<HTML><HEAD></HEAD> <BODY>"Either a technician competes on quality, or they compete= on price"  Quote un quote...E. Foote If you are just= starting out you will be competing on price.  A reply= of average piano tuning fees across the world won't do you much= good...locally is what matters.  I'd call some of my= experienced competitors and simply ask what they charge for a= tuning.   You don't have to say your a piano= tuner.  With that figure you can decide what you will= charge... David Ilvedson <DIV style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px;= PADDING-BOTTOM: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 3px solid;= PADDING-TOP: 5px"> <HR> Original message From: Aart in America Piano Services= <AARTINAMERICA@OPTONLINE.NET> To: Pianotech= <PIANOTECH@PTG.ORG> Received: Sat, 12 Mar 2005 18:23:45= -0500 Subject: Re: Pricing Hi, please see attached. Will someone please share= what the average piano tuning charge is ?= Thanks! Aart On Mar 11, 2005, at 9:44 AM,= Aart in America Piano Services wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE>Hello to All. I'm a new associate member.= (November 04) Could someone please advise me what is the= standard charge for tuning. Also, what is an appropriate= charge for traveling out of your= area? Thanks, Aart On Mar 11, 2005, at 7:08= AM, Jim wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE><?smaller>Brian<?/smaller>   <?smaller>Man= y good points being made . .  I'll add an old 'sales' axiom= . .= .<?/smaller> <?smaller><?/smaller>  <?smaller>"two= people are negotiating . . . the one who wants 'it' least .= .  wins " . . . has the upper hand I= guess.<?/smaller>   <?smaller>They 'absolutely ' want= the piano tuned . . . you 'probably' want the business . .= .  <?/smaller> <?smaller><?/smaller>  <?sma= ller>I have done a few of those really late jobs for our local= theatre, and high school . . .they are very grateful .= .<?/smaller>   <?smaller>Jim= Kinnear<?/smaller> <?smaller>"A man is about as big as the= things that make him angry." -- Winston= Churchill<?/smaller>     <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger>----- Original Message= -----<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger><?/x-tad-bigger><?x-tad-bigger>From:<?/x= -tad-bigger><?x-tad-bigger> <?/x-tad-bigger><?color><?param= 0000,0000,FFFC><?x-tad-bigger>Tom= Servinsky<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color><?x-tad-bigger>= <?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger>To:<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily><?font= family><?param Arial><?x-tad-bigger>= <?/x-tad-bigger><?color><?param= 0000,0000,FFFC><?x-tad-bigger>Pianotech<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color>= <?x-tad-bigger>= <?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger>Sent:<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily><?fo= ntfamily><?param Arial><?x-tad-bigger> Friday, March 11, 2005= 5:24 AM<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger>Subject:<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily><= ?fontfamily><?param Arial><?x-tad-bigger> Re: special tuning= request..how do you do= it?<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?smaller>Brian= wrote:<?/smaller><?fontfamily><?param News Gothic= MT><?x-tad-bigger>I have received a request to tune a piano the= Saturday evening before Easter, around= <?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param News= Gothic MT><?smaller>10 p.m., after the church has completed an= Easter play.  They wish to have the piano ready for the= Easter morning service.  The church is located out of town= and has been a regular= customer.<?/smaller><?/fontfamily>   <?fontfamily><?p= aram News Gothic= MT><?smaller>Brian<?/smaller><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?pa= ram News Gothic MT><?smaller>It all depends on how much you want= to keep this account. You are in between the "rock and the hard= place"= situation.<?/smaller><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param News= Gothic MT><?smaller>If you do it, you have to apply some level= of holiday and after hours rate as this is an out of the= ordinary request. It  comes to reason that your time is= valuable and their request is unique. On the other hand ,if you= don't do it, then you run the risk of loosing the= account.<?/smaller><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param News= Gothic MT><?smaller>Personally, I would be bold and make your= point loud and clear that their request is one which comes with= a major service call fee ( at least 2x your rate) and then put= the ball back in their court.  Although I do a lot of= unusual hour-tunings due to concert work being my main gig,= I make it quite clear that very late hour work comes with a= price tag. If they re willing to pay for it, they'll ask for my= service. If not, they won't. Simple is= that!<?/smaller><?/fontfamily>   <?fontfamily><?param= News Gothic MT><?smaller>Tom= Servinsky<?/smaller><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger>----- Original Message= -----<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger><?/x-tad-bigger><?x-tad-bigger>From:<?/x= -tad-bigger><?x-tad-bigger> <?/x-tad-bigger><?color><?param= 0000,0000,FFFC><?x-tad-bigger>Brian= Doepke<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color><?x-tad-bigger>= <?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger>To:<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily><?font= family><?param Arial><?x-tad-bigger>= <?/x-tad-bigger><?color><?param= 0000,0000,FFFC><?x-tad-bigger>Pianotech<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color>= <?x-tad-bigger>= <?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger>Sent:<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily><?fo= ntfamily><?param Arial><?x-tad-bigger> Thursday, March 10, 2005= 8:01 PM<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger>Subject:<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily><= ?fontfamily><?param Arial><?x-tad-bigger> special tuning= request..how do you do= it?<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?para= m News Gothic MT><?x-tad-bigger>Hello= list,<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= News Gothic MT><?x-tad-bigger>I have received a request to tune= a piano the Saturday evening before Easter, around 10 p.m.,= after the church has completed an Easter play.  They wish= to have the piano ready for the Easter morning service. = The church is located out of town and has been a regular= customer.<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?pa= ram News Gothic MT><?x-tad-bigger>What are some of your practices= regarding additional fees for such a= situation?<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?color><?par= am= 403D,0000,403D><?x-tad-bigger>     <?/x= -tad-bigger><?x-tad-bigger> Brian P.= Doepke<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color> <?color><?p= aram 403D,0000,403D><?x-tad-bigger>     = A.A.A. Piano Works,= Inc<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color><?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger> <?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <BR= ><?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger> <?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <BR= ></BLOCKQUOTE>Aart P. Markenstein </BLOCKQUOTE>Aart P.= Markenstein </DIV></BODY></HTML>