<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; =
charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1264" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT size=3>My best guess that among =
PTG members
in the Midwest USA, an average tuning fee would currently be in the =
$75 to
$90 range. But that is only based on my conversations with a few techs I =
happen
to know and have had the subject arise with. I know several that are =
both higher
and lower than this range (actually more than a few that are higher).
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT size=3>I get the impression that =
non-PTG
members on average are charging as much as $25 less than that range. And =
that is
based on an even-more limited, and likely =
biased, sampling.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT size=3>I also get the impression =
that rates
at best tend to keep up with inflation.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT size=3>OK, there's answers to =
three
questions. Now I know you meant to ask a couple more questions, so I'll =
save you
the trouble of asking and just go ahead and answer them: How much
<EM>should</EM> technicians charge and how should rates =
change?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT size=3>I think fees should be =
based on
desired income plus the cost of doing business with all that tempered
with the tech's technical abilities and what fees the area =
will
support. Pretty nebulous formula for sure, but I think it is the =
basic
formula that one needs to use. Fees supported will depend on median area =
income,
perhaps the level of culture in the community, education level, the =
economy,
etc. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT size=3>Rate changes should be =
based on
inflation and how the tech's skills change over time. If a tech's fees =
are at an
appropriate level and s/he actively pursues continuing education, =
fees
changes should exceed inflation because s/he is getting more =
experienced,
gaining in education, and thus is presumably providing better services. =
If
continuing education is not pursued and daily experience is not
actively turned into increasing skills ("who cares, it's just a =
job") I
should think at best the rate of inflation might be appropriate. If =
skills are
diminishing for whatever reason, perhaps it would be appropriate for =
fees to
increase at a rate less than that of inflation.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT size=3>Terry =
Farrell</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=doepkeb@comcast.net href="mailto:doepkeb@comcast.net">Brian =
Doepke</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, October 15, 2003 =
8:54
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> 2 questions</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=060325100-16102003>2 questions, please.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=060325100-16102003></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=060325100-16102003>1. What is the average tuning fee =
for a
Midwestern town with a population of about 333,000 ?</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=060325100-16102003></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=060325100-16102003>2. What is the average tuning fee =
percentage
increase from one year o the next?</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=060325100-16102003></SPAN><SPAN
class=060325100-16102003></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=060325100-16102003>Thank you,</SPAN></DIV>
<P>Brian Doepke<BR><A
href="mailto:doepkeb@comcast.net">doepkeb@comcast.net</A></P></FONT></D=
IV></BODY></HTML>