Sherman Act, and more

[Vanderhoofven]

At 11:03 PM 7/1/96 -0400, you wrote:

>     I remember seeing a little PTG "calculator" around
>1970, giving estimates of how long various jobs took, on
>the average, to the tenths of hours.  It was clear that if
>one took the various suggestions literally, that would
>pretty much tell you what to charge.  In the political
>climate of the times, that was bordering on totalitarianism.

There are two charts that I use to calculate how long it will take me to do
something.  One is written by Newton Hunt and I use it a lot.  I got it from
Schaff Piano Supply.  The other is written by Joe Garrett, and I got it for
$15.00 from Randy Potter.  These charts are very useful.

The reason I use these labor guides is to keep me from cheating people.  If
I underestimate a job and don't charge enough to pay my bills, I am cheating
myself.  If I charge too much, I may make a lot of money, but I may be
cheating my customer.  Especially for a job that I haven't done before,
these guides help me estimate how long it will take to do a certain job.
This may tell me how long it takes, but it doesn't tell me to charge $5.00
per hour, $25.00 per hour, or $100.00 per hour.  Each technician must decide
for themself what to charge.  And I don't think that you will find the PTG
telling tuners what to charge.

>     For example, it was common for every tuner in a town to
>charge the same fee for a "fine" tuning, two thirds of which
>would then be the hourly labor rate.  There was near-
>universal agreement on the numbers in the "calculator," and
>on how much it cost to operate a car, and so on; in short,
>how much to charge for everything -- and any variance was
>sure to raise eyebrows.

Things must have changed since then!  I think that every tuner where I live
charges a different rate!

>     The reason I (and perhaps half the tuners and
>technicians in America) don't join the guild is strictly a
>philosophical one.  I like our American freedoms, and don't
>like large, powerful organizations, which by their very
>nature, encourage authoritarian decision-making, by people
>who grow increasingly sure of themselves -- the perfect
>formula for stifling progress and the free exchange of
>ideas, and contrary to the spirit of invention which
>inspired Cristofori and his successors.

I like my American freedoms too!  I choose to belong to the PTG, you are
free not to belong to the PTG.  However, I don't find the PTG to be large
and powerful.  Surely there are many more tuners who are not a part of the
PTG than there are who belong.  And actually, I find that progress and free
exchange of ideas is what the PTG is about.  I would hope that you would
take the opportunity to look at the PTG again.  I am sure that it has
changed quite a bit since the 1970's (when I was a mere lad!)

>     Similarly, though I appreciate the contributions
>piano technicians make, and share, I have to draw the line
>when the PTG legislates its own morality, enforcing it with
>penalties, and decides who is competent, based on its own
>technology (which I have seen swing to one extreme after
>another, though always perfect).  No, thanks!

>Marshall Price
>d021317c@dcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us

I guess I haven't been in the PTG long enough to see any swinging from one
extreme to the other in terms of the testing!  I have found that the 3 exams
that the PTG offers are fair and accurate methods of determining the skills
of technicians.  As far as the PTG legislating morality, there is the PTG
code of ethics, which is simply used to protect customers from me!  Of
course you know that if left to my own devices, I would cheat and steal and
rob my customers blind. (humor here...!)  The PTG code of ethics just lets
my customers know that I intend to treat them fairly.  I also haven't seen
any "price-fixing" in the PTG.  In fact, it is just the opposite.  We
usually end up not talking about what we charge just to prevent any notion
of impropriety.

Of course you realize that I am a card-carrying member of the PTG, and I
firmly believe in what the PTG is doing!  I would urge you to look at the
PTG again.  I think you will find it worth while for you to belong.

Sincerely,


David A. Vanderhoofven
dkvander@clandjop.com
Joplin, Missouri, USA
Associate Member, Piano Technicians Guild
web page:  http://www.clandjop.com/~dkvander/