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Historic Tuning Prices and Inflation

  • 1.  Historic Tuning Prices and Inflation

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 06-18-2018 23:33
    Hello All,

    I'm curious. Looking at history and the prices we charged for back then. Or rather, our tuning forefathers. For those of you who are somewhat elderly, perhaps even "young at heart", how much did you charge back when you first began? And what year was that?

    Also interested in historic information, if anyone know about how much they charged "back in the day." 

    Thanks all,

    ------------------------------
    Benjamin Sanchez
    Professional Piano Services
    (805)315-8050
    www.professional-piano-services.com
    BenPianoPro@comcast.net
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Historic Tuning Prices and Inflation

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 06-18-2018 23:38
    In 1958 when dad started tuning, his fee was $7.50 in the town we lined and another $1.50 for going to a town 15 miles away. That was in the Chicago area. 

    I started in 1977 and the going fee was $20  - $25, in St Louis.

    ------------------------------
    Willem "Wim" Blees, RPT
    Mililani, HI 96789
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Historic Tuning Prices and Inflation

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 06-19-2018 06:56
    In 1972 when I started tuning, my rate for privates was $15 and stores paid me $12.50 to do an outside tuning. My fees have well outpaced inflation.

    Sent from my iPhone
    Carl Lieberman
    CarlPianoTech.com


    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Historic Tuning Prices and Inflation

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 06-19-2018 07:38
    I think the going rate in our college town in the late 70's was $35.00. I remember hearing a rule of thumb that it should cost about the same as a good pair of shoes, and that comparison worked then but doesn't so much now.

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    Cindy Strehlow
    Urbana, IL
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Historic Tuning Prices and Inflation

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 06-19-2018 07:39
    I think the going rate in our college town in the late 70's was $35.00. I remember hearing a rule of thumb that it should cost about the same as a good pair of shoes, and that comparison worked then but doesn't so much now.

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    Cindy Strehlow
    Urbana, IL
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Historic Tuning Prices and Inflation

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 06-19-2018 07:47

    Yes it was.  Christmas 1976.  New Kawai.  Rantoul IL.  Piano Tuner charged $35.  I watched, listened, and decided "I can do this". 

     

    That was the beginning of my foray into the world of the Piano Technicians Guild.  John Dewey and the Central Illinois Chapter led me the next couple of years.  I was stationed at Chanute AFB with the 505th Air Force Band.  First PTG Convention was Dallas in 1977.  Hotel was hot as blazes.  I took classes with some of the greats.  One I really remember was with Norm Neblett on voicing.  He kept asking "can you hear that?"

     

    Quite an education!

     

    $35 was a ton of money to a family of 4 on a Tech Sergeant's pay.  Part time piano work began supplementing my pay from then on.

     

     

    "PTG – Expand your Horizon – Share the Vision"

     

    George W.R. (Bill) Davis, RPT, SERVP

    2315 Rocky Mountain Rd NE

    Marietta GA 30066

    bill@pianoplace.net

    770.778.6881

     

     




    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Historic Tuning Prices and Inflation

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 06-19-2018 08:18
    I believe that Carl my have kept up with W Dean Howell recomendation in Professional Piano Tuning that it should be the cost of a good pair of dress shoes. 1980's 8.50 in the store, warranty tunes 13.5, my own price 35!

    ------------------------------
    Larry Messerly, RPT
    Bringing Harmony to Homes
    www.lacrossepianotuning.com
    ljmesserly@gmail.com
    928-899-7292
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Historic Tuning Prices and Inflation

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 06-20-2018 16:29
    In 1975 my boss paid me 1/2 his price for a tuning: 1/2 x $25 = 12.50. He contracted with two dealers and charged them $15 for a floor tuning. He paid me $5. I later prevailed on him to raise it to $7.50.
    Hey, George, I missed the 'convention in a castle' in Dallas but I heard a lot about the heat afterwards. My first convention was the year before in Las Vegas, my home town.

    Bob Anderson
    Tucson, AZ


    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Historic Tuning Prices and Inflation

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 06-19-2018 00:19
    I started in 1988. My mentor charged $55. I had just started tuning, and was charging $39. He made sure I wasn't telling anyone who called the store what my prices were, as he had first dibs on referral tunings.

    The price has probably kept up with inflation, which is to say tuning prices haven't really gone up, but inflation has reduced the value of the dollar, so it appears like that.

    Paul Mccloud
    San Diego



    Hello All,

    I'm curious. Looking at history and the prices we charged for back then. Or rather, our tuning forefathers. For those of you who are somewhat elderly, perhaps even "young at heart", how much did you charge back when you first began? And what year was that?

    Also interested in historic information, if anyone know about how much they charged "back in the day."

    Thanks all,

    ------------------------------
    Benjamin Sanchez
    Professional Piano Services
    (805)315-8050
    www.professional-piano-services.com
    BenPianoPro@comcast.net



    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Historic Tuning Prices and Inflation

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 06-19-2018 03:18
    I have my grandfather's ledgers and in about 1925 he first charged $2.50, with a family to feed he quickly went up to $3.50.

