Maintain Records, Prepare Service Reports, and Apply Basic Cost Estimation
Records, Service Reports, and Basic Cost Estimation
This domain tests the paperwork side of the trade: capturing the job, documenting what was done, and quoting a price the shop can defend.
Core rules
- A job order records customer name and contact, plate number, make and model, VIN or engine number, odometer, date in, reported complaint, and the customer's signature authorizing work.
- Obtain signed approval before doing additional work found during inspection, and note declined repairs with the customer's acknowledgement.
- The service report documents findings, measurements, parts replaced, labor performed, technician name, and road-test result. Keep it legible and factual.
- Parts requisition and inventory records must match the invoice; account for unused parts and return old components to the customer.
- Cost estimate = parts + consumables (oil, gaskets, sealant, solvent) + labor (standard hours × labor rate) + shop overhead/markup. Add VAT where applicable and state the quotation's validity.
- Compare estimate with actual cost and explain any variance before billing.
Worked example
A clutch replacement is quoted. Parts: friction plates 850, springs 180, gasket 120, oil 350 = 1,500. Labor: 2.0 hours × 250/hour = 500. Consumables: 50. Subtotal 2,050. Shop markup 10% = 205. Total 2,255. Reasoning: each line is itemized so the customer sees where the money goes, the markup covers overhead, and any extra found during the job, such as a worn cable, needs fresh approval before it is added.
Traps
Quoting without checking parts availability and current prices; forgetting consumables and oil; adding work without authorization; a service report with no odometer reading or road-test note, which weakens any warranty claim.