To be honest, some of my most satisfying moments have been after listening to some poor slob that has dumped a grand worth of unecessary parts into something and I find something simple to fix for under a C-note. This, I know, is mean.
Meaner still.... a customer insists I replace a part that I can see is quite serviceable.... I will replace it, even while I'm wondering why he doesn't want the obviously faulty part two feet away replaced... but WTF - he's the expert...
Things I've had happen....
Customer - "How much to fix XXXX on my car?". Me - "About $300 but I'll need to look to be sure...". C - "The shop down the street will do it for $200". M - "Well make sure he stands behind his warranty and uses quality parts". C - "You misunderstand... I want you to fix it....". M - "Well it's about $300, but I need to check to be sure". C - "But the shop down the street...."....
You get the picture.
The cab driver that didn't like my price on front brakes.... this IS a cab and his brakes are metal on metal... He was back the next day with the same noise. He'd gone to Canadian tire and bought the cheapest pads they had..... and installed them with the friction material against the calipers... YES - BOTH SIDES!!.
Customer - "You have to help me... the big box store fixed my XXX and now my car wont YYYY". Me - "shoulda brought it too me first...". C - "they were cheaper... But, you HAVE to help me". M - "OK... bring it in a week from next Thursday...". C - "You gotta help me sooner than that, *sshole". M - "OK... leave it now.... it'll be ready a week from next Thursday".
Customer - "Can't you do it for cheaper?" Me - "Yep... what parts do you want me to leave out?"
Me - "While I was under your car, I noticed your brake pads are getting thin.... They're OK for now but I'd plan on having the expense of a repair in the near future if I were you". Customer - "You *sshole... what'd you do to my brakes... they were OK this morning... You're trying to rip me off...". M - "SIGH!!".
The really sad part is that there are many that just plain shouldn't be in this trade... they have no knowledge, they have no scruples and they have no experience.... and they're making about the same money as I am.
As an entrepreneur, I would often "carry" part of the cost for customers that couldn't afford to pay all at once.... I can't tell you how many times I've gone into taverns just to see if my money was having fun... I've been called names because I saw an oil leak... been threatened for finding rusted fasteners...
If a tech had as much money as some seem to think, we wouldn't have to be techs....