Hit 200 shutter repairs in a year, but is that actually a good number?

I keep a simple log on my workbench, just a spiral notebook. Last Friday I counted and realized I'd done 200 shutter repairs since January, mostly on old mechanical bodies. That felt like a big deal at first, but then I started wondering if it means I'm good or just that I'm taking on too much junk. Some of those were quick fixes, a bent blade or a sticky gear, but maybe 40 of them were real rebuilds where I had to shim and adjust everything. On the other hand, a friend in Portland says he only does about 80 a year and charges triple what I do, and his shop is booked out for months. So is the milestone about volume or about the quality of work you take in? I know I've gotten faster, but I'm not sure faster equals better. Has anyone else hit a number like this and questioned what it really says about their repair game?

2 comments

2 Comments

cora_scott7720d ago

Ever notice how your brain just latches onto a number and suddenly that's the whole story? I hit 150 last year and felt like a machine, then realized three of those were the same camera that kept coming back because I missed a bent linkage the first two times. That humbled me quick. Now I track returns and re-fixes, not just total jobs. Volume feels good on paper, but it's the one that comes back a month later that tells you if you're actually improving or just moving metal around.

jordanc3220d ago

Man, that return rate thing hits different. How do you even track that without turning into a spreadsheet hermit? I feel like I'd need a whole separate notebook just for the "oops, came back" pile. Do you set a hard number, like if a re-fix pops up you stop taking new work for the day, or do you just let it nag at you until you fix it? Curious if you got a system or if it's more of a gut check when you see that same serial number roll in again.