Do You Tip A Piano Tuner? How Much to Tip
Do you Tip Piano Tuners?
Yes. Piano tuning is a service industry job in the Service Sector, so it's customary to tip if you're within the United States. Though, while it's customary, it's not required nor expected from professional tuners.
As a piano tuner myself, there's no discernible pattern for whether a customer will tip or not. It can be nice to receive tips as a younger technician, but as a professional, it often doesn't enter my mind and I'm pleasantly surprised when I receive tips.
Now to the next question, how much to tip a piano tuner?
How Much Should You Tip a Piano Tuner?
To put it simply, it's a personal choice that is often unrelated to the tuner's efforts.
Let's examine how much should you tip a piano tuner.
Most people tip $20 which is most customary.
No matter the price the tuner charges, a $20 tip amount is the most common. Instead of calculating a percentage of the total cost of the tuning (typical for tipping at restaurants), clients instead will throw an extra $20 bill to the tuner.
The lowest tip is $5 to "Go get yourself a coffee."
Piano technicians on the road often get a cup of coffee before their next tuning, especially if they can't fit in a meal between tuning appointments.
A $5 tip encourages technicians to treat themselves to a coffee/bagel to boost their morale in the middle of the day.
A big tip is a $100 tip, which is not normal, and only for exceptional extra work.
If your piano needs a lot of additional work but you didn't tell the technician beforehand (and the tech did the work!), then it may be appropriate to tip a high amount.
It's unusual to tip $100; it's more likely that a $20 tip is appropriate in most circumstances, though sometimes tipping a high amount just feels right.
If you're "on the fence" or unsure, a $20 tip is the correct move.
No tip is also acceptable; see below "Reasons why you shouldn't tip your Piano Tuner."
Again, any professional piano technician should not expect a tip from customers. I don't have a problem reminding my fellow piano tuners that!
One last thing to consider is that the social expectation to tip your waiter/waitress is much higher than it is to tip your piano tuner in the U.S.
Why shouldn't you tip your Piano Tuner?
If the tuner refuses the gratuity at all
If the piano tuner returns after recent work done (and you recently tipped them)
If you have your piano tuned frequently (3 or more times per year)
If the work is incomplete
The service comes with a lot of additional charges
There are unwritten rules as you why you shouldn't tip your piano tuner. Above are a few examples of where I would suggest that tipping should be avoided.
If you're unsure whether to tip your piano tuner, you can always wait until the next visit!
Reasons To Consider Tipping a Piano Tuner
Here's some "logical" vs. "sensible" reasons you may consider tipping your piano tuner.
Logical Reasons:
Poor condition of the piano (piano needs a pitch raise)
Emergency appointment, (within 7 days of initial call)
Additional services or parts required (additional costs)
Was the Piano serviced at an affordable price?
It's an older piano
This list of logical reasons consider the hard costs, physical work, and client demands associated with piano work that is more taxing.
Sensible Reasons:
'Tis the Season?
Personable & Professional tuner
"Living is Giving"
Always does a great job
It's the first tuning of the new piano
This list of sensible reasons considers the overall feelings one has of the service experience. This list is primarily why most clients tip their piano tuner.
I'll say it again, as a piano technician, tipping has less to do with logic of actual work performed, but has much more to do with generosity/hospitality and macro economic trends.
What are macro economic trends and why to they effect tipping?
I've noticed that people tend to be more generous if the economy is doing well. Tipping can certainly slow down during a time when there's economic uncertainty.
Tipping usually picks up during the holidays when the economy does better in general, as well.
How Much Does It Cost To Tune A Piano?
Piano tuning professionals typically charge between $150-$250 per tuning.
Tuners who charge $150 or less per tuning may live in a smaller market or are likely in the process of establishing their own business. Typically, prices like this are common for those who have a relatively smaller customer base (when compared to most piano tuners).
Professional piano technicians who charge $300+ per visit both likely live in a larger market which supports those prices, in addition to offering additional services besides tuning to make the visit more valuable to the piano owner.
Additional Services: These services can significantly add to the cost of a tuning visit, however, they are common occurrences for skilled technicians. These services are often billed at an hourly rate.
Regulation (typically half day/full day)
Voicing
Repairs
Player Pianos: Calibration, upgrades, updates, networking, troubleshooting etc.
Damppchaser installations
New strings/string replacement
Appraisals
While costly, a great technician does work that is worthwhile for just about any piano. The piano playing experience becomes greatly enhanced. The results are in the way the piano feels, sounds, and it will give you a renewed excitement about your instrument.
What if I don't want to tip my piano tuner?
If offering a tip isn't an option for you, consider the following amenities you may offer the technician to help them perform and feel at their best. These hospitable options are listed below...
What could I offer my Piano tuner besides a tip?
Many clients care to foster a good relationship with their piano tuner and feel comfortable doing so, such clients choose to offer additional amenities such as:
Water
Nowadays, I'll almost always accept a glass or bottle of water. As we all get older it becomes important as ever to stay hydrated!
To add, I found out early on that my hearing is less sharp if I'm dehydrated. So, consider offering water to your piano technician for the sake of the piano!
Coffee
Occasionally I'll accept a fresh cup of coffee. It puts the tuner in a better, more focused state of mind.
