The Charge for Finding Nothing

When his desk lamp stopped working, Felix took it to a repair shop. The sign at the counter listed an inspection charge, payable even if no repair was possible. Felix agreed, though he expected the technician to find a simple broken connection.

Two days later, she called to say the lamp worked during every test. She had checked the switch, the cable and the inside connections without finding a fault. Felix was irritated. Paying for a report that nothing was wrong seemed like paying for an empty box.

At collection, the technician showed him the test notes and demonstrated the lamp. She suggested checking the socket arrangement at his desk before bringing it back. At home, Felix discovered that a loose plug in his extension lead had caused the problem. The lamp itself had never stopped working.

He considered calling the shop to complain that the problem had been so simple. Instead, he looked at the notes again. The technician had not sold him a dramatic repair he did not need. She had spent time ruling things out. Felix put the receipt in his drawer and returned the lamp to the desk. When its light came on, the inspection charge felt less like nothing and more like work he had not known how to see.