    In about 1974 when I started I believe I was charging $12.50.  That was in Dallas, Texas.

    When customers complain that my prices have gone up I quote them my starting prices of $12.50.

    ------------------------------
    Blaine Hebert
    Duarte CA
    626-795-5170
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: Historic Tuning Prices and Inflation

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 06-19-2018 08:20
    I started at $25 in 1975. The first dealer I worked for (who was also a tuner) had been charging $20 for some time, and thought that $25 was "highway robbery" and that "no person should earn more than $75 in one day". Since he was retiring from tuning (I furnished the supply side of my shop with his stuff) his opinion didn't sway me much.

    Interestingly, he would sign (in code) every piano he tuned, showing the date, what was done, and the charge. Of course I learned the code. I was able to track his basic tuning fee all the way back to the mid-forties when he was charging $3 a tuning (and I think $1 for a pitch raise).

    One of my earliest mentors (Orman Pratt in DC Chapter) was charging $40 around 1978. I thought: "Wow! That's a lot!".  Well, he gradually helped me to understand that a self-employed person needs to earn at least twice as much as he/she intends to "bring home". It took a long time for that reality to set in with me but I eventually got it. In 2014 went to 7 times the original, and approaching time to go up again.

    Pwg

    ------------------------------
    Peter Grey
    Stratham NH
    603-686-2395
    pianodoctor57@gmail.com
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: Historic Tuning Prices and Inflation

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 06-19-2018 11:12

    I teach a class titled "What's Your Number" which explains exactly why that is so true and provides a mechanism and formula for figuring out what your rate should be to meet your goals.

     

    With the Fed raising interest rates again, inflation is going to accelerate.  Folks need to plan.

     

    One of our biggest issues is a failure of our most experienced and knowledgeable technicians (frequently ones employed by Dealers, Colleges, and Universities) (and others who no longer have a mortgage) closing the door on "newbies" by not driving low end business their way.  New to the field technicians have to be able to make a living.  If there is no room for a differential in what folks charge for service, bringing new folks to the profession becomes difficult.  Charge what your talent, skill, knowledge, and experience are worth. Just because you don't need the money is no reason not to charge appropriately.

     

     

    "PTG – Expand your Horizon – Share the Vision"

    "Good, Better, Best – never let it rest 'til the good is better and the better, best"

     

    George W.R. (Bill) Davis, RPT, SERVP

    2315 Rocky Mountain Rd NE

    Marietta GA 30066

    bill@pianoplace.net

    770.778.6881

     

     




    Original Message


  • 13.  RE: Historic Tuning Prices and Inflation

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 06-19-2018 14:47
    Hi Everyone,

    Wow, thanks for the input! It's really interesting to see the trend in how we set our prices in comparison to what the minimum wage is at the time. Simply use Siri (or for those of you Google people, use "hey Google") and look up the minimum wage in the year in which you started. 

    It seems that the average beginning rate for a piano technician is about 10 times minimum wage, historically speaking, of course. And then prices went up as one's skill set increased.

    Very cool. Thanks all, it's been interesting to see learn about the historic trends of the trade.

    ------------------------------
    Benjamin Sanchez
    Professional Piano Services
    (805)315-8050
    www.professional-piano-services.com
    BenPianoPro@comcast.net
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 14.  RE: Historic Tuning Prices and Inflation

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 06-20-2018 09:31
    My wife and I bought our first house 6 years ago. In that time, we've had a variety of service people come and fix things: electrician, plumber, screen door guy, bug guy, carpet guy, furnace guy. 

    Compared to other home service providers, I think that, regardless of inflation or the price of shoes (especially since they're all made in China now), we're on the low end of the spectrum. I had a rock chip repair done to my windshield recently: $40 for a 10" repair. That's $240 an hour, and it takes a lot less skill or training than tuning to do that.

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    Scott Cole
    Talent OR
    541-601-9033
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    Original Message


  • 15.  RE: Historic Tuning Prices and Inflation

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 06-20-2018 10:58
    Piano technicians historocally CHRONICALLY under price their services. Too many are insecure and think that all their customers will leave if they go up.

    I used to think that way, but I learned that if you do good work and appear and act professionally (and treat people nice) they will pay anything you ask (even the ones for whom it is a bit of a stretch).

    Pwg

    ------------------------------
    Peter Grey
    Stratham NH
    603-686-2395
    pianodoctor57@gmail.com
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 16.  RE: Historic Tuning Prices and Inflation

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 06-21-2018 19:41
    I think it is a common business practice to charge a minimum fee, Scott. I charge a minimum of one hour's labor (or one tuning). It takes time to drive to and from the appointment. Of course there are always exceptions. If I can solve a problem in 10 minutes and I don't have to drive out of my way, especially if it is a regular customer, I don't charge for a full hour.

    Bob Anderson
    Tucson, AZ


    Original Message