Using technicians for diagnosis only

[Chris Peace]

I feel like I might be cursed out for this, but here it goes…

What is the etiquette with getting a diagnosis on a problem from a shop, maybe just to find out if the situation may be dangerous, and taking that diagnosis to perform your own repair?

I’ve learned a lot about diagnosing very simple things, but as I learn more I find that the experience of a trained technician can tell me things that I do not know. I’ve used that knowledge for free in some sense in that I’ll take that diagnosis and perform my own repairs.

This is VERY RARE. I do not make any habit of doing this because if you knew anything about me you’d know that I’m way over my head on 99 percent of repairs and have a professional do it for me.

Anyway, as a technician can you tell if a customer is just using you for information? Do you charge for diagnosis?

Topic

[Kevin Criswell]

If you pay for the diagnostics, no issue at all. Diagnostics requires training, knowledge and special tools and as long as the tech and shop gets reimbursed for his time and effort there is no breach of etiquette.

The shop I started out with, did free diagnostics when I started there and I quickly fought to bring an end to that. Customers would happily allow me to do hours of work finding the problem and than would go home and have their brother/father/husband do the actual work.

For example lets say you have a hard start/no start situation caused by a bad sensor that you bring to a shop to diagnose. A well equipped shop will have to use a scan tool (usually about $2,000-$8,000) possibly a scope ($1,000-$2,500), repair information software ($2,500 a year) and the training (time and cost vary, but often is not cheap) to find the problem, verify the problem and suggest a proper solution. Now, not all shops take that route, some just buy a cheap $50 scanner and start replacing parts related to the code they got.

Now, I have given free advice or like I do here, my thoughts based on experience and training.

[Bill]

I must be crazy giving free advice hear when you consider the way Raistian77 explains it and he’s correct. Everyone thinks that tools and equipment is free as well as the cost of doing business.

Where I work we charge a fee for diagnosis depending on how much time is involved accept for maybe a brake estimate. If we think the customer is using us the cost for diagnosis gets more expensive with every visit until he gets the idea.

Usually the DI Yourselfers first question is how much, and when you tell them there is a charge they don’t want to pay and leave. I just love to ask them if they get paid at their job or do they work for free.

I’ll never figure out why the automotive repair business is like that.

[Kevin Criswell]

[quote=”wysetech” post=78931]I must be crazy giving free advice hear when you consider the way Raistian77 explains it and he’s correct. Everyone thinks that tools and equipment is free as well as the cost of doing business.

Where I work we charge a fee for diagnosis depending on how much time is involved accept for maybe a brake estimate. If we think the customer is using us the cost for diagnosis gets more expensive with every visit until he gets the idea.

Usually the DI Yourselfers first question is how much, and when you tell them there is a charge they don’t want to pay and leave. I just love to ask them if they get paid at their job or do they work for free.

I’ll never figure out why the automotive repair business is like that.[/quote]

I think the reason is because auto repair is the only skilled trade that has it’s roots in DIYers. When the Ford models became popular the average owner was also the mechanic. There were plenty of cars around before Ford, but those were expensive models that only the well-to-do owned and they could afford to pay the seller to repair and maintain it. Fords were for the masses (aka the poor) and that market was very budget conscious and so many of the customers learned how to maintain and repair their transportation.

The reason I spend my time and resources helping here is really quite selfish and ego centrist. I love fixing cars and I enjoy the feeling I get helping others, it is a ego boost. And the fact that someone came to this site means they are most likely DIYers and less likely to just drop the vehicle off at a repair shop in the first place. So if they are going to do it themselves anyway, I might as well do my best to help them do it in a way that saves them money.

Not only that, but this helps sharpen our skills and gives us an outlet. When you do auto repair for a living, the only way to do it real well, to be competitive and stay at the top of your game is to be obsessed with it. Real good techs are like doctors they become obsessed with the field. I thought I was strange for buying textbooks on auto-repair and specialty training videos and spending hours watching instructional videos on-line, but I was not. I found that anytime I met a good technician, they did the same thing. A doctor has to, by law, obtain continuing education or loose his license, same for a lawyer. A tech on the other hand does not have to, but in a year he/she will realize that if they don’t they will have to leave the field due to incompetence.

Auto technician is one of the most unique skilled labor fields. Technicians have to understand metallurgy, chemistry, geometry, mathematics, electronics, physics and mechanical theory. We are seeing our field break into specialties slowly , but for the most part the average technician has to know how to work on the entire vehicle and all its systems, not just a few.

For a comparison it would be like an accountant also being the businesses secretary, janitor, security man, it guy/ manager and complaint department. Not only that, but most skilled laborers don’t have to deal with customers like we do, when customers go to most trades the customer already knows he/she is going to pay money to get something done. When we often see a customer we get read the riot act when we present an estimate. Most of our business comes from a bad situation (car breaking down) which means the customer is upset and has been inconvenienced.

[Author]

Replies