Grand Island Tuner

[gordon stelter]

I do wish that we could explain to customers that
tuning a pinao is a delicate operation, and in order
to be performed well the tuner must be warm, clean,
dry, rested and well fed. And that to be in that state
we must charge enough to meet expenses and not be
overworked. Would you want a tired, stressed out
doctor working on your kidneys?
     Then why would you want one working on your
piano?
     Gordo Stelter

--- Kdivad@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 9/18/02 12:33:15 AM Central
> Daylight Time, bigda@gte.net 
> writes:
> 
> 
> > >The national average for a tuning is $75?
> > 
> > Man oh man.  This really, truly pisses me off, to
> see such an incredibly 
> > low figure published as the national average.
> > 
> > Is your time worth less than a plumber? A phone
> repairman? a mechanic at 
> > a car dealer?
> > A waiter in a fancy restaurant?
> > 
> > Mine isn't.  I have said for years and years that
> we as a community 
> > deeply undervalue our time, our dedication, our
> skill, and our worth.  If 
> > this figure isn't proof of that, I don't know what
> is.
> > 
> > To tune a piano, I drive to the location; I talk
> to the client; I set my 
> > self up; I tune the piano; I enter data into my
> computer & generate and 
> > invoice; I talk to the client----that's about a
> 2.5-3-hour involvement; I 
> > feel I'm underpaid when I charge $130-135.00. If
> there's more work than 
> > tuning (which there usually is, with my clientele)
> I charge 90.00 per 
> > hour, and feel pretty good about that.
> > 
> > Let's honor and support each other, guys.  And
> LET'S GET PAID.
> > 
> > DAVID ANDERSEN
> > 
> 
> David, I agree with you that most of us, as tuners
> and technicians, do not 
> get paid enough for our skills.  The problem is that
> you can't just wish a 
> higher pay scale. The price for a tuning depends on
> what the market will bear 
> in your area.  It is as simple as that.  Though a
> little increase in fees 
> over a period of time can usually be effective, you
> will still lose some 
> customers and if you step over that magic price line
> you will lose a lot of 
> customers.  
> Our time is worth what we can get paid for it, not a
> penny more.  Just like 
> that fancy piano that should be worth $50,000.00 but
> in reality will only 
> bring $5,000.00.  Here in my location the highest
> rates for tuning are in the 
> $100.00 range and there are few tuners who get that
> much, the $75.00 range is 
> about average. 
>  To honor and support each other would be to
> understand the problems of low 
> pay scale and not infer it is necessarily the tuners
> fault because we 
> undervalue our time.  Most of the members in the PTG
> and on this list 
> understand the problems and participate, not only to
> learn, but to raise the 
> consciousness of the public and therefore our value.
> 
> David Koelzer
> Vintage Pianos
> DFW
>   
> 


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