Mobile diagnostics business related question

Hello everyone. My name is Tim, a diagnostic tech in Canada. For years I've been helping a few other shops on the side with some diagnostic work and I'm planning on expanding this more and ultimately going full time with mobile diagnostics.. however I have a question for everyone. Just curious to see how anyone else would handle this situation. 

For the most part I deal with other shop owners with their problem cars, however if I were also dealing with private vehicle owners it has to be understood that not all repairs can be done on the field. Such as... an faulty alternator that lives in hell.. for example. 

So my question is this.. how would you all handle this scenario..  Let's say you travel to the location, diag the car, it needs this alternator and you recommend to take it to a shop to get repaired. Of course I feel we should charge for our diagnostics and time... however if the shop they choose would also want their guys to diagnose the car themselves(which is fair enough) and they actually charge for diag... the customer now is getting doubled billed. Or at least I'm sure they would feel this way. I could see this causing friction. 

The only solution I can come up with myself is to affiliate with some of the shops I've been helping over the years and recommend one of those shops to said customer(as these shops would take my diag as solid).... or just not do private vehicles at all. Or just take the hit and work for free?? 🤣 

Any input on this? I'd be curious as to how others handle this.

That's a good question, and a legitimate concern.

 

affiliate with some of the shops I've been helping over the years and recommend one of those shops to said customer(as these shops would take my diag as solid)....

^^^^^     I think that is the best solution.     ^^^^^.
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or just not do private vehicles at all.

Let them know, up front, that some shops will not repair vehicles that they did not diagnose. They may have to do the repairs themselves. Or, be prepared to pay for a second opinion. 
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Or just take the hit and work for free??

^^^^^ That would not be an option, for me.  ^^^^^
May as well just stay home. 
 

Thanks for your input!

Yeah... working for free is not an option.