What we charge?

[John Lillico, RPT]

I don't know quite how to do this, but this is what  I said:
>
><< I say base your charge on experience, demand, professional affiliation, 
>expenses and local economy. Hundred dollar tunings may not fly in Humboldt 
>but will in New York. Then again, maybe there are no tuners within a hundred 
>miles of Humboldt, in which case it's a dollar a mile and a dollar a cent. >>
And this is Wim:
>
>Why is your friend and competitor not able to charge more for his work? Is he that unsure of his ability, or is he so bad that people won't pay more for his service?

Me: Probably a little of both.

Wim: I don't expect you to drop your price, but why not encourage him to learn more, so that he can raise his? Or to put it another way, are you 
>being looked at as being the "Gouger," Dave was talking about? 

Me: He was an Associate member once and we worked with him. If he were to ascend to my price structure, then HE could be considered the gouger.
>
Wim: If there are no tuners within a hundred miles, does that give you the right to "rip off" your customers? This is where the whole thread got started, when Dave asked why a piano tech making $75,000 is considered gouging the public. 

Me: Absolutely !!!  But I wouldn't call it a rip off. Pricing is like water. It seeks its own level. If I travel 100 miles, I have costs to recover. If there's no one within 100 miles of me and I'm charging too much, other technicians will invade "my area".

Wim: Experience will get you to the point of being able to make a good living. It doesn't give you the right to over charge for your work.

Me: Experience got me there. We are now talking about the difference between capitalism and socialism.

Still Me:  Sorry to bore the rest of you.

John Lillico, RPT,
Oakville, Ontario, Canada