Sometimes, a diagnostic code is all you need
With ATSG having the opportunity to help shops solve problems, sometimes we get faced with some real doozies. A shop will call and give us a laundry list of DTCs, leaving us to think someone must have a bulkhead connector unplugged. We then go through the arduous task of deciding which codes prompted other codes
Time Saved Is Money Earned
The single most critical issue facing a technician today is making a proper diagnosis of the customer’s complaint. A faulty or incomplete diagnosis of the problem creates an event that wastes an enormous amount of money through lost time. Comebacks are always costly due to repairing a problem again with no cash payment at the conclusion and “lost opportunity costs” which arrive from working on a no-profit problem while being unable to perform a paying job. I am not speaking about comebacks, but rather missed or incomplete diagnosis from the beginning of the repair resulting in hours of labor wasted (money) working on the wrong part of the car. Before computer-controlled vehicles, there were mechanical and hydraulic problems to concern us.
Diagnostics: To charge or not to charge; that isn’t the question
Pretty much every online forum lately has had the question come up as to whether charging for diagnostics is appropriate and/or good business practice. There are many opinions from which to choose. The bottom line, however, is that it’s your business so you need to pick one or several methods to be applied in varied circumstances that will keep your customers happy and at the same time allow you to make the money you require.