Appliance Repair

Why do I have to pay a diagnostic fee?

The Stove Lady makes herself available to clients in five states.  Therefore, she can't be everywhere at all times so she charges a fee to ensure that only people who are serious about repairing their appliances request her presence in their home.  Also, gas, tolls, and vehicle maintenance are costly.  In order to cover expenses a fee must be charged.

Do you have to make two trips?

More often than not, we make two trips, one to diagnose the issue, see what you need, gather your repair goals and appliance information, and a second visit to repair the problem.  That is the way it goes in antique stove repair.  On newer appliances we may need a second visit because we only stock the most popular parts.  If we can do it in one visit, we happily will do so, but experience has shown us that it is usually better the other way. 

How long does the initial diagnosis/consultation take?

Usually we like to diagnose the issue in 30 minutes or less, our ideal goal being 15 minutes for diagnosis and the rest of the visit for consultation.  We apply the service charge to the repair so the less time the first visit takes, the less the overall job should cost depending on the complexity of each repair.  We have found that it is better to diagnose the issue, write up a detailed quote, give you time to make a decision, and then come back and do whatever repairs are necessary.

How much does a consultation cost?

Many times the consultation fee on a residential range or other appliance is $95 plus applicable sales tax.  If you are out of area, a trip charge/travel fee applies.  NYC (excluding the Bronx) pays a $150 trip charge (North of Harlem pays a flat $125 service charge).  Long Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania pay a travel fee of $80 per hour there and back plus the consultation fee.  Some areas pay $125, but please complete our service order request and we will email you with a fee based on the information you provide us.

Commercial ranges pay $125 plus the cost of the job.  The diagnostic fee on residential appliances gets waived if you go forward with the job or gets deducted on the final repair invoice.

Why is there a trip charge or a travel fee?

Most appliance repair companies don't travel more than 15 minutes from their home office.  If they do, they have technicians dedicated to that area so travel time and expense are at a minimum.  The Stove Lady doesn't have that luxury because of her specialized talent.  Therefore, in order to cover the time that she is traveling and not on a job, and to cover vehicle maintenance, gas and tolls, she charges a travel fee/trip charge. 

Why do you waive the diagnostic fee?

The Stove Lady doesn't believe that her clients should pay her to "check out" their appliances if they are going to get them repaired.  If you decide that you want your appliance repaired after getting a quote, she waives that fee as a courtesy.  Many companies charge a service charge plus the cost of parts and labor.  The Stove Lady only charges the fee for the actual job.

Why can't you bring the parts with you?

Many of the appliances we repair were made more than 50 years ago.  Each year those companies made many different models of appliances so it would be impossible to know what you need before we get there and what appliance you have.  There are some appliances for which they need the same things, but that is usually rare and often there are other issues that the client has forgotten.  If we spend time looking for parts before the job commences it almost always ends up costing the client more because we have to make a second trip anyway.  Also it has been our experience that more than 90% of clients incorrectly diagnose their issue or describe the wrong part. 

We will bring whatever is handy and available to avoid making a second trip, but if you request us to purchase a part and you don't need that part, often you will be paying for an additional unnecessary part and that is not good for any of us.

How long does the repair take?

Repairs can take anywhere from 15 minutes to many hours depending on the complexity of the job.  If you are trying to schedule around a repair, leave two hours just in case something weird arises.  The majority of jobs are completed in forty five minutes to an hour and a half.  Many jobs take two hours or more so if time is an issue, please let us know.  We do not rush because safety is our first concern.  Also, once we quote a job, the cost is what it is and many times it has nothing to do with the amount of time the job takes.

What is your hourly rate?

This is a very common question.  We don't have an hourly rate for the same reasons mentioned above.  You never know what you are going to find with an antique appliance so we don't operate our fees based on time.  They are the sum of advertising, internet, vehicle, labor, parts, and experience estimates that we have come up with over the years.  We stand behind all of our repair work and we feel that is more important than the hourly rate to most of our clients who really want their appliance repaired.  We are honest and you can't put a price on honesty.

What is your repair warranty?

More than 99% of the time, our warranty is one year on parts and 90 days on labor.  Rebuilt thermostats are covered under an 18 month warranty.  Rebuilt valves are covered under a one year warranty.  At times the warranty may vary, but this is our most common one.  Whatever is written on your bill is what is under warranty, but if you have a concern or question, just ask and we will be happy to answer.

Are you insured?

Yes.  We have a $2 million/$4 million insurance policy.  We have never needed to use it and don't plan on using it in the future because we are safety conscience.  We check over our work when each job is completed.