Charging for pitch raises

[Jon Page]

Wally,
I charge less for a p/r as you but I also have a different approach
for some customers.

If the piano is flat, I will p/r & rough tune for my normal fee and advise
a follow-up tuning in a few weeks to a month and explain that it will be
drifting out of tune due to the tension change and they will notice it
first in the extremes.

I could have scheduled it then or they could call. This impresses upon
them the idea of frequent tuning. If they called fine, they are the better
off; if not, then they are not a serious customer for me to bend over 
backwards for. I also am able to remain on schedule by not interjecting
extra time on one piano. It was not my fault that the piano was flat so I did
not worry that I could not put more time into it.

More times than not, the quick service call is sufficient for them and
they do not get it re-tuned until they feel it needs it again. Either way
I have done the best I could for the price and they have a piano which
is in tune enough for them and they do not feel I have sold them a bill
of goods with extra expenses.

Then with the next tuning, if sooner than 10 years, The piano will be
closer to pitch and possibly another p/r-tuning will make it more stable
or it could be just a straight tuning.

Here again, first inquiring of the use of the piano: no lessons, parties
or accompanying.

Jon Page
Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass. (jpage@capecod.net)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At 06:47 AM 11/24/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Ted,
>
>This in response to your note about the Whitney spinet:
>
>Different technicians go about charging for pitch raises, and other jobs,
>in different ways. Each one of us charges as he wishes according to the
>local market and conscience dictates. In my area I only charge a set fee
>for tunings and then charge all other work by the hour, actually by the 1/4
>hour. A pitch raise generally only takes me a half hour in addition to the
>tuning, so I only charge for a half hour of extra labor. If I see that
>there may be a possibility for a string breaking, I will inform the
>customer and explain what the charges may be; the type of piano you mention
>may be more troublesome, and therefore warrant a higher price.
>
>I talked to a friend of mine recently (not a PTG member) who charges more
>for the pitch raise than for the tuning. He reasoned that since the
>customer had neglected the piano for so long, he was justified. It seemed
>to me his attitude was that of "punishing" the customer for not taking care
>of the piano.
>
>My philosophy is that my charges should be related more closely to the
>actual work I do on the particular piano in question. That way I can say I
>am being fair to my customers and will hopefully establish a "regular"
>clientele. 
>
>I realize that others have a different philosophy about charging for their
>services, which is why they may make a better living than I do. Oh, well,
>maybe I should learn a few things from them. I'm still learning this
>business.
>
>Please, any responses, reply directly as I am signed off the list until I
>get some research projects done for school.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Wally Scherer, Piano Technician, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
>Associate member of the PTG, Hampton Roads, Va. chapter
>mailto:WallyTS@iName.com 
>Web page: http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/2411
>"Old piano tuners don't die - they just go beatless!"
>
>   
>
>