Can we talk about people who skip the diagnostic fee and then ghost you?

Honestly, I had a guy in Cleveland call me last Tuesday about his dryer not heating. I quoted the $75 diagnostic, he agreed, I drove 40 minutes out there, and he hit me with 'can you just look at it first?' before I even got my meter out. I told him that's the job, and he said he'd 'think about it' and texted me later that night saying he found a YouTube fix. Ngl, I get wanting to save cash, but my time and gas aren't free, and I've had three of these this month alone. Has anyone else started requiring a deposit or card on file just to book the visit?

2 comments

2 Comments

jade_johnson21d ago

Card on file is the only way now, I got burned twice before I started doing it. That YouTube fix crowd always calls back crying when they wire something backwards and smoke the whole unit.

mary_martin2222d ago

Saw a thread on a contractor forum last week where half the guys said they won't even show up without a card on file now. Same story, people act like the diagnostic fee is a scam until they realize the part alone costs more than the visit. You're not being greedy, you're running a business. The YouTube fix crowd is usually the same one calling back in a week when they fried the control board. I'd start charging a trip fee that goes toward the repair if they actually hire you, that weeds out the time wasters fast.