Estimating & Repair Orders
- Differentiate between diagnostic procedures and the estimation process.
- Detail the three Cs required for a professional repair order.
- Manage customer approval protocols for initial estimates and subsequent changes.
- Repair Order (RO) Form — Document the three Cs: Complaint, Cause, and Correction for every job.
- Estimating software or labor guide — Calculate labor hours and parts costs accurately after diagnosis.
- Voice recorder or signature pad — Capture and store the customer's approval of the estimate before starting work.
- Parts bins/containers — Keep failed parts organized until the job is closed and warranty requirements are met.
Diagnose first, then estimate. List parts, labor hours and shop supplies separately.
Get the customer's approval (signed or recorded) before starting work, and again if the estimate changes.
Record the three Cs on the repair order: Complaint, Cause, Correction.
Keep failed parts until the job is closed; warranty claims often require them.
How It Works
The Sequence of Service
Technicians must diagnose the failure first before attempting to write an estimate. An accurate estimate requires a clear understanding of required parts, labor hours, and shop supplies, which must be listed separately to ensure transparency and accuracy.
Documentation and the Three Cs
A professional repair order is built on three pillars: Complaint (the customer's issue), Cause (what the technician found), and Correction (what was done to fix it). Maintaining this record ensures clarity for the shop, the customer, and warranty providers.
Approval and Changes
Work must never begin without customer approval, which should be recorded via signature or recording. If the scope of work changes during the repair, a new approval must be obtained before proceeding with the updated estimate.
Diagnostic Chart
| Symptom | Check | Spec / Expected | Likely cause & fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| An estimate is requested for a trailer with an unknown fault. | Perform a complete diagnosis of the system before generating the list of parts and labor. | Diagnose first, then estimate. | Attempting to estimate before diagnosis leads to inaccurate parts and labor projections. Basis: General shop practice (not from a downloaded manual) |
| Customer disputes the final bill regarding shop supplies. | Verify if parts, labor, and supplies were listed separately on the initial estimate. | List parts, labor hours and shop supplies separately. | Grouping costs together can lead to customer confusion and lack of approval for specific charges. Basis: General shop practice (not from a downloaded manual) |
| Customer claims they did not authorize an additional repair found during the job. | Review the record for a second approval (signed or recorded) corresponding to the estimate change. | Get approval again if the estimate changes. | Proceeding with changes without a second approval leaves the shop liable for unauthorized work. Basis: General shop practice (not from a downloaded manual) |
| A warranty claim is denied because the failed component is missing. | Confirm if the failed parts were retained until the job was closed. | Keep failed parts until the job is closed. | Warranty claims often require the physical failed parts for verification. Basis: General shop practice (not from a downloaded manual) |
At the Bay: Diagnose the Case
CASE 1 / 4
An estimate is requested for a trailer with an unknown fault.
- Test
- Compare
- Correct
Select the next check
Basis: General shop practice (not from a downloaded manual). A likely cause is a hypothesis; confirm it with the applicable service procedure before repair.
Common Bay Mistakes
- ✕ Starting repair work based on a guess before completing a diagnosis.
- ✕ Combining shop supplies into the labor rate instead of listing them separately.
- ✕ Failing to get a new signature when the repair cost increases.
- ✕ Discarding failed parts as soon as the new part is installed.
- ✕ Omitting the 'Cause' or 'Correction' details from the repair order.
Quick Check
Practice only — not scored.
Source: General shop practice (not from a downloaded manual)