PTG standards for pitch raises.

[David Renaud]

 Bill

There are always "Some" in each and every bag of apples,

I always try to get the piano to pitch for the cost of one tuning.
I think that I am getting paid for 1.5 hr., I can tune a piano at
pitch in 45 min., most take 1 hr to 1.25 hr.., With the extra time
I always find something to do, lubrication, tighten some screws,
regulate, voice, or just talk to and educate the client.

If the piano needs more then one pass, this usually counts
for me as this extra time, included in the 1.5 hr..
I can usually do one pass in 15 min, or two in thirty min., and
have time left for a normal tuning pass.

Once last month I had to really charge for a "Pitch raise"
The pianos pins were borderline tight, and the piano was
about 120 cents down. I charged a normal tuning fee after
having spent my 1.5 hr., raised it up to pitch three times,
tightened the flange screws to stop the rattling, adjusted
the pedals so they worked, and lubricated the hammer
butt flanges .
I feel I gave the client the best value for their money
in the 1.5hrs.
The client was given the PTG article on pitch raising while
I was fighting with her PSO(Piano shaped object),
and she understood the stability problem.
I still didn't consider the piano "in tune", although it had
become  playable, but below standard.
She was billed for time, understood what I did,
not a tuning, and was happy to book a tuning in four weeks,
then again in three months.

Standards would be nice, but difficult to define, and
harder, or impossible to enforce. Pin tightness, &  string
condition, may make one pitch raise easy, the next difficult,
and the next foolhardy & inadvisable, even though they were
 just as flat as the next one, & all three clients need 440.

The only type of standard that would fly for this would be
some cap in relation to time spent. I've seen a
technician walk out of home after two hours with
$400 cash, no receipt. (Not a guild member).

  My experience is that the example set by
my teachers, and peers within the guild have
set my values in place to want to serve my
clients to the best of my ability. Some have
given so much freely, I can't use that knowledge
to cheat others. I do charge more per hour then
some but I am consistent about it.

I am more interested in the $1000 to $2000
of tuning over the next 20 years a client will
give me, then the extra $100 I can milk him
for today. Giving a bit builds trust, and trust
brings more work, references, etc.
.( i.e.: I think that the above mentioned client
is going to buy a new set of hammers!)

Its amazing how often 10 min. of a little regulation,
or voicing to make an improvement on specific
problem, results in a four , eight or 16  hour job.

Be faithful in little things and watch what happens.
You won't have to do sales anymore.
Some prefer to spend a fortune on advertising.
I prefer 10 extra min. with the client.
                             David Renaud
                             RPT
                             Hull, Quebec


BSimon1234@AOL.COM wrote:

> Dear list:
>
> Seems to me that this is a PTG sponsored list, most of you are PTG members,
> and that in a real  "PROFESSIONAL" way, the PTG is failing a reasonable
> responsibility, which is to define what actually comprises a pitch raise.  I
> have attended many PTG conventions, and have never seen a consensus on how
> many cents raise actually constitutes a pitch raise. There certainly is no
> agreement on this list!
>
>  I seldom feel the urge to post to this list, but the discussions of pitch
> raising and what to charge for it have gotten ridiculous.  ($240.00 for a 100
> cents raise?  Well, stick it to ‘em!)
>
>