Ethical Question: to what extent does getting free advice (that you’ve solicited) from a professional create an obligation to use that person’s services?
Here’s my scenario. My car has of late been having trouble starting when it rains. Over the past few days it has been raining here, and it wouldn’t start - it stopped raining last night, but it hadn’t recovered by this morning. So I called my mechanic, and asked what he thought it was. He said probably faulty spark plug wires. And is there anything I can do to get it to start? Spray some WD-40 on the distributor cap and wires. I didn’t have WD-40, but I applied a blow-drier to the distributor cap and wires, and here I am, at the office.
So here’s the question. Can I now turn around and buy some new wires and install them myself? Or have I incurred an ethical obligation to use this guy’s services because I’d be using his advice? (Aside - he is a very nice and honest guy).
If the guy gave you all the information you need to fix your problem, then fix it. That’s what he expects. If he wanted you to pay him to fix the problem, he would have said something like “I dunno, you’ll have to bring it in and let me look at it…”
He probably doesn’t mind you fixing these sorts of small things yourself because he knows his helpfulness will probably cause you to bring the bigger stuff to him rather than XYZ’s shop down the street, who might be slightly more convenient for you.
That’s how it works on me anyway.
A quick thanks and future business are the way to go. Also try to refer him business. A good reference on a place like the mechanics file at the Car Talk section of Cars.com would be helpful to.
It would certainly cause me to trust him and want to use his services in the future. But I wouldn’t feel an ethical obligation to spend money on him in this instance if I knew I could effect the repair myself. I’d just chalk it up to excellent customer service. And some word of mouth referrals should be more than adequate recompense.