stringing cost

how much do you charge for non gut job?


  • Total voters
    23

ten11

Semi-Pro
hi, curious about how much the home stringer charge now here. I read about 5 years ago someone said will stay with $10 flat. curious if that is still the case.
 

Rabbit

G.O.A.T.
I’m sure that’s labor only. I still charge $10 labor

EDIT: If I supply the string, like @struggle I round up to the next nearest $5. I keep a spreadsheet of who I string for and how much I charge them for reference. I also charge $5 to put a new over grip on there for them. That may sound like a lot, but they don't have to buy over grips and when I do it, it looks professional. I keep 3 or 4 different over grip brands on hand for that purpose.
 
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struggle

Legend
$15 for labor. For string i charge my cost and round up to the nearest $5 (i'm not trying to sell string), just for ease of exchange.
 

Irvin

Talk Tennis Guru
If the client brings their own string I charge $10 labor. Does not matter what type string, but the client assume the responsibility.
 

chic

Hall of Fame
People I hit with regularly:
$10 I'll provide the cheap pros pro strings I use (bought reels) or their string
$15 if they want the prince syn gut I have a few packs of.

People who I don't know as well or at the local uni:
$15 for pros pro or provide their own.
$20 if they insist on me stringing poly as a one string setup because I don't wanna.
 

NDStrings

New User
School players $10 + my cost on strings from reel saves them a buck or two
Club members $15 + retail price on strings
Out of towners $20 + retail pricing on strings

I don't touch racquetball racquets
 

ten11

Semi-Pro
I do kids or high school for free with syn gut. rest $10 exact plus string cost, no rounding.
Thanks for all the inputs.
 

ten11

Semi-Pro
If the client brings their own string I charge $10 labor. Does not matter what type string, but the client assume the responsibility.
I assume you are referring string breakage during stringing. I assume the responsibility and hybrid gut is $15. $5 more than regular. luckily I have not had a string break in about 300 jobs.
 

Irvin

Talk Tennis Guru
I assume you are referring string breakage during stringing. I assume the responsibility and hybrid gut is $15. $5 more than regular. luckily I have not had a string break in about 300 jobs.
I have to spend my money to keep string in stock and I chage more to string your racket with my string. If you want to bring me your string to put in your racket you accept all responsibility you are just paying me for my labor. If I give you your racket back and it has 10 misweaves in it I'm sorry but the cost is still $10. If your string breaks too bad it is still $10.

Some people think they are saving money by bringing me string to put in their rackets. For example, I have a client that paid $50 for a set of VS gut (plus tax and travel expense) and brought it to me to have strung for another $10. I make $10 cost them $60. I will String VS gut in your racket for $45 and I make more than $10 and it will not ever cost you more than $45 no matter what.

I try my best to make it perfectly clear to my clients that bring me string they accept ALL responsibility. I do not care if I skip a cross in the middle of the racket it is still $10. If you don't like my terms go elsewhere.

That being said no client has ever complained of my work and they keep coming back with their string. Usually it is a string that I do not stock. If I stock the string they want it will be cheaper to let me install my string in their racket.

EDIT: The last time I remember breaking a string was string ZXP Starting the top cross with a starting clamp. Prior to that it would be longer than I can remember and that’s at least over 2000 string jobs.
 
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ten11

Semi-Pro
Sorry, stringing a misweave is YOUR fault no matter who provided the string. That is just asinine.
I strung one racket with wrong tension as requested by the player. the string is $10 and the player brought in. I gave him the racket to let him play at the wrong tension and next two jobs free. If I break a string, I will cover it myself.

if player is unreasonable, I do not string for them. I do have one or two on my black list.
 

emptystringer

New User
I'm certain most of us have (or have had) a client we wish would go somewhere else. Misweaving their racquet--then insisting they pay for it--is a good way to get that customer to go to somewhere else.
 

