A ship engine failed and no one could fix it, so the owners brought in a Mechanical Engineer with 40 years of experience.

He inspected the engine very carefully, top to bottom. After looking things over, the engineer reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer. He gently tapped something. Instantly, the engine burst back into life. The engine was fixed!

Seven days later, the owners received his bill for £10,000.

“What?” the owners said. “You hardly did anything! Send us an itemized bill.”

The reply simply stated:

Tapping with a hammer: £2
Knowing where to tap: £9,998
This classic story is a powerful reminder that in any field, experience and specialized knowledge are the most invaluable assets, far exceeding the cost of the tool or the time spent.