After seven years the owner of this establishment apparently thinks it is time to try to get me to come back with even more rudeness? Sorry, I don't think so. Your reply is evidence that you are still rude and unhelpful, and that nothing about your business has changed.
"And no one works for free." says the owner. I'm surprised he didn't ask me for my credit card before even saying hello. (Not that he said hello.) The translation of this for Camera Repair Service is that any level of customer service or interaction at all regarding a repair is $40. If you want even the most basic of questions answered about your repair, they want $40 first. My questions were: "Around how long do you think this repair would take?" "Will this repair be done in house?" I was stonewalled by a continual rude request for $40. I had a professional job to shoot and knowing around how long a repair of this type would take is essential information. Again, this was not a tricky diagnostic job, it was a bent flash housing clearly visible. (Not that the guy behind the counter even looked at it.)
At my old beloved camera repair shop in Seattle, at a minimum he would have taken a quick look at the camera, given me a ball park estimate, and an estimated repair time. In this case, I'm guessing he probably would have gone in the back for 5sec bent the flash housing back for free and sent me on my way. Because that is how you treat customers you want repeat business from: you are helpful and pleasant and don't immediately try to separate them from their money. (I had that shop rebuild two Rolleiflex TLRs and Mamiya, and do repairs on numerous Canons to the tune of thousands of dollars over the years.)
I fixed the bent housing myself by the way. And have taken all other repairs since either to Canon directly or to a reputable repair shop in NYC. I will never go back to Camera Repair Services. Too bad, because Pittsburgh could use this service in town.