Irvin

Talk Tennis Guru
I'm certain most of us have (or have had) a client we wish would go somewhere else. Misweaving their racquet--then insisting they pay for it--is a good way to get that customer to go to somewhere else.
I do guarantee my labor if I made a mistake they still accept the responsibility for it. If they bring me another pack of string I will correct the problem and they only get charged once. For example, assume someone brought you a set of gut to string and you agreed to charge them $10 labor to string their racket. Would you buy them a new set of gut if they had a miss weave?

I had a customer than had a crossover outside the frame on a set of string he brought me. He pointed it out and I said if he brought me another set I would string it again. He came back 18 months later after he broke the string and wanted me to string it free. He was joking but I told him since he was clearly satisfied with the first string job because he played with it for 18 months I was going to charge him again.
 

emptystringer

New User
I do guarantee my labor if I made a mistake they still accept the responsibility for it. If they bring me another pack of string I will correct the problem and they only get charged once. For example, assume someone brought you a set of gut to string and you agreed to charge them $10 labor to string their racket. Would you buy them a new set of gut if they had a miss weave?

I had a customer than had a crossover outside the frame on a set of string he brought me. He pointed it out and I said if he brought me another set I would string it again. He came back 18 months later after he broke the string and wanted me to string it free. He was joking but I told him since he was clearly satisfied with the first string job because he played with it for 18 months I was going to charge him again.
My policy when a customer provides his/her own string is that if I make a mistake (e.g. misweave), I will replace the string and restring the racquet correctly at no additional charge. I've actually had this happen only a couple times during some marathon stringing nights into early mornings... albeit not w/ NG, but even then I would not make an exception to my policy. Once a client insisted he pay me for a new pack of string - or at minimum split the cost. I declined, explaining that when he brings his racquet in to be professionally strung, he is guaranteed a professional job. That's why I get paid the big bucks, lol.
I'm the same with string breaking while I'm restringing the racquet. If the string breaks during the restringing process, I'll replace it. Had this happen once with Monogut ZX Pro - learned the hard way not to use a Babolat starting clamp on this string when starting crosses. If the customer brings back a racquet with a broken string (that they provided) within a few days after I restring, they can bring in a new pack of string and I will restring the racquet at no charge - but only one time... and rest assured if I feel the breakage was a result of a mis-hit, I'll point that out to the customer on the spot. I know all this sounds risky from the business owner perspective, but to me that just comes with the territory.
In the end I'll do whatever is reasonable to make sure the customer is completely satisfied, and if I make a mistake and cause an inconvienence to a customer, at the very least I want that customer to tell others that I 100% guarantee my work.
 

Herb

Semi-Pro
My policy when a customer provides his/her own string is that if I make a mistake (e.g. misweave), I will replace the string and restring the racquet correctly at no additional charge.

I know all this sounds risky from the business owner perspective, but to me that just comes with the territory.
In the end I'll do whatever is reasonable to make sure the customer is completely satisfied, and if I make a mistake and cause an inconvienence to a customer, at the very least I want that customer to tell others that I 100% guarantee my work.

I am right there with you. Any mistake on my end I correct free. To me, the cost of a set of string is not worth losing a customer and their potential referrals. Not knocking anyone else policies, and besides, how often does it really come up? Surely those of us providing this service as professional don't miss-weave so often that this is an issue.
 

emptystringer

New User
I am right there with you. Any mistake on my end I correct free. To me, the cost of a set of string is not worth losing a customer and their potential referrals. Not knocking anyone else policies, and besides, how often does it really come up? Surely those of us providing this service as professional don't miss-weave so often that this is an issue.
It's very rare... but, always good I think to have a clear policy in case it does happen.
 

Irvin

Talk Tennis Guru
Not knocking anyone else policies, and besides, how often does it really come up?
How often does it come up? Once when I had an overlap outside the frame. I would have strung the racket again with his $2 set of SG if he provided the string. I can not remember the last time I had a mis weave on a racket. I can't remember the last time I had a string break other than when I strung ZX Pro in my racket with a starting clamp. My policy ensures I get $10 for every string job. If the client if not satisfied they can either bring me another set of string and I will string it free or they can refuse to pay. But fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.

