Estimates and customer approvals

Before you do extra work, the customer approves it. An estimate lists the lines on the repair order; the customer approves or declines each one, online or at the counter. Every decision is stored with the exact text, the typed name, an optional signature and the time, and cannot be changed afterward.

Before you start #

• Add the work to the RO first. Mark work the customer has not agreed to as Recommended. See repair orders.
• You need service.estimates.manage.

Prepare and send an estimate #

1. Open the RO and scroll to Estimate and customer approval.
2. Optional: type a note for this revision.
3. Select Prepare estimate. A draft revision is made from the RO's current lines and totals. If you change the RO while the estimate is a draft, select Refresh draft from the RO.
4. Select Send to customer. The revision is locked, the RO status becomes Waiting on approval, and the customer gets an email with a private approval link (and a text, if they agreed to texts).
5. The Customer approval link is shown on the RO, so you can also copy it into a message yourself. Send the link again resends it.

In the Estimate and customer approval section of the RO you see the estimate number, the current revision and its status, the offered and approved totals, the decision on each line, the Prepare estimate / Refresh draft from the RO / Send to customer buttons, and Record the customer's decision (in person or by phone). Select All revisions to open the estimate's history.

(open full size)

1. Estimate and status: Draft, Sent, Viewed, Approved, Partially approved, Declined or Expired.
2. Revision, with when it was created, sent, viewed and decided, and how long it is valid.
3. Decision on each line: pending, approved or declined.
4. Offered total, and the approved total once the customer decides.

What the customer does #

1. They open the link. The estimate status changes to Viewed.
2. For each line they choose Approve or Decline.
3. They type their full name as an electronic signature, can add a note and sign on the signature pad, and tick that they authorize the approved work at the prices shown.
4. They select Send my decision.

The decision updates the RO lines straight away: approved lines count in the totals, declined lines do not. An RO that was Waiting on approval moves to In service, or back to Checked in if the customer declined everything.

Record a decision in person or by phone #

1. On the RO, open Record the customer's decision (in person or by phone).
2. Choose Approve or Decline for every line.
3. Enter the Customer's full name and How (in person, by phone, by email or by text message), plus any notes.
4. Tick that the customer authorizes the approved work, let them sign if they are there, and select Record decision.

Revisions #

• A decided revision is never changed. If the job changes, select New revision from the RO and send it again.
• Decisions carry over to RO lines whose amount has not changed.
• Select All revisions to see every revision exactly as it was offered, with when it was sent, viewed and decided.
• View the customer's authorization shows who decided, how, when, on which device, the exact text shown and the signature, plus an integrity check that the stored text was not altered.

Expiry #

Each sent revision is valid for the number of days set in Estimates valid for (days) in Service settings. After that it expires and can no longer be approved; send a new revision.

Tips #

• Use inspections to turn findings into recommended lines, then send one estimate.
• Declined work stays on record. The Declined work report and reminders can follow up on it later.
• The RO cannot be closed while recommended items still wait for a decision.

Permissions #

Limitations #