Red, Red, Red
First off shop is BSing... most shops (including yours) have a rate for such things. For most it's a flat fee 10.00, 15.00 whatever, for some it's a "shop minimum" rate and that’s what you tell the guy when he comes in. Don’t give him some cock and bull story about not knowing how much you charge for what is probably the most frequent repair the shop makes.
Customer: "How much to tune a carb"
Shop: "10 bucks to clean filter and adjust carb"
--OR-- "shop minimum is a half hour labor gonna be $27.50"
If he agrees then you do the work if not send him on his way.... everybody’s happy.
If it turns out that adjusting the carb wont get it done then a phone call is in order to explain to the customer what needs to be done and what it's gonna cost him..... simple as that.
We dont do the set rate thing, havent for a long time. So many different carbs are in play, and installed in some of the oddest ways, tag on the fact most now have some type of limiter and many require the carb to be removed to safely extract the limiters and not destroy them.
Then there are OPE's that are difficult to adjust by design, like the Zama Rotary valve carb on most ECHO peices now, you have to remove the carb in some cases to extract a low end limiter cap, and on the high end limiter you have to use a special threaded tool to extract a soft metal limiter cap recessed in the adjustment hole, it takes some time to do it right because you only get one shot to remove it, if it strips, you have a fixed jet carb now...
I know on many Stihl saws the access holes to the limiters is very small, and I dont always feel comfortable not being able to see the progression of the limiter as it is being extracted by the drywall screw...so I remove the carb.
Then you have your carbs a few years old...no limiters...2 scres on the top of the carb, adjust with a flat blade screwdriver, takes a couple minutes at best.
If I charge 20 dollars flat rate, Ive got angry people that had the old style carbs...if I charge 10 dollar flat rate, Im losing on the newer style carbs.
I dont give a quote on anything until Ive looked at it first, every time I do give a quote without giving anything a once over, it gets broken off DEEP in my anus.
Also, the tech has no way of knowing that a simple adjustment is all your saw needed to make it right...you say "it ran perfect except it stumbled on acceleration". Well most likely it needed to be richened up on the bottom end, may only have one screw (L) and an (LA) for base idle. Regardless it was AT the richest possible setting against the limiter cap...so he had to pull it to confirm that that is all it needed.
Ive had equipment that I could have sworn all it needed was a quick tune, and quoted 10-15 dollars to do the regular tune, clean filter, check gas, etc.. Only to find that the saw needed a carb kit and wouldnt tune in..be it a stumble on acceleration, or a loss of fuel up top, or a lack of idle..whatever it may be.
But the customer sh*ts bricks when the 10 dollar repair becomes a 50 dollar repair...
The most frequent repair in our shop is a carb rebuild, and that IS a flatrate charge.
35+ parts for 2 stroke
55+ parts for Single cyl Riders
65+ parts for V-twin riders
35+ parts for push mowers.
55 + parts for Generators
65+ parts for 5hp L-head briggs (on account I hate the fkkcers and their rusted tanks too)
A typical carb adjustment RARELY fixes a poor running problem, it may make it managable, but it rarely fixes it and makes it run like it is supposed to. We are at sea-level here pretty much...no real hills or any real impressive elevations anywhere near here.
As far as the Shop owner saying he'll call you before he fixes it...the Tech most likely came in, looked it over, found the limiter was maxxed out. He could have called you right there and said "Well I'll have to remove the limiter, and carb, to tune it...gonna be 20 dollars". The OP would have balked at that..and taken it to the free shop...and balked at any type of service fee..regardless of what he says.
The tech did what probably most techs this day and age would have done. He couldnt give an accurate read on if the carb adjustment would have fixed it or not...he removed the limiter and fixed it, and made a bill out. Most customers would have paid the bill and used their now perfectly running saw...but this one was fishing for a freebie.
I get freebie fishers every day, they come in all shapes, sizes, creeds, etc...they bring in something and want you to see what is wrong with it, but they want an estimate before they do any work to it. You bust your ass and find out the machine needs this, this and this...they get their estimate, dont want it fixed...pay a 15 dollar service fee, pick it up, but the parts off line and do it themselves, or take it, and the parts to another shop for installation (no diagnostic time).
My guess is the shop in question has a sign posted "service fee 20.00" or sometihng like that...
