There was a time when the most common form of diagnostics was "driveway diagnostics." Many of you can remember when customers would pull into your facility, parking just outside the bays. They'd track down a service professional and ask, "Could you take a quick look at my car? It's ... (leaking, smoking, making a strange noise, etc)."

Many repair jobs were obtained by simply popping the hood, turning on the key and diagnosing the problem on the spot. Often, the diagnosis was pretty easy - "It's your ... (water pump, needs a tune-up, has a loose belt, etc)." And that was the end of the diagnostics. There was no separate diagnostic charge for the customer and no time lost by the technician. Yes, those were the days.

Guess what? The future may hold promise of a return to driveway diagnostics. Some day in the future we may walk to the vehicle and - using an infrared connection - pull up the codes, access a database of repair problems associated with those codes on that specific vehicle, and provide the customer with a diagnosis on the spot.

Today's vehicle technology has become much more sophisticated, which precludes a walk-up diagnosis, and test equipment hasn't become sophisticated enough to provide an on-the-spot diagnosis. The challenge faced by many shops is the gap between what many customers would like (immediate, accurate, free diagnosis) and what the shop needs to make the correct repair (paid time to diagnose the problem correctly).

What do we do in the meantime? As a way to overcome that challenge, let's consider the new tools available to improve diagnostics and the issue of charging for diagnostics.

New Tools
Among the new tools available for the professional technician are computer-based information systems that provide many components, such as technical service bulletins (TSBs), system information, wiring diagrams and repair procedures. Even scan tools and labscopes have incorporated limited information databases to provide specifications and testing information.

The average technician has developed his own mental version of a problem/solution database. Based on his experience, he tends to diagnose vehicles by comparing the symptoms to his mental database. He searches until he finds a close match, then tests that solution on the current vehicle. The technician will often try numerous fixes before he thinks to check for a TSB, only to find he has been "chasing his tail" for an engineering problem that is only corrected by replacement of a redesigned part or new computer program. Having current technical information available is an important part of time-efficient diagnosis.

As vehicle systems become more complex and self-diagnosing computer systems operate under OBD II guidelines, technicians and shop owners will be faced with increasingly difficult diagnostic challenges. Scan tools and labscopes have limited memory for information. Information systems contain volumes of information, which translates into time spent on research. Technical hotlines have experience with hundreds of thousands of vehicle problems, but haven't made the results easily accessible to technicians. And, even if they have all of these tools at their disposal, most shops don't have a published diagnostic strategy for their technicians. Solutions for these and others service situations will be the basis for future diagnostic tools and systems.

One new tool is the IDENTIFIX® database of quick fixes for pattern failures on vehicles with 50,000 to 150,000 miles. By tracking problems and solutions from 250,000 calls we receive annually, we are able to identify pattern failures. This helps technicians avoid reinventing the wheel.

Charging for Diagnostics
There are many reasons to charge for diagnostics. From the shop's perspective, there is the need to be compensated for diagnostic time, especially since the shop is not earning gross profit from parts installation. Also there's the significant investment in equipment, the cost of acquiring technicians talented enough to perform the diagnostics, and the ongoing training. And don't forget about the cost of purchasing access to the information needed to make the diagnosis. That CD-ROM system used to gain access to the 1.5 million pages of repair information covering all vehicles didn't come for free and neither did the cost of calling the hotline.

While these are all great reasons to charge for diagnostics, they violate an important principle in sales: the buyer's rule - which states that people buy for their reasons, not yours. The cost of equipment, information, training and getting the best technician may be important to you, but by itself, it's not important to your customers.

So what is important to customers? Getting their car fixed right the first time and only paying for the necessary repairs. Why it is important to the customer to pay for your diagnostic time? How about this: "As a shop, we are committed to getting your car fixed and doing only the necessary repairs. We will not do business as some shops do by replacing parts (some which may be unnecessary) until the problem is fixed. For us to get your car fixed right and replace only the necessary parts, we need to assign our most experienced technician and utilize our most sophisticated test equipment to define the problem first and then call you with an estimate. This saves our customers' time and money, even considering the charge for the diagnostic fee."

Conclusion
For a shop to be successful, it's important to see that all parts are charged out with the appropriate markup and also to charge for diagnostics. Driveability work is the fastest growing component of repair jobs. And with OBD II, you will see more customers driving in with the MIL illuminated, requiring in-depth diagnostics to determine the necessary repair.

Some customers will be much more satisfied if you can describe the tests that you will be conducting. We find it amazing that customers question the need for a diagnostic charge, but not the need for a part. Maybe it's because the part is tangible while customers may view "diagnostics" as paying someone to scratch their head. By describing the tests in detail, you can make the diagnostic time seem more results oriented and concrete - delivering value. Keep the focus on the benefit to the customer. Getting prior authorization for the work makes it much easier to bill out.

We can't return to the past, and the future will arrive on its own schedule. So in the meantime, we had better be very good at conducting - and charging for - diagnostics to ensure a place for ourselves in the future of automotive repair.

IDENTIFIX President Jeff Sweet and Founder Bill Sauer write "The Sweet & Sauer Report" monthly in the IDENTIFIX Update. IDENTIFIX, known for 10 years as autoline Telediagnosis, is an information resource to help technicians diagnose and repair cars quickly and efficiently by providing a systematic approach to diagnostics.

RATE THIS ARTICLE What do you think of this article? Your input will help AutoInc. develop additional articles on this subject. Share your thoughts! Your name Your e-mail address

MOST ACCESSED ARTICLES Fuel Injection Service, Not Just Cleaning The Art of Extraction EGR Systems: Operation and Diagnosis Proactive Target Marketing:_Rethinking Your Business Strategy Engine Performance: HO2S Diagnostics MOST E-MAILED ARTICLES Developing Employee Potential How Critical Thinking Can Help Your Business How to Diagnose the Ford Glow Plug What to Look for When Shopping for the Right Shop Management Software Putting a Price Tag on Complaints

AutoInc. Web Site | ASA Web Site | EPA Expands Refrigerant Regulations | Caught Between the Past and the Future | Automated Estimating Systems Ease Body Shop Life Despite Problems | How Shops Compensate Technicians | Guest Editorial | Tech to Tech | Tech Tips | Shop Profile | Net Worth | Stat Corner | Chairman's Message