Service contracts are expensive. For the vast majority of end users, their ultrasound systems don’t give any troubles and the only time they see the OEM service technician is for the annual service. So why spend money on a service when you don’t use it?
Service Contract VS General Probe Repairs
On average, you would need to break 6 probes, per machine, each year for a service contract to be profitable.
The above graph illustrates perfectly how cost-effective probe repairs are against a service contract (includes machine servicing costs). With the average 2D probe repair costing $1,500 AUD, you would need to replace 6 probes completely free of charge in a year, per machine, for this to be more cost-effective than probe repairs.
Hidden Charges
Additionally, if you have a second probe fail on the same machine in the same year, there is a high probability it will not be covered under the service contract, leaving the end user with additional expenses that they were trying to avoid. Under a probe repair service, you only pay when your probe fails which further enhances the viability of probe repairs as an alternative.
Lifetime Savings
Working on the principle that you repair one probe, per machine a year. The average repair cost on a 2D probe is $1,500 and the lifetime of a machine is between 7 – 10 years. This means that on average you can save between $45,500 – $65,000 on ultrasound maintenance if you were to remove your machine from a service contract and repair the probes as they needed.
