In a message dated 4/28/98 12:10:59 AM Central Daylight Time, PDtek@aol.com writes: << The winning bid is usually in the neighborhood of $10 per piano for 265 pianos. (Snip) the pianos are to be tuned during the summer. Then, if anyone in the music department determines in October that the pianos have not been properly tuned, the tuner must retune the pianos again at no additional cost to the school district. >> Unbelievable! Now I have heard everything! You probably won't get the contract right away but I would submit a statement that tells them what the reality is. Include PTG and Dampp-Chaser marketing materials. Quote going rates for the piano tunings and nothing less. All of the cleaning, alignment, tightening , regulation and voicing work will be necessary on each one of these instruments too. About a half day's work on each. Quote a fair market rate for all of that too. Find a way to state that this is the reality of the situation and that a way should be found to start with the most important instruments first. Tell them what the intruments cost and that they all should have a lifetime of at least 50 years with proper maintenance. Tell them what proper maintenance is and that it means much more than tuning alone. Tuning 3 times per scholastic year (end of August, December and Mid-late April) should be considered a minimum even with humidity control. I refused to tune any pianos in my local school district for similar reasons (but $10.00??? and retune again for nothing??? GEEEEZ!!!! Give me a break!!!!) for many years. Now, I am the principal contractor. It took getting through to the right administrator. They have the money, they just don't know how to spend it in the right way. You have a very difficult barrier to cross but it can be done. It simply will not be worth it to you to do anything but good work at fair market rates. Maintain your principals and submit your proposal each year. If you can get a chance to talk to the arts administrator one-on-one, this may help.At a time when the Madison School District was saying they "had no money" (to buy new pianos), I get what they do have to service them. If you can convince them to spend on service what they would have spent on a new piano that would have very quickly deteriorated, you will have won the battle. Good luck. Bill Bremmer RPT Madison, Wisconsin
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