"No data, no charge" : pure suicide for the profession?

[SOSdonnees]

Hi,

I cannot remember where I read it on the forum, but someone was asking if the "no data, no charge" policy was still sustainable nowadays.

Of course, nobody likes paying when there is no result.

But on the counterparts:

- Difficult cases require a lot time and are the least profitable, even in case of success.
- The "No data, no charge" can push in the direction of giving up prematurely difficult cases and renouncing to more R&D.
- Any data recovery company can encounter a "black serie" : a succession of difficult and unprofitable cases.

So, isn't the "no data, no charge" policy at the end very harmful for the profession?

Some companies are asking about 100 USD for the only diagnosis.
But sometimes the diagnosis is very easy and other times very difficult, so I'm not very comfortable with this.

For better sustainability, should the profession promote another "consensus"?
Something like "no data, 20% of the price" ?

Thank you for taking part in the debate.

[labtech]

The market decides. The customers let us know.
Some customers don't have a problem with a diagnosis fee (lower percentage), while many do (higher percentage). Also, there are many other factors involved, such as who the customer is (regular consumer, corporate or government), their location, economy, culture and so on. In some circumstances it works, other does not.

The best is to experiment in your own organization. Get feedback and adjust.

[LarrySabo]

+1 to what @labtech said.

[SOSdonnees]

Some customers don't have a problem with a diagnosis fee (lower percentage), while many do (higher percentage)

My experience is that most customers agree with a small diagnosis fee, when explained at phone.
With a website, it is maybe more difficult to "sell" a diagnosis fee.

The fact is that it is common spending 10-15 minutes with a client to open his external drive enclosure or USB key enclosure, test the device, answer some questions, make a quotation, a.s.o.
Should really all this be free?

My question also goes beyond the simple diagnosis.
Example case: burnt PCB
You spend time seeking a new PCB, purchase it, make the repair and maybe the drive still doesn't work because of internal problems, a.s.o.
If the quotation was done for a PCB repair and the company has a strict "no data, no charge" policy, my guess it that the DR company will give up at some time.

The market decides. The customers let us know.

When we're going to the doctor, it costs a lot, even if there is no result.
Do the patients decide?
No, and nobody disputes that, although the health system is equivalent to a cartel in many countries.
This is because the profession has rules.

Data recovery is a much more competitive market, but to which limit shall the profession comply with what customers expect?

[einstein9]

You may do a MINIMUM CHARGE Notice as an example:
for hdd problems Min. is 200$
for Flashes: 150$

Emergency diagnosing Fee: 100$ for HDD (if client don`t want to wait in line - assume you have alot of work)

i think will be fair for everybody

AND Later on the future

when you have daily 50 cases, You may think about adding some diagnose fees but not with many competeters (if exists)

because others will accept the Free checking, and clients will go there 1st. >> Kill the Drive for u >> you will get a damn complicated case

again, this is my point of view.

think about it.