Real-Life Decision Making -- Solution
You bill him.
You consult the company policy again and you know you're right. The damage isn't covered under the warranty. You and the other technicians participate in a profit-sharing plan, so doing this work for free will impact your paycheck at the end of the month. You can't just go around pleasing customers at a personal cost.
He might make good on his threat to take his business elsewhere, or he might not. It's a risk you're willing to take for the sake of your professional pride and awareness of your company's fair policies. You decide to bill him.
The customer receives the bill, and, to your surprise, pays it promptly. He even includes a note explaining how he talked the matter over with his wife and she made him see how you had a point. He apologized for his reaction, saying he was more upset with himself for not reading the literature you'd given him than upset with you for legitimately charging him for the work.
"Always ask yourself is this wear and tear of the equipment or is this malicious damage to the system?" says Becker. "If it's malicious damage, if he's taken a hammer to something, then you would charge the customer. But then you have to be prepared to get into a confrontation.
"You don't want to leave them dissatisfied, but you want to stand your ground. Always the decision is how do I satisfy this customer without the company being taken advantage of? What's fair? You have to realize the customer isn't always right. You have to insist on a fair price for the work you've done."