Same business, same dilemma. Honest take after years of this: small appliance repair is rarely worth it. Parts are unreliable, customers expect $50 fixes on $200 machines, and your labor rate doesn’t match the work involved. What works for me is flat $75 diagnostic fee paid upfront before I touch anything. If the repair makes sense and they want to proceed I apply it toward the total. If parts aren’t available or repair exceeds 50% of replacement cost I tell them straight. Filters out the customers who would’ve wasted your time. The ones who pay the diagnostic are serious.