Don't underestimate the power of having a more effective and efficient technician after having a fresh cup o' Joe! Especially, if their hourly rate is on your dime/watch.
Guest Restroom
Not everyone has a guest restroom, but if you have one in your house, then highlighting where the guest restroom is in your home may be a nice gesture to the technician.
It is not always easy to find public restrooms within the distance between locations!
Sometimes, it can take a couple of hours to drive between each appointment. Showing up on-time to an appointment could deter a technician from visiting a restroom beforehand.
Breakfast bars
Cookies
Crackers
Recently, I heard that a piano technician friend of mine was offered home-made Sushi! Now, that's unheard of!
Sticking with the basics (cookies/crackers) is just as much appreciated. Often, cookies or crackers are most appropriate.
Anything that may hold over a technician until their next meal is a wonderful thing to offer. As, the reality of working as a piano tuner is being on the road for most of the day.
Alcohol (Use discretion; for the record I have never accepted alcohol)
Perhaps the tuner is a neighbor, a friend, an acquaintance etc. and you don't care to have a perfect sounding piano.
This is abnormal, and would only be offered in less formal, non-professional settings. Though, some customers offer it from time-to-time.
So, if you'd like to offer amenities to a technician, consider providing something on the level of a snack or non-alcoholic refreshment. This would be more appropriate.
How To Find A Piano Tuner Near Me?
I've found that there are a few better ways to find a piano tuner near you. Primarily, are the ways listed below.
The Piano Technician's Guild Website
Call your local piano dealer
Call the manufacturer
Call a nearby music store
Ask "Alexa"
Word of Mouth
Look for piano tuner reviews on Google
Read in detail about how to find a piano tuner near you in the article I wrote below. I elaborate about each step, which may help you if you're unfamiliar about these methods of finding a piano tuner near you.
Read: 7 Good Ways To Find A Professional Piano Tuner Near You
Why Should You Tip Your Piano Tuner?
The tuner takes great care in the quality of service
For the service of old pianos
The tuning fee is low
The tech spent extra time or did extra services
Tipping the tuner is simply polite, and can help cultivate a positive relationship between yourself and the person who tunes your piano.
Professionalism, experience, and knowledge coming from a tuner are all invaluable assets for any pianist. So, showing appropriate appreciation for this job should be given some thought.
Do you tip piano movers?
Yes! Moving pianos is a business in the service industry, it's customary to tip, though it's not required!
The best method is to tip the person who is leading the move and he can disburse the tips to the workers.
The other method is to tip a smaller amount across all of the piano movers, since there are usually a few piano movers around for each piano move.
Whatever you decide, it's okay! The piano movers get paid either way.
What extra work does a Piano tuner do for a tip?
Other extra service may include:
Voicing hammers
Soundboard Cleaning
Sustain pedal adjustment
Hammer rest rail adjustment (clicking)
Replacing/repairing complete parts
Loose pins
Broken piano strings
Offering guidance for humidity solutions
The same applies if there were any parts that had to be replaced or if there were any unexpected issues during the process (which often occurs, especially on used pianos).
It's important to note that tips are always optional. However, if you're happy with how well the person tuned your instrument then tipping them will help show your appreciation for their hard work and help cover their costs!
Why Tip Your Piano Tuner?
Piano tuning is a complex job that requires skill, experience, and specialized tools. This is assuming that most professional piano tuners spend years honing their craft and acquiring the necessary tools (more than just a tuning hammer) to do the job.
Tools - Competent piano technicians carry tools to not just tune the piano, but regulation tools to make the keys play faster, more even, or make common repairs. They carry voicing tools to adjust the tone quality of the piano (different than tuning). They also carry extra supplies in case the piano is missing felt, leather, or common parts.
Since it takes a lot of time to become a skilled tuner, technicians charge a high amount due to the scarcity of skilled technicians in the service market.
For example, tuners are known to charge quite a bit for their services - some have a rate of $250-$300 for one tuning visit, sometimes in under two hours!
While this fee covers the cost of labor, materials, and hours used during the tuning process, it doesn't necessarily reflect the true worth of an experienced piano tuner.
Unfortunately, piano tuners struggle to scale their businesses (with small exceptions). So, high labor costs are some of the only strategies/methods they possess to earn a decent living.
This is why tipping after you have your piano tuned is recommended/appreciated since their typical earnings don't get better than their hourly fee for most tuners.
Bottom Line about Tipping your Piano Tuner:
Whether or not you decide to tip after your piano tuning, it comes down to personal preference; however, tipping is generally regarded as good practice in order to show appreciation for services and other related costs.
It also can help to maintain an ongoing trust-filled relationship between both parties—which is essential given that regular maintenance by a professional is key for keeping any instrument in great shape!
Ultimately, how much (or how little) you tip will depend on how satisfied you were with their work. (Can you hear the difference? Will it affect your playing?) Or, it may depend on how you feel that day.
For those who own pianos and require professional help from time to time – don’t forget to thank your piano technician at the very least, to show appreciation for how beautiful they made the piano sound through a couple hours of piano tuning.
Tipping a professional piano tuner is an excellent way to show appreciation for their hard work and dedication in making sure that your beloved instrument sounds its best at all times.
TLDR;
Tipping your piano tuner $20 is customary and generally always appreciated, but never expected or required!
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