How do you get paid for floor tunings?

[Roger Jolly]

Hi Wim,
            In the Saskatoon store myself and a co worker are full time in
store, and could be considered on salary, all pianos are fully prepped. All
used units are fully regulated and serviced, to bring them to a good
pianistic performance level.  I look akter the grands and my side kick does
the verticals.
Derek Gibson looks after our Regina store technical needs, and I spend
about 3 or 4 days a month getting on his nerves.
We have 2 contact tuners who look after routine floor tunings and and in
home warranty tuning and service. A fixed price for floor tunings, most of
the time they use this as filler work. An increased fee for field service.
I'm a very strong believer in partnershipping, with tech's, and have very
few problems.  The techs that work with us, are better than average, in
return we pay accordingly.
I don't pay for pitch raises,  over the years, I've found this to be a
wasteful in the number of times that it would be open for debate.
Most new pianos come in sharp, so on the floor, we regularly tune to 441 or
442. We rarely lower the pitch of a piano, unless it is a performance
requirement.The pianos are tuned 4 to 6 weeks after delivery, so the number
of pitch raises is minimal.
Over the years we have built such mutual trust that I never question a
bill, other than a customer or piano concern.
Any time that we feel a need to regularly question billing, it's time for a
pow wow. Life is to short.
I am extremely loyal to all my techs, and demand the same in return.
PARTNERSHIP.

Regards Roger





At 10:21 PM 10/02/00 -0500, you wrote:
>In a message dated 2/10/00 5:13:07 AM !!!First Boot!!!, 
>baldyam@sk.sympatico.ca writes:
>
><< As a dealer, I look for several things in a tech.
> 1. A good quality tuning.
> 2. Attention to detail, are the hammers spaced, no squeaks in the pedals,
> no clicks in the action. regulation, etc. If you are only being paid to
> tune, bring the deficiencies to the owners attention.  If he is a good
> dealer, he will want them rectified.
> 3. Professional appearance.
> 4. A good listener with good people skills.
> 
> Working for a good dealership, can give you some great experience, and fast
> track you to a solid client base. This client list will own better than
> average piano's since they are mostly new. It is better than working for
> years on old junker's.
> 
> Hope this helps.
> Roger
> 
>  >>
>
>
>Roger:
>
>As a dealer, do you pay your floor tuners by the job, or by the hour?
>
>I have two people working for me now. One knows how to tune, the other is 
>learning. Both of them are paid by the hour. Both of them, however, do more 
>than just floor tunings. They prep all the used and new pianos, they answer 
>the phone as needed, they wait on customers, vacuum the floors, dust the 
>pianos, and take out the trash. 
>
>If they just tuned, I could see paying them by the job. But as you
indicated, 
>and as Terry and all the other current and former floor tuners know, there
is 
>more to tuning a piano than tuning a piano. How do you handle the repairs, 
>regulations etc? 
>
>How have some of you guys gotten paid who used to, or are still, doing floor 
>tunings?
> 
Roger Jolly
Saskatoon, Canada.
306-665-0213
Fax 652-0505