Trade Communication, Documentation, and Customer Service
What the exam tests
This domain covers trade communication, documentation, and customer service: work orders, repair authorization, estimates, supplements, colour and material records, warranty explanations, and handling complaints. Expect questions about what must be documented and how to manage expectations without promising an exact result.
Core rules
- Record the vehicle identification number, colour code, variant, mileage, and pre-existing damage before work starts. Photograph damage and document repair decisions.
- Obtain written authorization for the repair, including the customer's and insurer's responsibilities. Verbal approval is weak evidence when a dispute arises.
- Write clear work orders and estimates: operations, parts, materials, labour, sublet, and supplements. Note any unrelated damage or betterment.
- Keep product records: primer, sealer, base formula, clear, additives, batch numbers, and spray conditions. These records support a warranty claim and a future colour match.
- Explain that a colour match is a blend, not a guarantee, especially on aged or three-stage finishes. Show the customer the variant and spray-out if needed.
- Communicate promptly when additional damage is found. Do not proceed with a supplement without approval.
- Handle complaints factually: inspect, compare documentation, identify the cause, and propose a correction.
Worked example
A customer says the repaired bumper is a different colour in sunlight. The technician checks the work order: the colour code and variant are recorded, but there is no spray-out or blend note. The correct response is to inspect under daylight, compare the variant and spray-out, and determine whether the difference is a variant error, blend issue, or adjacent panel fade. The repair plan and any supplement are documented and approved before more work.
Traps that cost marks
- Promising an exact match on an aged or pearl finish.
- Relying on verbal authorization for extra work.
- Failing to document pre-existing damage.
- Recording only the colour code and not the variant or spray-out result.