[Grady Clay]

Bill,

You bring up another good point.
The shop you describe is possibly undercapitalized and some equipment manufacturer/rep sold him an expensive piece of diagnostic equipment “on credit.” This pressures him to use it (for a fee) at every opportunity so he can make the payments. Bad idea.

The “Ideal Shop” is properly capitalized. They owe nothing on their equipment.

There is a segment of the auto industry that prays on small shops, selling/leasing expensive “necessary” equipment. This is one reason small shops go under so often. It is also a driving force for the shop to cheat the customer to pay the bill.

Best,
Grady