"Scientific Piano Tuning and Servicing" Alfred Howe, 1947.
In 1943 The American Society of PIano Tuner Technicians, Inc., appointed a
committee of ten to study prices and wages in the piano service field.
The men were selected from the ranks of independent tuners, employed
servicemen and service shop executives. The purpose was to determine what
prices would have to be charged the public to enable the tuner to earn a
weekly salary commensurate with his skill and length of apprenticeship and
at the same time return a reasonable profit to the employers of tuners.
After eighteen months of careful research the committee returned the
accompanying price list as the one most likely to meet the requirements.
The logistics are as follows:
Working days per year -- 255. (This allows for 52 Sundays, 6 legal
holidays, 11 working days as vacation, 11 days sick leave, 4 working days
for emergency leave such as funerals, weddings, etc., and Saturday
afternoons off.)
Statistics were consulted for the foregoing compilation. Records of large
corporations show that few persons are able to accomplish 255 working days
per year.
Work quota per man -- 765 tunings per year, or quivalent. From this
figure 5% was deducted for cancelled appointments, re-calls, traffic
delays, orders that result only in estimates and other unavoidable
obstacles. This leaves 727 tunings, or for an even figure 725. That
number is theoretically possible but no record was found of a tuner having
equalled it in outside service work.
Time alloted per tuning -- 2 3/4 hrs. This covers the actual work, time
in transit, ascertaining the nature of the customer's complaint, a brief
sales talk and incidentals necessary to building good will. Taking eight
hours as the standard working day there would be 2040 working hours per
year. 725 tunings at the recommended price of $7.50 would figure out to a
bit less than $3.00 per hour. [$2.66] Out of this sum the piano dealer,
or employer, would have to pay the tuner's salary, all overhead costs,
including rent, light, heat, taxes, insurance and other very numerous
items, and still show a profit.
In working out these details the committee has figured only on the
services of the competent, experienced help. No allowance was made for the
cost of training new help, or for labor turnover, both of which enter very
largely in the cost accounting of carefully managed businesses. The figure
of $3.00 per hour is a very conservative one, whether for tuning or repair
work. An analysis discloses that even at this figure the profit margin
will be small if the tuner is paid at the rate of other skilled workmen,
and it is the committee's opinion that a salary of at least $50 per week
will have to prevail to retain the skilled men now available and to attract
new men to the profession. [725 tunings times $7.50 pays the employer
$5437.50]
Price List: Tuning
Tuning all styles of
pianos......................................................................
..........$ 7.50
Raising pitch, each additional
call.....................................................................
7.50
For institutional work (schools, churches, etc.) 15% discount on contract
for 4 or more pianos in one place. [$1.12]
Note: On new pianos, or pianos tuned frequently, the tuning price is
meant to include minor adjustments. Where pianos are seldom
tuned an extra charge should be made.
Voicing
Voicing
.............................................................................
................. . . . . . . . . . 5.00
and up, depending on condition of hammers, whether grand, or
Upright, and quality of workmanship required by customer.
Grand Action
(for work only, material extra)
Action regualting only
.......................................................... 24.00
Regulating action, when new front, center and back rail felts have
been installed
.............................................................. 36.00
New back checks
................................................................... 20.00
Trimming hammers [filing?]
................................................... 10.00
Install new set of hammers
....................................................... 39.00
Install new shanks and flanges [butts also?]
............................. 18.00
Install whippens`
.......................................................................
18.00
Install set of new damper felts
.................................................. 20.00
Rebush damper rail
.................................................................. 21.00
Install set of new hammer rest felts
............................................. 6.50
Upright Action
Action regulating only
............................................................... 15.00
Regulating action, when new front, center and back rail felts
have been installed
.......................................................... 27.00
Installing set of new back check felt
.......................................... 12.00
Install set of new butts, flanges and shanks
................................ 36.00
Install set of new damper felts
................................................... 20.00
Install set of new butt felt squares
.............................................. 15.00
Install set of new briddle straps
.................................................. 15.00
Regulating drop action, charge per hour
....................................... 3.00
Keys
Keys recovered with Ivorine
........................................................19.00
Set of new celluloid fronts
.......................................................... 8.50
New key buttons, charge per hour
............................................... 3.00
Replacing single ivories
.............................................................. .50
Restringing
Restringing whole set
.............................................................. 100.00
Bass only
.............................................................................
... 40.00
New pin block
...........................................................................
55.00
Replacing broken bass string at time of tuning
............................. 5.00
Treble string at time of tuning
..................................................... 2.50
Refinishing
(bench and cartage extra)
Refinish grand
..........................................................................
125.00
Refinish upright
........................................................................
75.00
Miscellaneous
(for work only, material extra)
Treating pin block with patent formula
........................................ 15.00
All kinds of repinning, charge per hour
........................................ 3.00
Replacing broken hammer shanks per hour ................................
3.00
>From Scientific Piano Tuning and Servicing, by Alfred Howe pp 236 - 239.
Words appearing in [ ] are mine.
If this posting is scrambled on your mailer, I can email you a copy done
on
Word Pad in Windows 95, or paste it into Microsoft Works for Windows.
Richard Moody ptt
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