The work order (also called a repair order or job card) is the most important document in your workshop: it records what the customer asked for, what work you did, which parts you used and what was agreed about price and time. A solid work order protects you in a dispute and makes your workshop look far more professional.
Why it matters
- Legal protection: if a customer complains later, the signed order proves the scope and the price were agreed up front.
- Clear expectations: the customer knows what will happen, roughly what it will cost and when the car will be ready - so there is far less friction at pickup.
- Traceability: parts, labor times and warranty terms are documented, which you will appreciate at any comeback or warranty claim.
What to include
- Customer name, phone number and email
- Vehicle data: make, model, registration number, VIN, current mileage
- The reported symptom, written in the customer's own words
- Agreed scope: what will be done - and, for diagnostics, what is explicitly not included yet
- Estimated labor time, labor rate, expected parts and total price
- Authorization limit: a note that you will call before any work exceeding an agreed amount
- Parts used: new, used or reconditioned, with part numbers
- Pickup terms, payment terms and any storage fee after a deadline
- Warranty terms for parts and labor
- GDPR data-processing consent
- Date and signature - in two copies, one for the customer
When the fault is unclear
Never start a repair on a "fix whatever it is" basis. If the cause is not obvious, record that the first step is a diagnosis at a fixed fee, and the repair quote comes after you know what is wrong. This keeps the customer in control of the spending and keeps you out of the argument about hours spent searching for a fault nobody ordered.
Sample - short version
I, the undersigned [name], leave my vehicle [make, model, registration number, VIN, mileage] at [workshop name] for the following work: [reported symptom / ordered work]. The estimated price is [amount] including parts and labor. I authorize additional work only after the workshop contacts me and I approve it in writing or by phone. I have been informed of the expected completion time and the pickup and payment terms. I consent to my personal data being processed for the purposes of this repair.
This is a starting template: extend it with your own terms and have the final wording reviewed by a professional.
How Appointio helps
Vehicle data and symptoms are best collected before the car even arrives. With Appointio you can add custom booking questions to any service - make, plate number, mileage, warning lights, noise description - so the work order is half-filled before the customer reaches the counter.