I skimp on the tread and sorry if this issue has already been discuss.
I understand the advantage of running full diagnostic. But do you really need to run full diag if the client took the Laptop for screen replacement? I'm sure it doesn't happen very often but what is the system failed because of the stress test during diagnostic. The hard drive has faulty head which now failed due to stress. I know it's not the tech fault because eventually the problem will occur. Most client will think that it was working when they drop it off. Only the screen is broken, now they have to replace the hard drive and possibly pay a fortune to recover the data.
Yes, we absolutely run a full diagnostics for screen replacements, especially on the hard drive due to the nature of how screens usually break. In half, if not more of the screen replacements we do, the hard drive is failing. As stated before, we always check the smart data first, then run a short test. If in either of these instances we see a significant amount of bad sectors or that the hard drive is failing, we immediately backup the information. As far as stressing out the hard drive and causing it to fail due to some mechanical failure, you have to understand that this is the point of the diagnostics. If we did not test the drive and see it fail, then it would have failed shortly after it left the shop, which is what we are trying to avoid.
Do you backup the data before you do full diag? The client is not aware you will be putting stress on their machine but you do. Since you know this info, wont you be liable if you didn't protect the customer data? Even asking the customer is they backup their data might not be sufficient. They are not expecting an intrusive test where they data could be lost.
We always discuss with our customer the diagnostics process and that the whole point of the diagnostics is to make sure that nothing else is failing or that it wont be failing in the near future. They understand that we are not responsible for their data, but if we feel that there is a possible hard drive failure, that we will attempt to backup the data immediately. Again, as stated before, if the diagnostics shows that the hard drive failed, it is not due to the test it self, it was obviously due to some problem with the hard drive that would have caused it to fail either during the test or shortly after the customer brought home the computer. Again, if we felt the hard drive was failing before we started any tests, then we would have backed up their data. In the case of screen replacements, we typically do this regardless.
I also understand your disclaimer "Unless your are on-site". There's just no time to run full diag while on site. But the same principle applies. "Protect Your Reputation". If your successful in doing that for mobile/onsite service without diag, why can't you do the same for in store service. There is a lot of mobile tech on this forum (including myself) and I don't think we will survive if there's a lot of customer complaint.
Sorry, I know you only skimmed this thread due to how long it is (and trust me, I understand), but this question has been answered several times in this thread and I can only repeat myself so much. The better question is why would you not run a full diagnostics in shop if you have the opportunity to do so, especially when you should understand the nature of electronics and the likelihood of possible failure? Regardless of that, if you are in a shop and you have any significant amount of work, then you are going to have at least a 2 to 3 day turn around for most repairs, why would you not then run a full diagnostics over night while you are working on other computers? Even if you did not have a whole lot of work, then I would have to argue that you have even less excuse to not run a full diagnostics with all the free time you have.
As for success, it can be measured in different ways, and depending on who you are, your idea of success may be very different than someone else's idea of success. So what is success? Is it you doing one repair without checking for other failures and addressing them before they become a real problem, only to have your customer come back a few months later to pay for a different set of repairs that could have been prevented or taken care of the first time? Or is success knowing that you did a full diagnostics, prevented your customers from losing precious data and or saved your customer money by finding other major issues that would otherwise make the initial repairs not worth doing? The first definition of success is what most shops go by. If they can repair the obvious issues without revealing other issues, then they are more than likely going to see that customer again for other repairs that could have been addressed the first time. For people who go by this idea of success, their fear is that if they find other issues, they will lose the initial repairs and make less money. Whereas if they do not do a full diagnostics, then they will keep the initial repairs and hopefully gain another. I am sorry, but this is not how I run my business. My idea of success is doing everything possible to make sure that the customer is taken care of and that they are aware of everything that is wrong with their computer so that they can make an educated decision about repairing or replacing their computer.
I not against full diag but I just don't think you need it all the time. Just my .02 cents. I do mostly mobile so I don't run full diag. I was wondering how many tech do full diag for in store service?
As for mobile repair techs, there is no way to run a full diagnostics and this should be explained to the customer. To answer your question about how many shops actually run a full diagnostics, I would say maybe 1 out of every 10 shops. If the success of computer repair shops around the world is anything like it is here, then I would say that of every 10 shops opened, at least 8 of them will fail and go out of business in the first 3 to 5 years. Just something to think about.
