Article by Serge, a local appliance technician from Ottawa, ON. Serge Appliance Repair.
Indeed, the repair cost is an economic category, so it should provide an average profit for this labour in this region (Ottawa). However, the final price is determined by the service provider. I use the flat cost system in my work, but I accommodate it as much as possible for the different repair cases. In this article, I will show you the appliance repair price and when it could go up and down.
High and low periods.
When I, as a technician, have a lot of calls, I don’t need to think about price changes, but I won’t increase it immediately on the day when I have an influx of calls. During a low period, when I don’t have many calls, I will be more flexible with pricing. I will offer discounts, take more complicated repair cases, and travel further than usual. Summer is a high period, but it is unpredictable.
Rush
You can get a better price when you delay the repair. A same-day appointment is always possible, but if you can delay it, do it. You give technicians time for travel planning and parts preparation, which is most important for complicated cases and rare appliance makes.
Regular and special repairs.
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The Brand
The spare parts for some brands like Hier, Danby, and Blomberg are mostly unavailable, and the waiting time could be three weeks or more. This is because these makes are uncommon in North America. A classic example is a compressor issue with the LG refrigerator. This problem is common for older LG fridges. This compressor is available only for LG technicians. Sophisticated top-level brands such as Miele, Sub-Zero, and Thermador usually should be repaired by their company specialists, and, in any case, it won’t be done with the “flat repair cost.”
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Standard repair cases
A standard repair case is when a technician can repair an appliance on the first visit because he has the part in stock or prepared it beforehand. It could be a common repair, like replacing the oven’s bake heating element when a client tells you precisely the problem. So you come with a burner. Or when you know about this problem from your experience. For example, “Fresh food compartment isn’t cold enough” for a Whirlpool/ Amana refrigerator. That is always a main control board issue. So, you evidently should have this part in stock to be ready for a “same-day appointment.”
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Complicated cases
Some examples of complicated repairs.
- Travel is more than 20 km / 30 minutes from the city center.
- Stacked appliances. It is necessary to deinstall/reinstall them.
- A tech has to take apart the appliance for a diagnostic, put it all together, and come back and do the work for the second time. It happens when the diagnostic is complicated, and the customer needs to use the appliance (the refrigerator usually) and wait for the parts to arrive.
- High-end luxury appliance brands (Miele, Sub-Zero).
These repair cases are not in the flat repair cost category. Usually, some additional fees will be applied.
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Simple repair cases
- The repairs travel distance of less than 15 minutes.
- The repair is done in less than 20 minutes.
In these cases, you can receive a discount. Not all the companies do it.
Technician experience and reputation.
Some starting companies offer lower prices. I can’t say that it’s always a bad choice. It depends on the repair difficulty and the technician’s skills.
The spare parts
The cost of spare parts is an important component of the total repair price. There are OEM parts and non-original ones. Usually, every company has a local provider for their spare parts. The biggest parts provider in Ottawa is Reliable Parts. Some OEM parts are very costly, which makes the repair non-profitable. An experienced technician has many high-quality, less expensive non-OEM parts. On this point, the trust between the technician and the client is most important.
Hopefully, you can better understand how Ottawa’s appliance repair cost could and should change. Using this information, you can get the best price for your appliance repair. My average repair cost is $180-220 (see F.A.Q). It’s going up in summer (high season). I use some discounts or fees according to the factors explained in this article. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.
