Posted by u/hvac_shop_starting_out
What should my diagnostic fee be?
Answered by Ask a Shop Owner ·
Been running free service calls. Killing me. What is a real diagnostic fee?
u/askashopowner Owner-operator advisor
Top answer
$89 to $149 in most US markets, waived if they book the repair over $X (typically $300). Free service calls attract the worst customers and train the market to expect free advice. Stop today.
The instant you charge a dispatch fee, you filter out 40% of the calls, and those 40% were the ones who never converted. Your close rate on the remaining calls goes up, and you actually make more money running fewer trucks.
Publish the fee on your website and say it out loud when they book. No surprises. Customers who complain about a dispatch fee are not your customers.
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