<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1"> <title></title> </head> <body text="#000000" bgcolor="#ffffff"> <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:Tvak@aol.com">Tvak@aol.com</a> wrote: <blockquote type="cite" cite="midf3.362d47b6.2d652434@aol.com">But, I ask again, how would you deal with this, I mean, while you're there, haggling.  At a certain point, I just gave up.  The money's not worth the hassle.  What would you all do? </blockquote> My experience is that there are really very few clients out there who are that aggressive about getting the lowest price, even among those whose cultural habit it is to bargain. If someone wants to argue about my prices, on the phone, I calmly tell them that I rarely discount my prices, unless it's a charity case. I have the right to set my own prices and they have the right to choose who services their piano. In your case it sounds like the discussion happened after the work was done. If you told her in advance how much it was going to cost and she gave you the go ahead, I don't see how <big><big>any reasonable person could</big></big><big> quibble about the amount of the bill. But she is obviously not a reasonable person and the best thing is to have no further dealings with her. You have the right to refuse the business of someone who is, however unknowingly, trying to bring you grief. You might also warn your colleagues about her unreasonable ways. Tom Cole ps: I just read Patrick Draine's advice about raising your rates. I've done just that. The irony of someone complaining about my already low rates makes me realize that it's time for a change.</big> </body> </html>