I agree with the posts by Keith McGavern and Steve Brady. Customers should know when and what that are going to be charged for. I don't do estimates, I do evaluations- a term I filched from Bernard Mollberg of the Austin, Tx chapter. It better captures what I do- I evaluate the piano and its condition. I charge for this service because it takes time and expertise to do it well, the same as tuning, regulating, voicing, or any of a number of other services I provide. I believe there is no such thing as a free estimate. Someone pays for the time involved- the technician, the current customer, or some customer in the future. It is also my experience that by charging for evaluations, I have eliminated some "prospective customers". I use quotes because I believe that anyone who refuses to use our service because of what we charge is no more a customer than some one who looks in a store window as they pass by it. Dale Probst Registered Piano Technician Ward & Probst, Inc. Piano & Organ Service
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