<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" = xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" = xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=ProgId content=Word.Document> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10"> <meta name=Originator content="Microsoft Word 10"> <link rel=File-List href="cid:filelist.xml@01C5C07B.A62266F0">  <style>  </style>  </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple = style='tab-interval:.5in'> <div class=Section1> >>You just told us that you can = usually keep a piano going for 8 years no problem, even without the CA ... << <![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p> Actually, I didn’t say I = could do it with no problem. I could do it but often it was a huge problem. CA helps = to make it no problem. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p>= <o:p> </o:p>= >>Consider the cost to me that it took to develop the = expertise to do this job. Okay, I = will. What costs? Your computer time? I certainly paid nothing to learn this job, except some extra time for that first Zimmerman, to do = the work more laboriously than necessary. Did you travel to a distant = convention, or pay somebody a bundle to teach you to put CA glue on pinblocks? >><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p>= Let’s see, I spent many hours = learning the craft, many hours and dollars practicing and correcting mistakes. I = spent many years using CA glue in other applications learning its = idiosyncrasies particularly how wood responds to it. I spend an annual fee to the PTG. = I took the time to attend meetings and network with other techs. I took the = time to attend seminars. And yes, I take time here at the computer culling these = posts for nuggets. Those are all real costs. <![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> >>Consider how much money I am saving the customer. I'm afraid = I'm more likely to consider the money you are taking from your customer. If you can keep the piano playable and = tunable for pennies and minutes per tuning, what are they paying the $250 for? = >><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p>= I could get a job at Wal-Mart for = $5 per hour as well. How can I sleep at night charging $85 for a tuning? How = can David Love charge $150? (Sorry to bring you into this, David. I certainly in = no way begrudge you your rates. You earn every penny) What do you charge for a tuning, Susan, and how can you justify that knowing = that comparatively most of the world only makes pennies on the dollar on a per hour basis? = <![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> >>Consider that everyone of these = jobs that I've sold my customers have been very happy to pay such an amount for = all of those benefits. Would they = still be happy if they knew you how little it cost you to do it? Have you really = thought through whether your fees should reflect whatever you can get, versus = whether they should be based on how much effort and expense you have to shell = out? If they spend money on their pianos which they didn't need to spend, they = don't have it for everything else. >><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p>= Well, they watch real close. They = see me tip the piano, they see my get out a little bottle of glue, they look at = how it is applied and they watch the clock. I don’t do any trickery, no incantations, nothing up the sleeve. If they = can’t figure out my actual costs in a ballpark range I should be charging them triple. They aren’t paying for the actual costs and they know it. = They are paying for my expertise and the peace of mind of an 8 year warranty. = Less than $30 a year is making their piano usable where it previously = wasn’t. I am giving my customers a warranty. You aren’t. Tell me who is = giving their customer a better value? <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p>= <o:p> </o:p>= >>Just my take on it -- we all = have to figure out business ethics for ourselves. <<<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p>= I have no problem defending my = charges. In fact I appreciate the challenge. But here is where it gets a little = dicey. You have been pretty strongly implying that I am unethical in my charges. = <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p>= I consider myself a professional. = I have 25 years experience and a degree in mechanical engineering. I have a strong = base of satisfied customers who trust me with the care of their piano. I am = not the cheapest tuner in the area and most of them know it. In fact, I always = try to be the most expensive tuner in the area. If people don’t want to = pay my rates they are free to use someone else and I’ve even given out = the names and numbers of my competitors to such people. = <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p>= My newest car is 7 years old. I = live in a 100 year old house. I am not materially rich- I have too many kids. ;-) = But maybe someday I’ll be able to get $300/minute like the = proctologist. Better yet, I’ll just be happy with the real wealth that I do have. = <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p>= Blessings,<o:p></o:p>= <o:p> </o:p> Dean<o:p></o:p> </div> </body> </html>