How appointments get booked, and where to find them
What the receptionist does on a call, the texts that follow, and the Jobs lists.
When a customer calls, the receptionist asks what's wrong or what service they want, the vehicle's year, make and model (and roughly how many miles, if they know), whether they'll wait at the shop or drop it off, and their name. It offers open times from your team's calendars and books the one they choose.
It never guesses what's wrong with the vehicle. It tells the caller a technician will inspect it and call with what they find before doing any work.
The customer gets a confirmation text straight away, for example “Drop off your 2016 Honda Civic then, and we'll text you when it's ready” or “Plan to wait with your 2016 Honda Civic while we work on it.” When the call ends, you get a text with the job, the customer's number and a link to the recording.
The Jobs lists
- Today and Upcoming: scheduled jobs.
- Unscheduled: jobs without a time yet.
- Completed and Needs invoice: finished work, and finished work you haven't invoiced.
Search by customer, phone or job number (J-1001).
On a job
Move it along with Dispatch, Start job and Complete job, or Cancel job. When the work's done, Ready for pickup texts the customer and completes the job: see Tell customers their car is ready. Use Schedule or Reschedule to pick a new open time. Tick who's working on it under Technicians, add Notes and Photos, and listen to the call under The call.
Adding a job yourself
For a walk-in or a call you took yourself, click New job. Fill in the customer, then the vehicle: Year, Make, Model, and if you have them the VIN (it fills in the rest), Plate and Mileage. Tick The customer will wait at the shop if they're staying. Then pick an open time or leave it unscheduled. See Vehicles, VINs and mileage.