Vehicle Intake & Write-Up: the full procedure

Greet the customer, capture the concern accurately, and document the vehicle’s identity and condition before any work begins.

• Applies to: Service advisor.
• Frequency: Every repair order.
• Scope: Covers customer reception and vehicle check-in only. Technical evaluation of the concern belongs to the inspection & diagnosis SOP.

What you need

• Repair-order / intake form
• VIN scanner or decoder
• Key tag
• Walkaround damage diagram
• Seat & floor protective covers

The procedure, step by step

1. Greet & set expectations — Welcome the customer, confirm contact info, and set an expectation for when they’ll hear back with findings.
2. Capture the concern in their words — Write the customer’s stated symptom verbatim (noise, when it happens, conditions) — don’t pre-diagnose it into a part name.
3. Record vehicle identity — Log VIN, license plate, year/make/model, and current odometer; decode the VIN to confirm exact trim, engine, and transmission.
4. Walkaround & damage notation — Walk the vehicle and mark existing dents, scratches, cracked glass, and warning lights on a damage diagram, ideally with photos.
5. Note customer requests — Record requested return of old parts, a not-to-exceed amount, and any preference for OEM vs. aftermarket parts.
6. Tag the keys & secure belongings — Attach a key tag matching the RO number and note valuables left in the vehicle.
7. Install protective covers — Place seat and floor covers before the vehicle moves into the shop to protect the interior.
8. Open the repair order — Confirm all captured details with the customer and start the RO that the rest of the job will reference.

Quality check before you finish

• Concern recorded in the customer’s own words.
• VIN, plate, and odometer all logged.
• Existing damage marked on diagram or photographed.
• Key tag matches the RO number.
• Old-parts-return request captured if made.
• Seat and floor covers installed.
• Customer contact info confirmed for callback.

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 Bureau of Automotive Repair — Write It Right (bar.ca.gov)
• AAA Approved Auto Repair — Standards (aaa.com)