Guides for running a workshop · In the workshop
How to write a job card that prevents disputes
Most arguments at the counter aren't about the work. They're about what was said when the car came in. Five minutes spent on a proper job card at intake saves the hour you'd spend arguing at delivery.
· 5 min read
1. Write the complaint in the customer's words
Don't write "brakes". Write "grinding noise from the front left when braking, worse in the morning". The customer's own words are what you'll be measured against, and they help the technician too. If the customer isn't sure what's wrong, write that down as well: "customer wants a check; no specific complaint".
2. Record the car as it arrived
- Mileage, read off the dashboard, not guessed. It ties the job to the car's history and tells you when the next service is due.
- Fuel level. "It had half a tank when I left it" is a classic. A photo of the gauge ends that conversation.
- Existing damage. Walk round the car with the customer and photograph every scratch and dent before anyone touches it. Four photos (front, back, both sides) take a minute.
- What's left in the car: a child seat, a laptop bag, the spare key.
3. Get the price agreed before the work, in writing
A verbal "about 500" turns into an argument when the bill says 740. Send an estimate, with labour and parts as separate lines, and get the customer's approval on record before the technician starts. If the work grows, because the pads were fine but the discs weren't, send the extra lines as a new estimate and wait for that approval too. Never "just do it, they'll be fine with it".
A customer who approved line by line can't later say they only agreed to half of it, and a customer who declined a line can't say you never told them.
4. Have the customer sign the intake
A signature under the mileage, the fuel, the photos and the complaint turns your notes into an agreement. On paper, keep the carbon copy. On a screen or a phone, the signature is stored with the job.
5. Promise a time, and keep the customer posted
Write down when you promised the car, and tell the customer when that changes: "waiting for a part, tomorrow at 2 instead of today at 5". Most of the anger at delivery is about surprises, not about time.
6. Hand over with the same care
At delivery, show the customer what was done, give back the old parts if they asked for them, note the mileage again, and have them sign the check-out. Then the job is closed for both of you.
How WrenchDesk does this
The job card in WrenchDesk asks for the mileage (which can only go forward), the fuel level, photos and an inspection checklist at intake. The estimate goes to the customer on WhatsApp and is approved from their phone, line by line. Check-in and check-out reports are signed on the screen, and a gate pass goes with the car when it leaves. Try it free with demo data and print a job card.