Institutional tuning cost

[David Ilvedson]

I hope all of us are taking into consideration our office & drive times 
when we figure our hourly wage.  If it takes Mark 15 minutes to get 
to the customer for that $60 minimum service charge, he is getting 
$60 for 1 & 1/4 hours of his time or he's getting $48 per hour minus 
his driving expenses and time on the phone making the 
appointment.   Phone time might be up to 5 minutes?  He'd be 
making $45 per hour.  

David I.

 

On 7 Jan 2003 at 10:18, Mark Cramer wrote:

> I was just going to ask if anyone else charged for tuning by-the-hour.
> This was actually the Dean's suggestion here when I began, conveying
> the fact they recognized the value and need for time spent for things
> other than tuning. It has worked out so well, I've adopted it for my
> private clientele.
> 
> When a private client asks what my price for tuning is, instead of
> replying $90.00, I now tell them "a service appointment will be $90.00
> for up to 1 1/2 hours."
> 
> How simple this has made things! Instead of having to "mother may I"
> (I love that one David!) and explain pitch correction, and
> differentiate between tuning and ,... (Have you ever noticed there are
> somethings both the clients and ourselves hate equally? Why not change
> it?)
> 
> I simply inform the client, if and when "today's service will require
> more than 1 1/2 hours to complete." And, it is much easier to explain
> why; "simply because it has gone tooo long between tunings, or lack of
> climate protection."  BTW, I bill to the next 1/2 hour, which seems
> reasonable to all.
> 
> Another thing I've recently adopted is a 1-hour ($60.00) minimum
> charge. This really put things into perspective. Certainly there are
> many services you can offer in 10 or 15 minutes (a sticking key, etc.)
> but, can we really redeem the remainder of that hour (private
> clientele) in a tangible way?
> 
> And, does the client really intend that we take our billable hour,
> charge them only for what they've consumed, then throw the rest of it
> away? I don't think so.
> 
> I'm sure many of you already do this, some of us just take a little
> longer (try 19 years!) to think things through. In any case, what
> seems best is to establish your pricing based on your personal needs
> and let your client decide.
> 
> BTW, here's my current favourite story,... yes, the one all my local
> colleagues have each heard  eleventy- billion times! :>)
> 
> While tuning, a new client asked if I would also reglue several sharps
> her son had pried off their 1980's console-sized PSO.
> 
> Neither desiring their repeat business, (The young lad exhibited that
> kind of potential, if you know what I mean!) nor wanting to offend the
> owner by "saying so," I offered to demonstrate how she could easily
> reglue any in future, and which glue to use.
> 
> Well this woman, though polite, couldn't have cared less. She just
> kind of giggled and said, "well I can always call you back, if needs
> be." (Obviously not much ESP going on there!)
> 
> In fact, "needs DID be!" In less than a week she was on the phone
> giggling again about how the young rascal had managed to pop a few
> more off, and if I wouldn't mind,...
> 
> Well here it is folks, the 1-hour minimum at work:
> 
> I was able to be most friendly and polite, replying that I would be
> pleased to come and reglue these keys for her, however there is a
> 1-hour minimum charge for the service call. "How much" she asked?
> Sixty dollars plus taxes.
> 
> Let me tell you, she immediately became most interested in what kind
> of glue I had used and where she could buy it!
> 
> I've also had clients with small things (squeeking pedal, etc.) quite
> pleased to have and pay for the service. I don't think I've offended
> anyone, and never come away feeling I've been anything less than
> appropriately compensated for my time.
> 
> The hourly rate in an institution has worked equally well, in that
> instruments requiring more time get it, and those merely requiring a
> touch-up save money.
> 
> Mark Cramer,
> Brandon University
> 
> 
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