Lesson learned.....

[Michael Gamble]

Don R - I think the whole discussion started because someone admitted
charging some large fee for a 15 - or was it 30 minute? - job. Already that
15/30 minutes has escalated into several hours and several trips without a
mention of the 8 year guarantee... I think we must agree that "the labourer
is worth his pay" - I think that's how the saying goes - and leave it at
that.
Regards
Michael G.(UK)
-----Original Message-----
From: Don [mailto:pianotuna@yahoo.com] 
Sent: 24 September 2005 06:57
To: ilvey@sbcglobal.net; Pianotech
Subject: RE: Lesson learned.....

Hi,

Lets look at CA glue from this perspective.

Tuner "A" makes an appointment with a new client to tune their instrument.
When he arrives he finds the instrument untuneable due to loose tuning
pins. He charges an appraisal fee and "walks away".

Tuner "B" makes that same appointment. He advises the client that the
instrument might be salvaged by adding CA glue to the pin block. He uses
atleast 2 oz of glue. The client agrees to the process. Tuner B sets up an
appointment for another day.

Tuner B now has to go to the store to purchase supplies for this operation.
Then he returns to tilt the piano, bringing into the home his tilter, and a
large box fan with an extension cord, plus a drop cloth to protect the
clients floor--adds the glue--and leaves the piano tilted--which ties up a
piece of his equipment for some period of time. He makes an appointment to
come and tune the piano, which will 99% of the time require a pitch
correction.

So Tuner B has had four trips to deal with for one piano.

Appraisal trip
Supplies trip (someone has to pay--I'd prefer the client pay)
treatment trip
tuning trip with pitch correction.

Now take the fee of $250.00. It doesn't look very expensive to me--given
the nature of the number of client visits--and the time spent to make the
visits possible, especially since the alternative is a new pin block or a
new piano.

Our profession is in the luxury business and most techs charge too little
for their time. I just had a tree "bite" the cover on my RV. Cost to repair
was $146.50 for unscrewing 4 Philips screws and installing a $15.00 part.




Regards,
Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.P.T.
Non calor sed umor est qui nobis incommodat

mailto:pianotuna@yahoo.com	http://us.geocities.com/drpt1948/

3004 Grant Rd. REGINA, SK, S4S 5G7
306-352-3620 or 1-888-29t-uner