Hunger does a lot for "perspective". I'm such a business dunce I'll likely be somewhat hungry all my life, so I will also have to take some customers out of my comfort zone. So, to maintain a larger "radius of service" than I would choose, in order to be able to eat and still be almost completely lacking in organization........................ les bartlett -----Original Message----- From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Willem Blees Sent: Sunday, July 23, 2006 3:56 PM To: College and University Technicians Subject: Re: [CAUT] mileage fees. Chris. You are right that I have a different perspective on building, and operating, my business. I'm not saying what you are doing is wrong, because obviously it works for you. But I have a different approach to dealing with my customers. Maybe the diffrence is an "East Coast" mentality as opposed to "Midwestern" approach to doing business, but I could never, in good concience, do what you are doing. Wim Quoting Chris Solliday <solliday at ptd.net>: > Wim, > you obviously have more hours in your day than I do and a different > perspective on building a business within a 75 mile radius. Good luck. > I prefer to work 8-5 with as little travel as possible. After that I > want overtime. As for NYC or Philly, the work I do is mostly half day > tune ups of all systems for professional pianists, wealthy clients, > studios and performance venues who need it and can afford it, Or all > day recording. It is rare when I make 3 or 4 stops in NYC (aaprox 75 > miles) on one day but it does happen on occasion. I don't do many > tuning-only clients outside > 35 > miles, and I try to stay within 20 miles if possible. Anything this > side of the Hudson is a whole different strategy than crossing, mainly > due to traffic and parking. Take Wednesday this last week for example. > I had a 5-6 hour action and voicing tune up planned for a recording > studio Steinway B in mid town. It took me one hour to get to the > Lincoln Tunnel and then > 55 > minutes to go from the tunnel entrance to 54th and 8th avenue, about > 12 > blocks. That was at least 30 minutes longer than it should have taken, > and there have been times when it is even worse than that. It makes > precision scheduling nearly impossible. I don't know the scene in > Houston but it is a notorious driving problem according to a CNN show > I saw on traffic congestion. I heard Atlanta is even worse. You must > have it easy in Birmingham or maybe you use the chopper. Getting to > Philly has its own travails from the Lehigh Valley. > I don't understand how you can make any money doing it your way, that > far away. Wim, you say "In other words, if a customer lives 60 miles > away, charge $90.00 (60 miles x $ 1.50) plus the service call. Now, > one way to have the customers save some money, and make more money for > you, divide that fee between two or 3 customers and if there are 4 or > more don't charge the mileage fee." First why are you concerned with > saving your customers money? > And second if you divide the (travel) fee between 2 or 3 customers and > don't charge any (travel fee) if there are four or more how did you > make any more money other than the fact that you tuned a couple more > pianos at your local rate. Seems like less value for you each minute > or each piano whichever way you figure it. Wouldn't you be better off > building your customer base locally that way? BTW reread my response > and you will see I don't divide my travel fee at all and only answered > you by saying, divide if YOU want to. > I also don't get "rais(ing) your fee for everyone" so that these poor > folks who don't have a local tuner won't feel badly if they are > penalized for living in some God forsaken out in nowheresville hick > town (pardon the hyperbole). Aren't you then penalizing your local > customer base for the existence of this fringe market??? Nor do I get > what you mean by "building rapport (sic) and supporting your > customers." I build rapport with my customers by educating them and > providing high quality service, and my customers support me by paying > me. I think it is important to not under value yourself and services. > At the very least supply and demand are on our side, and I don't > understand any moral imperative in the transaction, other than > providing quality and not gouging, if you are in fact implying one. > Les will do well to charge a mileage fee to everyone, as John R (I > think it was John, sorry I've been deleting again) has said, because > when one or two call and need service and you can't schedule 4 or 6 > (how do you do 6 in a day and travel 150 miles round trip? and get > home before dark? > supper? > family and/or recreation time?) your customers are used to paying the > mileage charge or at least a higher rate and good customers usually > don't shop around but they do notice if you vary your rates all the > time. > (Now > there's a sentence or two...) And don't worry about me too much, I do > tell them to get someone more local, and I charge them more, but it > must be my good looks that keeps them coming back. I'm sure you have > the same problem. > Stay well, > Chris Solliday > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Willem Blees" <wblees at bama.ua.edu> > To: "College and University Technicians" <caut at