Vehicle Delivery & Explanation: the full procedure
Review the completed work and itemized invoice with the customer, explain warranty terms, and hand back the vehicle clean.
- Applies to: Service advisor.
- Frequency: Every repair order at pickup.
- Scope: Covers customer delivery and explanation. Invoice-disclosure and parts-return specifics follow your state’s auto-repair law.
What you need
- Itemized invoice
- Warranty terms sheet
- Replaced parts (if requested/required)
- QC sign-off
- Follow-up log
The procedure, step by step
- Review the work done — Walk the customer through what was found, what was repaired, and how the original concern was resolved.
- Go through the itemized invoice — Confirm parts and labor are listed separately, used/rebuilt parts are disclosed, and the total matches the authorization.
- Explain warranty terms — State the parts-and-labor warranty period and what it covers so the customer knows their recourse.
- Return old parts if requested/required — Hand back replaced parts the customer asked for, noting cores returned to the supplier under warranty/core arrangements.
- Remove protective covers — Take out seat and floor covers and confirm the interior is clean.
- Confirm settings & belongings — Verify the customer’s belongings are present and settings restored.
- Provide copies & records — Give the customer their copy of the invoice and retain the shop copy.
- Schedule follow-up — Log a follow-up contact to confirm satisfaction and catch any concern early.
Quality check before you finish
- Work explained in plain language.
- Invoice itemizes parts and labor separately.
- Used/rebuilt parts disclosed on invoice.
- Total within the authorized amount.
- Requested old parts returned (cores noted).
- Seat/floor covers removed, interior clean.
- Customer copy of invoice provided; follow-up logged.
This is a free, source-anchored standard operating procedure (SOP) you can print and hand to staff. It documents the work sequence for a Auto Repair Shop business — not safety or regulatory rulings, which defer to the cited authorities, the applicable code, and your own health-and-safety plan. Open the tool above to print it, toggle ink-saver, or (with a free ToolFluency Business account) edit it to match your own workflow.
Sources
- California B&P Code 9884.8 / BAR — Itemized Invoice (bar.ca.gov)
- California B&P Code 9884.2 / BAR — Return of Replaced Parts (bar.ca.gov)
- AAA Approved Auto Repair — Written Warranty (aaa.com)
About Free Vehicle Delivery & Explanation SOP for Shops
Free printable vehicle delivery SOP: review the work and itemized invoice, explain warranty, return old parts, remove covers, and schedule follow-up.
How to use
- Read the full procedure top to bottom before the work — the SOP runs in order and each step builds on the last.
- Toggle Ink-saver (black & white) for a cheaper mono print for the binder; leave it off for the full-color version.
- Click Print SOP to print or save as PDF. Print one per crew, laminate it for the binder, or attach it to the job in your scheduling system.
- Train new hires on it and have staff sign off. Found something out of date? Use the feedback link — flagged SOPs are re-researched against the source list.
Frequently asked questions
Do we have to give the customer their old parts back?
If they request it — in many states at the time of authorization — yes. The exception is parts returned to a supplier under warranty or as a core; those you show but don’t surrender unless they pay the core charge.
What has to be on the final invoice?
List parts and labor separately, disclose any used or rebuilt parts, keep the total within the authorization, and give the customer a copy. Specific requirements follow your state’s auto-repair law.
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