The lawsuit said negligence.
Thankfully, the accident didn’t cause any fatal injuries.
It appeared that a wheel had come off while the family was on vacation and driving at a high rate of speed. Their car had been in the dealership for a full check-up just the week before and was supposed to be in good shape for the anticipated long trip ahead.
Things didn’t look good.
However, after retrieving the “hard” copy (or mechanic’s portion) of the repair order from the dealership files, something remarkable was discovered. In addition to an oil change and tune-up, the directions were to check it over for a long trip. This mechanic had carefully written what he inspected, what he recommended and what he did.
While the owner agreed to new wiper blades, radiator flush and a clutch adjustment, he declined to rotate the tires. Owner stated he just had that done. It was clearly documented. Those wheels were not removed at the dealership. The lawsuit was dropped. That was 1954. Would we have the same outcome today?
Of the hundreds of vehicles through your shop on a yearly or monthly basis, how could you possibly remember the details of each repair? Would your memory recollection stand up in court anyway? How can you protect yourself?
As in the true story above, documentation is the answer. Documentation must be clear and detailed. Documentation is not easy or fun, but absolutely vital, especially in our litigious society today. Writing what you didn’t do can be just as important as writing what you did.
Of course, that applies to our estimates too. Missing, abbreviated or vague entries can raise unneeded questions and open the door for all sorts of interpretations. Keep in mind, a lawsuit can always be right around the corner.
Of course, no one thinks THEY write unclear estimates, it’s always the other guy. After all, you know what you meant. Look at some of your estimates from last year. Do you still remember what you meant? Are any entries vague or unclear?
Recently reviewing a stack of estimates from around the country, I saw some patterns that surely must have raised some questions, if not problems.
These abbreviations were fairly common: HWR, ASM and Flex. Would a vehicle owner know what these are? Does WSW stand for Windshield Washers or White Side Wall tires? Do you commonly use abbreviations? You may be inviting unnecessary questions.
The following entries were common and generally had a significant amount of labor associated with them, indicating a good deal of work to be done with only vague directions.
Inner Structure Repair—Is this structural alignment to bring measuring points back to specifications? Is this straightening damaged sheet metal? Is this repairing mount brackets or other attaching points?
Pull unibody—Pull which parts where?
Align Sheet Metal—What does that mean? On a front end hit, does this include aligning the Hood? Doors? Deck Lid? By being general, this could raise unwarranted expectations and lead to conflict.
R&I Misc Parts—This may be a response to the estimating guide note, “after bolted parts removed.” That note is seen less frequently now than it was in guides of just a few years ago. Still, this generalized entry leaves way too much room for interpretation. Most parts have an R&I entry and are fairly easy to get onto your estimate.
Sand and Buff—Again, sand and buff what? This description doesn’t necessarily narrow the work to only those panels refinished. The owner may expect much more.
Refinish Inner Panels—Which ones? This implies fresh paint on all interior panels and those expectations may be way too high.
Additional Labor Lt. Frt. Door Shell—Clean-up? Rust repair? Alignment? Parts transfer? Sheet metal damage? Window frame damage? Power window repair?
You get the idea. Each entry needs to be specific and detailed, even if it takes several lines to fully describe repairs. You never know which estimate will end up in dispute, or worse yet, in court.
Your estimate is rarely written just for yourself. Your estimate is a communication device. Your estimate is meant for use by others. Make it work for you. Write it right so you are answering more questions than you are raising.
Are you wondering how I remembered a story from 1954? That mechanic was my dad.
Stories with a good lesson live on.
“It is impossible to produce a superior performance unless you do something different from the majority.”
- Sir John Templeton
