This Is Not a Store

In a store — whether it’s Walmart, Home Depot, Staples, or an auto parts retailer — you see goods for sale. Some stores may also provide limited services, like passport photos, but their main business is selling items they already have on the shelves or can quickly order from a supplier. The costs of those goods are known in advance, so the prices can be set and displayed.

This is a store

A repair shop works differently. To “sell” something, we first have to produce it — the repair or maintenance itself. And unlike a factory, where parts are assembled under standard conditions, every job in a shop comes with variables that are typically unknown in advance. Customers sometimes ask, “Why can’t you just give me a price right now?” The answer is simple: we don’t know the true cost until we see what parts and materials are required and how much labor time the work will take. That’s why I rarely can give a price immediately. First, I need to determine the real cost of the job; only then can I provide a price estimate.