A customer questioned my diagnostic fee and it got me thinking

Had a guy bring in a Dell laptop last Tuesday that wouldn't boot. I quoted him $75 just to run diagnostics and he got all huffy, said I was ripping him off. He ended up taking it to some shop that does free checks but charges $150 for parts they might not need. Made me realize maybe I should explain my process better upfront so people understand what they're paying for. Has anyone else had clients push back on diagnostic fees even when you're saving them money in the long run?

2 comments

2 Comments

troy_scott1d ago

I mean, is it really that serious though? Yeah people get weird about diagnostic fees, but a $75 charge to look at a laptop feels a bit high to me honestly. I get that you've got time and expertise tied up in it, but most folks just see it as paying to be told bad news most of the time. Free checks seem like the norm now, even if they tack on hidden costs later, so maybe just roll with it and let the work speak for itself.

the_pat1d ago

Oh COME ON, troy, you're totally missing the point here. $75 is NOTHING when it comes to the time and know-how it takes to properly isolate a hardware or software issue on a modern laptop. Free checks are a GIMMICK to get people in the door so they can upsell you on stuff you don't need, and you're basically saying we should all just let those hacks set the standard. A customer who balks at $75 for a real diagnosis is the same person who'll cry when that "free" shop replaces a perfectly good motherboard and still can't fix the problem. You're saving them money by being upfront, and if they can't see that, they can go waste their cash elsewhere.