I have seen 1920's player grands with original undercovers to hide all the plumbing. Just wondering what Weber (Aeolian) would have said about the DC patent. As for pricing, by the time a DC system gets over here, the retail price is horrendous to the point of ridicule. In fact it's embarrassing to even quote a price.Tis no wonder I have never seen one. AF(UK) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Alan Barnard" <tune4u@earthlink.net> To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2005 12:05 AM Subject: Working Undercover(s) was Re: Marking up Merchandise > To Roger: > > I have sold and installed a buncha DC systems and am a true believer. But > I > wish to address your comment on undercovers. > > Frankly, I think they are way overpriced for a piece of cloth, some > Velcro, > and thumb tacks that I think many of us never use. The undercovers clearly > help many pianos, but installing them (and maintaining the system with one > installed) is definitely a sandpaper suppository. I have charged for labor > only when installing them, as I personally can't justify selling them at a > higher retail than you are charging for the wholesale. I used to take my > regular markup plus labor, until a valued customer saw the opened box, got > a pained expression on her face, and asked, "Is that all it is?" Man, that > was awkward. > > Hope you're working on a better installation system. > > If someone packaged cloth, Velcro, and thumbtacks and sold that to techs > or > piano owners, marketing it as a tie-in to your humidity control system, > that would be walking on very thin ice, indeed.And certainly don't favor > stomping on anyone's patent, but I do wonder how the courts would respond > to a patent on cloth stapled to wood. > > I'm not a troublemaker; I'll play by the rules. But those are my thoughts. > > Alan Barnard > Salem, Missouri > > >> [Original Message] >> From: Roger Wheelock <roger@dampp-chaser.com> >> To: <deanmay@pianorebuilders.com>; Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org> >> Date: 11/16/2005 3:20:20 PM >> Subject: Re: Marking up Merchandise >> >> Hi Dean, >> >> Thank you and Joe both for the support you have shown for our product > over >> the years. We really appreciate it here at Dampp-Chaser. However, I > would >> like to gently point out that Dampp-Chaser has a patent on the undercover >> and back side cover. We kindly ask technicians to honor this. >> >> Roger >> >> Roger Wheelock, VP >> Dampp-Chaser Corp. >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Dean May" <deanmay@pianorebuilders.com> >> To: "'Pianotech'" <pianotech@ptg.org> >> Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2005 10:19 PM >> Subject: RE: Marking up Merchandise >> >> >> > Another factor you are not considering, Joe, is the time it takes to >> > sell the system. It is not uncommon for me to recommend a Dampchaser >> > multiple times to a customer, each time spending several minutes giving >> > the pitch, passing out the brochure, sometimes fielding phone calls >> > from >> > church deacons. Plus the added overhead of keeping a couple units in >> > stock. I feel like I need more than a 50% margin for such a sales >> > intensive system, more like 75%. >> > >> > One place to improve the margin on these systems is to buy your speaker >> > grill cloth at Joann Fabrics by the roll and Velcro tabs in bulk. >> > Material cost for a bottom cover install goes from $35 down to $12. >> > This >> > lets me do an undercover upgrade for $60 and that is an easy sale. >> > >> > I've trained my teenage sons on how to install the Dampchasers and >> > undercovers. They make $30/hr and I still make a good margin. >> > >> > Dean >> > Dean May cell 812.239.3359 >> > PianoRebuilders.com 812.235.5272 >> > Terre Haute IN 47802 >> > >> > -----Original Message----- >> > From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On >> > Behalf Of Joseph Garrett >> > Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2005 10:26 AM >> > To: pianotech >> > Subject: Re: Marking up Merchandise >> > >> > I mark up all items double the wholesale price, then add the shipping. >> > Installation is another issue, IMO. A few exceptions, (and I don't >> > have >> > a clue why I do it this way.<G>), is Damp Chaser products and >> > Dollies/Trucks: Double the wholesale + Shipping/Handling; installation >> > is included in that price. >> > The one factor that most do not consider, is the time it takes to find >> > the item, order it, etc. "Time is Money".<G> >> > Regards, >> > >> > Joe Garrett, R.P.T. (Oregon) >> > Captain, Tool Police >> > Squares R I >> > >> > >> > >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > > >
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