are listed at the bottom of my invoice.  If I feel like the = customer is particularly cash-strapped, I can give a discounts\.  = Leaving a large gray area when dealing with money can create problems like, = "you tuned the Dungboi piano at my friend's house for XXX$, how come you charged = me xxxx$ to tune my Bargaindorfer?"  <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Verdana = color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: = Verdana"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Verdana = color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: = Verdana">For someone who is glib and a good bargainer, I can see the appeal of "no = set fee."  For someone who has trouble asking for = what he/she deserves, having it etched in stone can make that aspect of = the job easier.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Verdana = color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: = Verdana"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Verdana = color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: = Verdana">Dave Stahl<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></DIV><BR> <P><FONT size=2>--<BR>No virus found in this incoming = message.<BR>Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.<BR>Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.6.11 - = Release Date: 01/12/2005<BR></FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML> <BR> <P><FONT SIZE=2>--<BR> No virus found in this outgoing message.<BR> Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.<BR> Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.6.11 - Release Date: = 01/12/2005<BR> </FONT> </P>