---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Brett, The important thing here is not to put the onus on yourself. If you're going to end up late to an appointment because of the previous one, and as a result, at the end of the day be an hour late to dinner with your significant other, somebody needs to pay you for your effort. And don't forget to use your phone to notify people you're running behind... The way I work it is I give an hour and a half appointment for a specified price. I then charge an hourly rate, based on 15 minute increments if my overtime is less than an hour. One great thing about being self-employed is that you can call the shots. If it's a client that you like, or is financially challenged, you can give a little extra. If it's a client who's all business, you can go by the book. If you don't like to bargain, you may want to have a fee schedule printed up as a handout. If the piano is close to pitch, my appointment time will allow for small fixes, pedal squeaks, etc.. The customers who take good care of their pianos are rewarded, because the tuning usually takes around an hour. Those who don't have their pianos tuned regularly will have to pay extra for a pitch raise, even if it falls within the hour and a half appointment time-frame-- partly as a punitive measure for piano neglect, mostly because of the wear and tear on my body and ears. Noises, buzzing notes, and false beats can be real time-eaters. If you are going to fix them at a regular appointment, be ready to run behind, and be sure to point out what you are doing so the piano owner will be prepared to pay for your time. People don't like big surprises on their bill. Yes, the better pianos take me longer to tune. Because they CAN be tuned. You can hear the specific things you are listening for in good quality 7 footer. In a spinet, one hears all kinds of wobbles and warbles that bear little relation to what you're listening for. If a piano is not badly out of tune, I will often take a substantial amount of time for the simple reason that I want to hear significant improvement before I leave. Hearing improvement? I don't think so. My hearing was better at 23 than it is at 53. The difference is, I am better trained now that I was then. My LISTENING skills have improved since then, and they continue to improve. Hope this helps, Dave Stahl In a message dated 12/16/2005 11:26:06 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, bgpianoman@email.com writes: Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas to All , And to Ken I'm not missing the SNOW ! Just wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them . I seem to have slowed down . More so on the quality instruments . Like today I was tuning a customers Steinway L (1972) for the second time . I don't remember it taking as long last year . This time the 5th & 6th octives had so many false beats . I stoped to seat the strings & bridge pins . Then I got annoyed by a clicking noise on G-6 that turned out to be a loose hammer flange bushing . Then as I got to the lower bass another noise the keybed was knocking . Maybe the Dampp-Chaser system I installed last year made these things show up. All I know is I ended up running about an hour behind . Then this afternoon I ran into a KG-1 I tune every 3 months . New DC system last fall ???? wild strings 5th 6th & 7th . I ended up seating all the bridge pins & strings it was easier to dress all the strings & then tune . Then a buzzing sound from the case. Had to tighten every screw tell I finally happened to kick a small fan with a metal cage setting under the piano . Fixed it ! This piano is used for Jazz gigs , Now everyone will wounder why the pianist is sweating . I tossed the fan .Another hour behind ! I seem to be spending more time on the grands I tune then before . The spinets well I do my best . Even a nice U-3 or 1 will slow me down with one thing or another . Am I just hearing better ? Has my experience gotten to the point where I find more things that I would have missed before (most likely). I know that most of the pianist don't hear these things . I'm also afraid that the ones that do feel that they got a poor tuning . Before I got into tuning as a player I didn't hear 90 percent of what I do now . And I'm sure that most people grow accustomed to what they are play day in & out. They must because when I'm done with every piano I play it . Most of the spinets I hate . They think it sounds great . Even the little spinet I played for years as a kid hurts to play now . Back then it was great ! At what point do you decide to charge for these little extras . Or should you cover your tunings by fixing the little things . For now thats where I'm at . It sure can make you run behind though . Thanks for the input on reselling services . I'm sure now that I'm not charging enough . Brett Glass A Sharp Piano Service Maui PS: I won't tell you how I fixed the loose bushing other than to say I had none with me . And most likely that flange will need to be replaced next time it needs to be rebushed . It was loose to the wood in the flange . I know the quick fix police are going to pull me over for speeding to the next job . Guess Dave Stahl Dave Stahl Piano Service 650-224-3560 _http://dstahlpiano.net/_ (http://www.dstahlpiano.net/) ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/f2/ba/be/a8/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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