Invoicing is important for both your automotive repair shop and your customers. It’s a record of sale and services provided that can also act as a reminder for a customer’s next service, show future service recommendations, and offer an opportunity for promotional material. Invoices are a final way to document work done and explain to the customer which services their vehicle needed and why. Building an invoice unique to your repair shop can open up opportunities to prolong the relationship between shop and customer. That said, what information should be included on your auto shop’s invoices?
Elements That Your Auto Shop Invoice Should Include
Whether you include all, some, or none of these features, the experts at BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY suggest these invoice elements are “must-haves” for total customer transparency and communication as well as shop protection and accountability.
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Vehicle mileage in and out of the shop
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This is beneficial for the customer to know and is a way your shop can protect themselves from accusations.
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All findings from their digital vehicle inspection
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Listing your findings in more than one place gives the customer options for finding service recommendations and inspection reports.
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Any measurements (such as brakes and tires)
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This can be used to schedule the next service date and show deterioration of parts over time.
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Information on what was done during the visit, including anything added to the ticket after the initial estimate was created -
Accountability is key for shops. Customers want to know exactly what they paid for and technicians need a hard copy reference as proof of service.
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Any work that was recommended and NOT done
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Protection on the shop's behalf can come in handy, but this feature can also serve as a reminder of recommendations for the customer’s next service appointment.
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Recommendations about what needs to be done in the future
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Customers can anticipate the cost of repair and in most cases, schedule their next appointment on site.
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The date of the next service appointment
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It's always a best practice to encourage customers to schedule their next appointment in advance. It helps shops manage workloads, stay organized, and build repeat business with customers.
Adding Car Repair Software to Your Repair Shop
With a digital inspection software, you can expand the amount of information you automatically plug into an invoice. With a few simple clicks, your prebuilt invoices will always include the same relevant information.
For Mitchell users, Jump Start can help you improve your business by making you more efficient. Jump Start gives your shop categories and canned jobs that can be used for service recommendations. You can also include repair descriptions right in your invoice so customers have a thorough understanding of the work you did.
For everyone else, Report Pro is a multi-tool designed for growth and profitability. Report Pro allows you to build an invoice that includes highlighted technician recommendations for the customer’s next visit, as well as offer customers coupons based on their vehicle’s needs. This feature helps remind customers of the services they need and prepares them for the cost of service in advance.
-> More on our invoice software
Schedule a Demo of BOLT ON's Car Repair Software
Provide your customers with the invoices they deserve, complete with inspection information, service recommendations, and their next appointment date. For more information contact one of our helpful and friendly support team members!
