Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum I just had to laugh

Phone rings "how much for a tuning?" I gave her a price, and she went to hang up. I stopped her and asked "have you had any other quotes?" She said "no, but I only paid $25 for a tuning a year ago, but I can't find the guy". I couldn't help it, I had to laugh. Heck, it costs me more than $25 to drive to a house and knock on the door.

You mean he was making all that money tuning and he wasn't still in business a year later? Go figure...

Tell here you'll do it for $25 but will only tune one string of each note.

Or if she prefers you can tune only the As and the Cs.

I love it when that happens ... sort of. I've always suspected that some of the price shoppers are local techs. checking up on the competition.

OK, OK, I might tend toward paranoia.

Maybe she can't find the guy because he changed his name and raised his prices .

FYI, in my area a standard tuning goes for between $75 and $100. Some tech's charge for milage plus tuning.

Rickster

Cute story Bob.

That the lowest price I have heard in a long time.
Sometimes I really wonder if these people are telling the truth, or if they are just trying to get us to go lower in price.

Visit to a new client. Finished the tuning, gave her the bill. Horror on her face: "I remember when the tuner used to come, he only charged four dollars! And he stayed all day!" "I wonder when that was, ma'am?" "1936." (My customer was 101 at the time of my visit.)

When asked for a discount, I tell them I'm not in the position to negotiate. My landlord, the electric and water company,the school of my kids, etc. etc. etc., they all don't give me even one cent discount and I have to pay on time or else...

When told some other guy(s) charge less, I tell them my rate is not dependent on other tuners. I work and see to it that they get their money's worth.

Some people just don't understand. To them, good riddance.

JUNMER

Bob

You should get the guy's name and hire him to go out and do your tunings. You could stay home and make as much money as you do now once you subtract the cost of gas.

Good story, Bob. I used to charge $25.00...back in 1979.

Once I was called for a Tuning. I gave my prices, the piano was last tuned five years ago. I give my price for a pitch raise. She told me: "You see, I have enough money for the tuning, what if you don't do the pitch raise?

My wife, who is a psychoanalist, was hearing my replies at the phone and suddenly said to me to accept... I did, without knowing why. I told my wife that I will have to do the pitch raise anyway and for nothing. She told me not to worry.

When I arrived to give the piano "only a tuning", the owner told me that her mother will pay for the pitch raise. One never knows...

Tell her we all want to know what's in our future! Never mind. Eric Gloo already knows and I want my car to keep starting!