Mechanics get around this issue by having standard labor rates based on what they call "Flat-rate hours". These are not the actual clock hours the mechanic worked on your car, but are based on the average time an average mechanic using standard hand tools would have taken to do the same job. Efficient mechanics can earn a higher number of flat rate hours per week than inefficient ones. Doctors and insurance companies deal with this problem by assigning "Relative Value Codes" to procedures, which take into account the time and level of training needed to perform it, and then set "reasonable" billing levels based on the regional cost for physician services requiring similar levels of time and training - essentially the medical equivalent of the flat rate hour. Maybe veterinarians and lawyers should adopt similar billing practices, or at least similar employee compensation practices.
