All work is billable is an industry-standard term meaning that customers should always expect to pay for services, time and expertise, regardless of the scenario or outcome.

It’s worth noting that our outcomes are consistently among the best in the industry. That said, not all equipment can be saved within a given budget or timeframe. Some equipment will not be viable to repair, and some I may refuse due to poor condition. These outcomes don’t invalidate any work done to achieve those understandings, however; hence, all work is billable.

This concept ties in with a related FAQ you may wish to read, the key understandings being:

1. Equipment condition, faults and issues are not our responsibility, but we always do our best to help.
2. We generally won’t know if problems are solvable without investing time, energy and expertise to find out.
3. Like most, I don’t work for free; my time, energy, and expertise are valuable and must be paid for.

This concept is generally well understood and applies across all professions, from accountant to zoologist. Let’s look at some examples.

Example 1: You’re sick, you go to the doctor, they examine you, and prescribe some medication. The doctor was professional and thorough, but you remain sick. The consultation must, of course, be paid for.

Example 2: You engage a lawyer to assess the viability of a potential case, but they find there is not enough to proceed with. The lawyer must be paid for their work, though it may not be the preferred outcome.

We always do our best to assist and occasionally even undertake small amounts of pro bono work for our most valued customers. That said, customers should never expect that any work will be unbilled, even if they are unhappy with the result.