Customers are like small kids and must be handled that way. Give them an option they can not resist. And they will take that bait. You should have said, I can offer you two options. A using a brand new board, or B a refurbished one for half the price

And never change the transistor in front of the customer. Take the card back to your office. Replace the faulty parts and let it sit in your office for 1-2 days. Give the customer some extra parts which may or may not be in the fixed board when you install back the repaired board.

Allen

 

You can remind him that a swing of a hammer is very inexpensive. Knowing what to hit with the hammer is the expensive part.

Yes, I heard that joke before

Allen

 

Give the customer some extra parts which may or may not be in the fixed board when you install back the repaired board.

My standard line: "State law requires me to offer you the dead parts."

They usually don't take the dead parts and I drop them in the trash bin while they are watching. (The trash bin is usually at their place because I do house calls.)

 

You've been given good advice. Don't try to second-guess it.

Is there a way that places like corecentric do it? What are they using? Does anyone know? An eprom programmer?

Thanks again, just trying to figure out how to make my customer's lives easier while putting some extra $$ in my pocket!