Most people have no idea what an appliance service call should cost—and honestly, the industry likes it that way. In this video, I break down how service pricing really works, what a proper diagnosis should include, and why I’m skeptical of any company that doesn’t charge a diagnostic fee. A refrigerator that’s not cooling can be five different problems, and guessing doesn’t fix it (by the way, neither does AI). You need a certified technician diagnosing it in person, and that $119.95 covers more than a knock on the door: pre-ordering likely parts, sending a CORE-certified tech, showing up with a fully stocked truck, and doing the job safely in your home. Then I explain why we moved away from time-and-materials billing. I lived through the old system as Yale’s first service manager in the early ’90s—billing by the part and every half hour was a mess because every tech works at a different speed and customers watch the clock. Flat-rate pricing fixes that by giving you the total cost after diagnosis, so you can make an educated repair vs. replace decision. I also share real 2025 averages from 6,700+ out-of-warranty repairs: refrigerators ($255.40) are the most expensive, dishwashers average $180.17, and laundry averages $183.87. Finally, I cover two protections you should demand: a diagnostic credit if you replace instead of repair, and a real parts warranty—at least a year (we do five).