One of the most controversial and confrontational subjects in the motor trade is the charge for diagnostics.

Should a customer pay for the time the technician takes diagnosing what is wrong with their vehicle or only for the repairs that are actually made? Surely these days a technician just has to plug the diagnostic machine in and it will tell them what is wrong?

Everyone, from customers to journalists have a strong opinion on this topic. But what's often not heard is a garage owners' point of view on the subject, so here goes.

At Nene Jag Specialists - We sell service, knowledge & experience Because service, knowledge & experience are not tangible items, it often doesn't appear to have intrinsic value.

But anyone who has experienced bad service knows how crucial good service can be. Sometimes it's difficult for a customer to understand the value of our technician's time.

At a supermarket, a joint of beef, a loaf of bread, a pint of milk has a tangible value that's reflected in the price. You pay money and you get to take it home. But service/knowledge/experience isn't something you can take home it isn't something you can hold in your hands.

What if you were to see a consultant privately & you were unable to get a diagnosis the first time you saw them? Or you required further treatment to get well again?

After the appointment, you would never refuse to pay their consultation fee because you didn't get the results you were looking for immediately or because you needed additional treatment.

We pay experts for their time, training, and the skills they have acquired no quick, immediate results are guaranteed.

Another question on most people's mind is, "Why do I have to pay you to tell me what is wrong with my car when I already know what it is?" Well, in most cases, you don't know what is actually wrong with your Jaguar.

You know that the engine management light is on, or the brakes are squeaking, or coolant is leaking. But these are symptoms, not a diagnosis, and it can take time to determine what exactly is causing the symptom.

Sometimes the problem can be found very quickly; other times, it can literally take a few hours to determine exactly what is causing the problem, especially if it's intermittent.

Because Jaguars have so many computerised systems and the tools themselves cost so much, the price of diagnosing problems has risen rather dramatically over the last few years.

It is not possible to avoid charging for diagnostic time there is simply too much cost involved in the training, special tools and access to Jaguar resources required to perform a proper diagnosis.

But most importantly - how valuable is the 30 years' experience we have on Jaguar cars and the 38 years of experience Clive has in the motor trade?