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Unpopular opinion: I think the 'no fix' fee is killing our trade's reputation.
Last month, a client in Austin brought me a ten year old desktop that wouldn't boot. I spent an hour tracing it to a dead motherboard, a part that doesn't exist anymore. I told her there was no repair and charged my $75 diagnostic fee. She looked crushed and said, 'So I paid you to tell me it's garbage?' That moment felt awful. We need to find a better way to handle these cases that doesn't make people feel ripped off. How do you guys handle no-fix situations without burning a bridge?
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ryanc5724d ago
Yeah, I've had a few of those Austin moments myself, @shane_park92. Maybe we should just call it a "bad news fee" and throw in a free coffee.
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Read a piece once about a shop that calls it a "tech review" fee instead of a diagnostic. They explain up front that the fee pays for their time to figure out the problem, good news or bad. For something like an old desktop, maybe a quick look first to see if it's even worth the full fee. A five minute check could tell you it's a lost cause, and you can tell the customer straight away for free. Saves everyone time and bad feelings.
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