Overcharge?

[Jim Coleman, Sr.]

Hi Dick:

In Phoenix I charge 75 for regular tuning and for PR, an additional 35.
Others in this area charge 65 and 30. There are more than one other who
charge 85 and 50. Of course, there are always a few on the fringes who
are not full time technicians who are still charging 55 and 25.

You are definitely not out of line. Perhaps a little low compared to 
larger cities in your area. One thing I have discovered is that if my 
price is low, I seem to get a lot of junky pianos on which to work. When
my price is higher, this automatically weeds out people like this customer.
Don't let it bother you. Some husbands just do not trust their wives and
they give them a hard time if they thing that someone took advantage of 
them. In this case, the wife made the agreement with you. He has 
countermanded her judgment. No one can solve that problem for her. If it
were up to her she would probably send in the money. I hate it when a man
treats his wife like that. I had a similar happening like that many years
ago. It's just not worth worrying over. You know that you did right by them.
Take your satisfaction in that and forget the money. She may save some money
out of her grocery money and send it in anyway. Just don't count on it.

Jim Coleman, Sr.

On Tue, 10 Feb 1998 Pianotoone@aol.com wrote:

> I live in a town in Michigan with a population of 7000, but do most of my work
> in a neighboring town with a population of about 70,000
> 
> Recently I was called to service a piano which was 1/2 step or more flat.
> 
> When the lady originally called me she asked me what the cost would be and she
> mentioned that the piano had not been tuned in some time.   I told her a
> standard tuning fee was $60.00 and if the pitch had to be raised there would
> be an additional fee of $40.00.
> 
> When I got to her home, explained that her piano was indeed way flat, showed
> her the numbers on my trust SAT and explained that although I recommended it,
> it was not absolutely imperative to have the piano brought to pitch.  She said
> go ahead.
> 
> When I finished she said her husband had only given her $70.00 because that's
> what she thought it would be.  I told her fine.  Just give me the $70.00 and
> mail the rest to me ASAP.  I also told her that she would need anothe tuning
> in about a month and that would cost $60.00.  But if she had her piano tuned
> at least once a year after that she should not have any more problems like the
> above.
> 
> Today her husband called me very irate and told me he had explained the
> situation to several other piano tuners in the area and they said the maximum
> for any pitch raise/tuning call would be $65.00  And furthermore if they had
> to come back in a month that call would cost $30.00.
> 
> I know for a fact that the closest tuner to this client other than me is 25-35
> miles away.
> 
> I have already written this guy off as a client, because in over 12 years of
> this kind of work, this was the first time my fees have been criticized.  As a
> matter of fact he is refusing to pay the addtional $30.00 that is still owed.
> I have the wifes signature on the invoice showing what was due and what was
> paid.  But I hesitate to take $30.00 to small claims court.
> 
> NOW THE QUESTION???  Do these fees seem out of line?
> 
> $60.00 standard tuning
> $40.00 for pitch change (any amount at all over +/- 15c,regarless of the
> number of passes)
> And then another tuning in one month.
> 
> Thanks for the wisdom of the list.
> 
> Dick Day
> Marshall MI  
>