It is my long held opinion that when someone delivers a service, it should be possible to get an estimate of what that service will cost beforehand. Naturally, the accuracy of such estimates reduces as the scope of the service increases. An estimate for ten minutes of work will likely be more accurate than an estimate for weeks of work. That?s fine.
I?d like to be able to get a straight pricing answer at an emergency room or doctor?s office every step of the way. ?Okay, how much exactly is the next action going to cost?? This should be possible for many procedures. For example, stitching or gluing a cut without complications.
Read this Consumerist article. We had our own experience when our daughter fell and cut her head.