Just read a report that said most small shops don't charge for diagnostics

Honestly, I found this on a tech business blog yesterday. It said over 60% of independent repair places do free diagnostic checks. I've always charged a flat $50 fee for my time, even if the fix is simple. It feels wrong to work for free when you know what you're doing. Has anyone else kept their diagnostic charge and still gotten enough work?

3 comments

3 Comments

blake69110d ago

Remember my buddy who tried the free diagnostic thing? He had a guy come in with a laptop that wouldn't turn on, spent an hour checking it, and told the customer it just needed a new power cord. The guy said thanks, bought a cord online for ten bucks, and walked. My friend did an hour of skilled work for free. How is that a good business plan?

angela_grant10d ago

That "hour of skilled work" builds trust that brings in bigger jobs later.

gracewebb8d ago

I mean that's just one bad story from @blake691 though, right? Maybe the guy with the laptop was just cheap, idk. It doesn't mean the whole idea is broken.