ptg.org> > Sent: Friday, July 21, 2006 6:38 PM > Subject: Re: [CAUT] mileage fees. > > > > Quoting Chris Solliday <solliday at ptd.net>: > > > > > I like the $1.50 because it includes some travel time > > > consideration,unless Wim is still driving that ol piece of .... > > > but I disagree with not charging if there are four.Thisis too > much > > > customer > > > consciousness/empathy and too little business self preservation. > > > Spread it > > > out over 4 if you like, although personally I charge all the same > so > > > I avoid > > > having to explain a large difference when I can't line up the > same > > > schedule > > > when I next service the piano. Yes I am happy to keep the money > and > > > if I am > > > crazy enough to do 3 or 4 pianos that far away from home on the > same > > > day I > > > figure its overtime anyway. 70 miles one way is about an hour and > 15 > > > minutes > > > each way without traffic (you haven't lived until you try this > > > crossing New Jersey and doing 3 or 4 in New York City, and then > > > there's > > > PARKING!!!!!!!!) > > > and twice is 2 hours and 30 minutes travel time. Service calls > are > > > 1.5 to 2 > > > hours at best so times4 is ten andhalf hours and counting. I keep > the > > > OT but > > > find it difficult to charge the 4th customer all the overtime so > I'll > > > use > > > Wim's $1.50 a mile one way and not be one bit apologetic about > > > keeping it. > > > Chris Solliday > > > > Chris > > > > Thank you for thinking $1.50 per mile is a good idea. But the main > idea > > for eliminating it when there are four or more customers in that > far > > off place is building raport, and supporting the customers that > are > > willing to work for you. Yes, if you want to, you can charge all > of > > them 1/4 of the travel charge, but when you've divided it by 4, and > a > > 5th or 6th comes along, what do you do, go back and give everyone > a > > refund? It is also a way to build a clientelle in that town. I go > to a > > town about 75 miles away, and always have a full day. I even give > the > > piano teacher who finds me all the tunings a discount. > > > > BTW, if your're at the top of the food chain, as you call it, in > your > > area, what are you doing going all the way to NYC? It would seem to > me > > that you can tell those people to find someone else. > > > > Wim > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Willem Blees" <wblees at bama.ua.edu> > > > To: <l-bartlett at sbcglobal.net>; "College and University > Technicians" > > > <caut at ptg.org> > > > Sent: Friday, July 21, 2006 9:42 AM > > > Subject: Re: [CAUT] mileage fees. > > > > > > > > > > Quoting Leslie Bartlett <l-bartlett at sbcglobal.net>: > > > > > > > > > I would like some help with travel fees. The entire > southern > > > side > > > > > of > > > > > Houston is virtually without tuners. I'm called somewhat > > > regularly to > > > > > go > > > > > that direction. I know some people charge mileage outside > > > certain > > > > > boundaries. I'd like to know how folks have figured that > and > > > > > managed to > > > > > make it work. > > > > > Thanks > > > > > les bartlett > > > > > HYPERLINK www.bartlettpianoservice.com > > > www.bartlettpianoservice.com > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > No virus found in this outgoing message. > > > > > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > > > > > Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.2/393 - Release > Date: > > > > > 07/19/2006 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Leslie > > > > > > > > If you're going to do more an more tunings in that area,, > which > > > also > > > > mean you're going to do less in "your" area, I would do as > Andrew > > > > suggested, but instead of just those on the south side, > increase > > > your > > > > fee for all your tuning. That way, customers won't feel > "punished" > > > for > > > > living in an area where there are no tuner, while at the same > > > time, > > > > you're making up for the driving to that area, even when you > don't > > > > have to go there. This will also make it a lot easier to quote > a > > > > tuning fee over the phone without first asking where they live. > > > > > > > > For customers who live outside both areas, I charge $1.50 per > mile > > > > from my house to the customer, one way. In other words, if a > > > customer > > > > lives 60 milea away, charge $90 plus the service call. Now, one > way > > > to > > > > have the customers save some money, and make more money for > you, > > > > divide that fee between two or three customers, and if there > are 4 > > > or > > > > more, don't charge the mileage fee. > > > > > > > > Willem Blees, RPT > > > > Piano Tuner/Technician > > > > School of Music > > > > University of Alabama > > > > Tuscaloosa, AL USA > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Willem Blees, RPT > > Piano Tuner/Technician > > School of Music > > University of Alabama > > Tuscaloosa, AL USA > > > > > Willem Blees, RPT Piano Tuner/Technician School of Music University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL USA -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.3/395 - Release Date: 07/21/2006 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.3/395 - Release Date: 07/21/2006
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