A copy of my shop's customer check in sheet.

[AppliedColors]

Check in sheets are critical for three reasons:

1. They are an opportunity to collect the customer's address for future mailings.
2. They are an opportunity to disclose damage and upsell reconditioning services.
3. They acknowledge pre-existing damage to the customer's vehicle and relieve your shop of responsibility for such damage.

Download ours here:
http://appliedcolors.com/checkin/det...ckin_sheet.doc

Add your logo and contact information to this sheet. Print out 30 of them and attach them to a clipboard. When a customer arrives, walk around the entire car and ask him/her to point out the things that need attention (scratches, stains, scuffs, dirt, etc.). Circle and note them on your check in sheet. They will appreciate that you are not only listening to them, but are recording their requests on paper.

Also note any special instructions (rear window won't roll up, please install license plates, no fragrance). After check in, write these instructions on a post it note and place them on the dash for the person performing the detail.

If you see significant damage (scratches, dents, cuts on the interior, hazed headlights, cuts in glass), point it out to the customer and circle and point to it on the check in sheet. If you can repair it (vinyl repair, headlight repair, bumper repair, paint touchup, windshield chip repair), offer a repair and name an exact price. They're likely to say yes when they are staring the damage in the face, in the company of a technician who can professionally fix the eyesore.

Write the total price of your work on the form and a time when it will be completed. Have the customer supply their name, phone number, and address and sign the form. When the work is done and you have a happy paying customer, record their information on your computer or cell phone and create a reminder in your calendar to contact them again in 4 months. Send a postcard or letter with a color photo of their freshly detailed car (which you took at the end of their detail) reminding them that you're always available to beautify their car again. Repeat every 4 months.

This check in sheet adds professionalism to your presentation, adds more $ to each detail, and is the feeding point for one of your most valuable assets--your contact book.

[MotorCity]

WOW, I have a few of these and this is bar far the best.

Very simple yet effective.

Thank you VERY MUCH for yet another invaluable thread!!!

[howareb]

Great form! I can now also look like a po-fess-in-ol (professional). Seriously, I will use this a lot, thanks.

[tdekany]

I like it very much as well. Thanks for sharing.

[baseballlover1]

THANKS!!!!! I might use this, thanks again!

[David Fermani]

Looks like a great tool to be used in the upsell process. You know, the process that some "Pros" don't believe in doing.

[MichaelM]

These are also good if you have multiple employees working on one vehicle at different times. They can help with communication and accountibility, among other things, if set-up to do so.

[gtpaul]

Good way to get customer information and check the vehicle in one process. thanks!

[Scottwax]

Really thorough checklist! I'll have to snag it when I am at my brother's because my printer is fubared.

I agree on the upselling aspect, I keep track of when customer's cars are waxed specifically for the upsell, "you know, it was 3 months ago when I last waxed your car" and believe me, I make more on that than "you want fries with that?"

I'm going to look into some of the other stuff too, like the chip repair, windshield repair, etc. Since I am already there, it would be a good idea to maximize my potential income by learning to do even more.

[Phantmsquad]

Thanks !! It looks great !!!

[Stephenwz968]

That is awesome, thanks!

Steve

[BillyL207]

I will be using this form as well now. Thank you.