Before you start

• •Shop management software open with intake form ready
• •Repair order pad or RO printer
• •Shop camera or phone for damage documentation
• •Loaner key board if you offer loaners

The procedure

Step-by-step, in order. Each step has the action and the reason it matters.

1. 1

   Greet the customer at the bay door, not the counter

   When a customer pulls in, walk out to the vehicle. Don't make them come find you at the desk. The bay-door greeting is the highest-impact 30 seconds of the entire visit.

   Why: Customers form their trust judgment in the first interaction. A counter-bound advisor signals 'transactional shop.' A bay-door greeter signals 'real shop.'

2. 2

   Listen to the complaint in the customer's words

   Open notebook or phone. Ask: 'What brought you in today?' Let them talk. Don't interrupt. Write down their words verbatim — 'shaking when I brake going down the highway' beats your translation 'brake judder at speed.'

   Why: The customer's words are what they expect to see on the invoice. Mismatches drive complaints and disputes.

3. 3

   Walk-around inspection with the customer present

   Walk every panel. Note existing damage on the RO with photos. Get the customer to acknowledge with a verbal 'yep, that was already there.' Photograph the odometer.

   Why: Walk-arounds prevent 'you scratched my car' disputes. Photos are the only thing that wins a chargeback.

4. 4

   Pull current mileage and history from your DMS

   Look up the customer in your shop management software. Note last visit date, what was done, what was deferred. Mention any deferred work to the customer: 'Last time we noted your front pads were at 4mm. Want me to check those today too?'

   Why: Deferred work is your highest-margin upsell because the customer already trusted you the last time.

5. 5

   Set expectation on time and price upfront

   Before they hand over keys, give them a window: 'We'll have a diagnosis by 11, an estimate by noon, and parts willing, work done by 4. I'll call you at every step, not just at the end.' Get verbal commitment.

   Why: Unset expectations are the #1 cause of bad reviews. 'Took longer than they said' beats 'didn't fix the car' in review volume.

6. 6

   Authorization signature with line-item authority cap

   Customer signs the RO. Authorization cap stated explicitly: 'You're authorizing me to spend up to $500 on diagnosis and any parts under that. Anything more and I call you first for approval.'

   Why: Signed authorization caps protect the shop and the customer. Verbal authorizations get disputed.

7. 7

   Loaner or ride logged

   If you're providing a loaner, walk them around the loaner with the same damage photos. If you're calling them an Uber or a ride, log the time and the cost on the RO.

   Why: Loaner damage disputes are nearly as common as customer-vehicle damage disputes. Photo-document both.

8. 8

   Hand off to the tech with a written ticket

   Don't shout the job across the shop. Bring the printed RO and the keys to the tech, walk them through the customer's complaint, point out the deferred work to check, set the time expectation. Tech initials the RO.

   Why: Verbal hand-offs lose 30% of the detail. Written hand-offs catch everything.

Verify when done

• ☐Customer's complaint captured in their own words
• ☐Walk-around photos in the DMS
• ☐Authorization cap signed
• ☐Tech has the RO and is briefed before the customer leaves

Common mistakes

• ✕Greeting from behind the counter instead of at the bay door
• ✕Translating the customer's complaint into shop-speak before writing it down
• ✕Verbal authorization with no signed cap
• ✕Walking the keys to the tech without the printed RO

Trainer notes

Train new service writers on the bay-door greeting first. It's the easiest behavior to coach and the highest-impact one.

Common questions