If he is reputable and knows that he did a good job, he will not object to you checking out the machine before you leave the shop.

When every you use someone who you don't know or who doesn't truly know your machine, then YES, YES, YES take something to try sewing on. We become one with our machines, so we do know how it should feel and sound as well as what our stitches should look like. I used a different repair man that came highly recommended to me. For the next 3 months I had to take the drive to this man to have him fix it. It never sounded the same, when I had to take it in for the 3 time in a week. I was hot, so I took it in with the mess it had made. So he started to fix it with me standing in front of him, this time as he was adjusting it I kept telling him it was making too much noise. This time he did get it adjusted correctly. My machine started sewing and sounding like a new machine again, even my repair man was awestruck at the difference a screw turn made. Now that I have him broken in, I have two machine repairmen for my machines. So yes sew something it will make you feel better before you leave, he will understand.

Definately try it out.He probably expects you to.That protects you and him.

I heartily endorse all the good suggestions in this thread. And, Paper Princess, experience has shown me that your "bring some cookies" helps. In my last case it was an rv and "cardiac arrest chocolate brownies."

Pat

devils advocate...if a shop had all the parts for every machine that was brought in they would need a warehouse the size of Walmart.
So they order from the manufacturer. Most of which are continents away.
Hence part of the reason for the time delay. My guy is usually 3 weeks out for getting to a machine brought in today, there are that many machines ahead in line.

ASK what their current lead time is.
ASK how long it will take to get a part that isn't in stock.

ASK for an appointment if you want the tech to spend time with you and your machine. I've never seen mine with time to do that and I've hung around the shop quite a bit, window shopping, machine class, etc.

I do test all of my machines before taking them home an personally tell all of my friends to do the same. If anything is said just say how hard it is for you to get it out of the house and back in again. Also that you want to try the things to make sure it isn't something you are doing incorrectly

My girl friend is a Bernina trained tech when her customers pick up a machine she always has them sit down and test it out. He should be more than willing to accommodate you testing your machine since this is a top of the line machine and a big investment for you. I wish I had one they are so wonderful to sew with and so many things you can do with them. Enjoy your 830 I am still dreaming of owning one.

I would definitely ask for a test run before you leave the shop, particularly since the repairman has had it for 5 weeks, that seems an exceptionally long time. I would have gone into severe withdrawal if my baby was gone that long.

I was at a quilt shop that had in house repair. They were offended that one of the gals who came to pick up her machine wanted to try it out. She wasn't in the back 5minutes and took it apart to look at it herself. They hadn't even cleaned it after the repair. They had it for 3 weeks and did nothing to it. Never fixed the problem either. She let with her machine. Never wet back.

Thank u for all your super advice. I will try and pluck up the courage to insist on sewing with it before I leave. I might even phone them before I go in the morning and ask If they have done the firmware updates I asked them to do and then I could slip in if they could leave it out on the side and show me just how fabulous she is now they have fixed her. I will take some fabric ! It is such a horrendous journey I don't really want to have to go back x x Thank u all again