I could charge what others change for stringing only in the metro area $12 to $15. And if I string 50 rackets a year I would be $100 to $250 ahead of what I am making now assuming I make $2 to $5 more per racket. I think I will offer all my clients a new policy, pay $5 and I will replace your string no matter what, or pay $10 and the client assumes all responsibility.
 

Rabbit

G.O.A.T.
I do guarantee my labor if I made a mistake they still accept the responsibility for it.

Ladies and gentleman the very definition of a "non sequitur" above! I guarantee but accept no responsibility. Simply boggles the mind. :)

If they bring me another pack of string I will correct the problem and they only get charged once. For example, assume someone brought you a set of gut to string and you agreed to charge them $10 labor to string their racket. Would you buy them a new set of gut if they had a miss weave?

Yes, that is exactly what I would and have done. It's called standing behind your work.

I had a customer than had a crossover outside the frame on a set of string he brought me. He pointed it out and I said if he brought me another set I would string it again. He came back 18 months later after he broke the string and wanted me to string it free. He was joking but I told him since he was clearly satisfied with the first string job because he played with it for 18 months I was going to charge him again.

I'm glad I have the Mighty Sensor and don't have to deal with curmudgeons.

I could charge what others change for stringing only in the metro area $12 to $15. And if I string 50 rackets a year I would be $100 to $250 ahead of what I am making now assuming I make $2 to $5 more per racket. I think I will offer all my clients a new policy, pay $5 and I will replace your string no matter what, or pay $10 and the client assumes all responsibility.

Next you'll be reaching out the law firm of Johnny Cochran to get a contract and/or waiver for each "stringing encounter" you have. Brilliant, just brilliant!

The inclusion of the last post made me ecstatic that I have a Mighty Sensor and no longer deal with picayunity!

What Irvin means said:
You've got a skip? Well now let me look at my records. You brought your own string, it was restrung on a Wednesday and it was sunny. Well now if it had been restrung on the weekend OR if it had been raining, you'd have gotten a free restring. As it is, while I guarantee my work, you'll have to assume any and all errors in my final product. If you don't like it, you can either pay me more to guarantee that I'll stand behind my guarantee or you can shove it up your........
 
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Kevo

Legend
All of my current customers which are really just a handful, pay me $20 and use a string I stock. They can either get a synthetic gut or a poly of a few different varieties ( colors ) and it's simple and painless for everyone involved. I make about $15 on average per string job since most of my strings come off reels.

Most of my customers are happy if the tension is what they like and the color looks good in their frame and they didn't have to spend $35 getting it strung like they would if they went to the sporting goods store or to a club.
 

Herb

Semi-Pro
Irvin said:
Would you buy them a new set of gut if they had a miss weave?
Click to expand...

Again, I am not knocking anyone for whatever their policies are. You can string however you want, charge whatever you want, have the policies you want, I don't care. But, the above statement got me to thinking so I asked around. (I am not Law enforcement, but work with some in my office).

The above statement "Would you buy them a new set of gut if they had a miss weave?" is incorrect. THEY do not have a miss-weave, YOU have a miss-weave. When you accept the racquet and good (string) you are entering into a verbal legal contract to provide a service with the expectation that the service will be completed correctly using their good. If you do not complete the service correctly and tell them that they must supply you with another good to get the original agreed upon service completed correctly you have committed a theft of goods and services.

So, until you provide the service correctly, YOU have a miss-weave.

That is like going to a restaurant and paying for a meal only to get the wrong meal. Then having the restaurant tell you that to get the correct meal you have to supply them with more money.

I also don't get "But fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me" if you are the one that makes the mistake, not them.
 
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NDStrings

New User
I take no responsibility for customer supplied string and explain why to my customers. If something out of my control does happen (one time it has) I will replace the string with something comparable that I do stock at my price. If I make a mistake, misweave or bad crossover for example I don't charge and will do it over for free if the customer has more string or provides it within a reasonable time frame.
 

Irvin

Talk Tennis Guru
a cross over will not lower tension or affect how the racket plays. More cosmetics than anything depend on the location. If the cross is in one of the top corners of a racket it will hold the top string of the crossover out farther. If the racket grommet strip is worn the string will be subject to premature breakage.
 
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