no charge to good steady customers

[A440A@aol.com]

Phil asks:
<< I'm not looking for a pat on the back here..just curious if this is
common practice amungst my peers..or do you truly feel I am not being
fair to the tech. community. >>

      Don't worry about it.   It makes it easier to raise your prices later, 
(or sooner, if you start feeling undervalued).  
    We reap what we sow, but we have to do the sowing first!  Going the extra 
mile gratis can be a great investment of one's time or a hidden drain on 
productivity, depending on the situation.  It's great being able to so easily make 
a positive difference in other people's lives.  "If I was rich, I would tune 
for free!" 
    However, there are also the ingrates out there.  "An ingrate is one who 
gets something for free and expects more at the same price".  I have found 
myself snared by several of them over the years and they provided reason enough to 
raise my prices so as to avoid them. It is impossible to know ahead of time 
that your willingness to tighten the screws on the hinge this visit turns into a
n expectation that you will clean the piano next time you tune it.......
Regards,  
Ed Foote  
(PS) A customer once called because her mother remembered me for not charging 
for a short visit 20 years before.   I am now tuning that piano, at current 
prices, and they want to know about rebuilding it.  A POI (point of 
inheritance) situation!