discounts, Mike's ?

[Richard Moody]

Greetings Mike and list
	For me the reality of having a client (home based) call for four
tunings , or even two tunings a year is rare.  For one thing I lived
in a stable environment, (Bay Area) (OK OK, but I never saw a piano
knocked out of tune by an earth quake). (I moved in 88 before the
"big one") When I have seen pianos that were out of tune four times a
year, they were unstable for structural or environmental reasons, or
not quite so often the previous tuner.
	Also if a client asks, I recommend two tunings
a year.  If they ask for four or need for four, we consider the
circumstances, and discuss rates. (If it really is used that much to
merit four tunings, there will be a lot of maintance to consider.)
	Yes there are such things as discounts.  For instance for the school
that has three pianos tuned even once a year, I charge by time, or at
least give 10%.  If the music teacher lives three blocks away and has
me come on the same day, they get a token discount.  Of course there
is the game of offering a dicount but charging $10 to adjust the
pedals.  Or charging full fee, but including 5 to ten minutes of
normal adjustments and cleaning, (which makes a $20 dollar impression
on the client) for pianos that held its tune and I got done early.
	For me flexibility gives the greater options.  Yes I will tune 20
pianos in a school at a substantial "discount".  No I will not tune
twenty bird cages for an antiques dealer for three times the fee
each. If the Musicians Union wants three pianos tuned twice a week,
 and the show is  booked six months... and some of the cast wants to
rent pianos from me...and a  one night rental for their  "sea cruise"
cast party/jam session... OK I might not charge "stand by" for that
one.
Richart Moody
	South Central South Dakota

  ----------
> From: Mike Imbler <MIKE-IMBLER@worldnet.att.net>
> To: pianotech@byu.edu
> Subject: Re: discounts
> Date: Saturday, March 29, 1997 10:13 PM
>
> At 11:22 PM 3/29/97 +0000, you wrote:
> >I agree,
> >	We should not give discounts for what should be considered as
normal
> >maintenance.  I would rather charge more for people who don't tune
as often
> >as they should.
>
> I am a customer, not a technician, but am curious about this
thread.  For
> the customer that tunes 4 or more times a year; is it not a quicker
and more
> pleasant tuning for you?  This may be a misconception on my part,
but if it
> is true it would seem to
> indicate that some discount might be in order (also to account for
the regular
> income stream).  Please don't flame, I'm just curious.
>
>                               Regards,  Mike
>