I also (after having been invited by someone) usually end up unsubscribing to instrument-repair fb pages. (yuk...sheesh)
Years ago, I decided to (generally) tie in my rates for repairs which take hours - rather than "minutes" or "a minute" - with automobile shop rates.
The auto repair dealer rates are around $30 higher, so - when I'm expected to *fetch/write up quotes/await approval/finish the work by XX/XX/XX, and then wait to be paid, I charge roughly auto "dealership" rates. When it's an individual customer, I charge roughly what (the most highly-rated) independent garages charge.
Obviously I reserve the right to do free work (for people who've done me favors, for people who I suspect are really struggling financially, misc. other reasons), and - in the past - for "hot babes"
...but - these days - "hot babes" have to pay as much as anyone else.If a few/some people don't raise their eyebrows (even for just an instant) yet no one turns around and walks out, I figure my rates are just about right.
something else:
I DO (ALWAYS) warn people when their repair cost is going to exceed the market value of the subsequently-playable instrument.
---------------------------------------------------------
*We recently picked up a Yamaha baritone sax which was knocked over (for the X-teenth time) and charged a repair price of something like $350 (multiple issues, but a not-all-that-difficult-to-repair bloke-things, and neither were the Mrs. bloke things). Taxpayer-responsibly, the band director had rejected "the big music store's" repair quote of well more than double that amount.
bloke "Taxpayers to not need to be purchasing Yamaha baritone saxophones for any schools - much less middle schools."
