You started your repair shop because you're good at fixing things. Nobody warned you that half the job is actually tracking things — which device belongs to whom, what's been diagnosed, what's waiting for parts, what's done but not picked up, and what was supposed to be done yesterday.

Here's a progression of job tracking methods, from simplest to most capable, so you can pick the one that fits where you are right now.

Level 1: The Whiteboard

Best for: 1-5 active jobs

The classic. Write the customer name, device, and status on a whiteboard. Erase when done.

Why it works (briefly):

Zero learning curve
Visible to everyone in the shop
Satisfying to erase a completed job

Why it stops working:

Can't search history ("who brought in that Dell last month?")
No customer notifications
Gets unreadable past 10 entries
Someone always accidentally erases the wrong thing
No invoicing, no reporting, no accountability

The whiteboard is fine for your first week. After that, you need something with a memory.

Level 2: The Spreadsheet

Best for: 5-15 active jobs, solo operator

Google Sheets or Excel. One row per job. Columns for customer, device, problem, status, date in, date out, amount charged.

What you gain over a whiteboard:

Searchable history
Can sort and filter by status, date, tech
Shareable (Google Sheets)
Free

What's still missing:

No automated notifications
No invoicing integration
Manual everything — you're the system
Gets messy fast with multiple users editing
No mobile-friendly intake form

A spreadsheet is the most common "first real system" for repair shops, and it works until it doesn't. The breaking point is usually around 15-20 active jobs, or when you hire your first employee and realize they update the sheet differently than you do.

Level 3: Shop Management Software

Best for: 10+ active jobs, or any shop with more than one person

This is purpose-built software for tracking repair jobs. It handles the full lifecycle:

Intake — create a job with customer info, device details, problem description
Assignment — assign to a tech
Status tracking — move through workflow stages (Checked In → In Progress → Complete)
Notifications — automatic texts/emails to customers when status changes
Invoicing — generate an invoice from the job record
History — searchable record of every job you've ever done

What to Look For

A workflow that matches yours. The software should have status stages that map to how your shop actually works. Check In, Diagnose, Repair, Complete, Picked Up — at minimum.

Fast job creation. If it takes more than 60 seconds to create a new job, your techs won't use it. The intake form should be quick and smart — auto-complete for returning customers, sensible defaults, minimal required fields.

Search that actually works. "Johnson" should find every job for every Johnson, with their devices and statuses. Phone number search is essential too — customers rarely remember their ticket number.

Customer communication. Automatic notifications when status changes. This one feature saves hours per week in phone calls and builds customer trust.

Reporting. You need to answer questions like: What's our average turnaround time? Which tech completes the most jobs? What's our revenue this month vs. last month? Software should answer these without you building a spreadsheet.

Recommended Options

| Software | Price | Best For |

|----------|-------|----------|

| TechsBox | $15-99/mo | Modern shops wanting an affordable, all-in-one platform |

| RepairShopr | $60-200/mo | Established shops needing lots of integrations |

| RepairDesk | $50-150/mo | Phone repair specialists |

The Tracking Habits That Matter

No matter which system you use, these habits make or break your job tracking:

Update Status Immediately

When a job changes status, update it right then. Not at the end of the day. Not when you remember. Immediately. The system is only useful if it reflects reality.

One Job, One Record

Don't track the same repair in two places. If it's in the software, it's not also on a sticky note. Duplicate records create confusion and errors.

Attach Everything to the Job

Customer called about the repair? Note it in the job record. Ordered a part? Note it. Found an additional issue? Note it. The job record should be a complete history of everything that happened with that device.

Set Expectations at Intake

Tell the customer when to expect updates and when the repair should be done. Then make sure your system helps you hit those expectations (reminders, due dates, priority flags).

Review Active Jobs Daily

Spend 5 minutes at the start of each day scanning your active jobs. What's been sitting too long? What's waiting for parts that should have arrived? What's complete but not picked up? This daily review catches problems before they become complaints.

What "Good" Looks Like

A well-tracked repair shop can:

Tell any customer the exact status of their device in under 10 seconds
Show a tech their assigned jobs for the day in one screen
Generate an invoice for a completed job in two clicks
Pull up every repair they've done for a customer across their entire history
Know their average turnaround time, busiest days, and most profitable repair types

That's not magic. That's just a system, used consistently.

Getting Started

If you're currently on a whiteboard or spreadsheet and ready to level up:

Sign up for a repair shop management tool — most offer free tiers or free trials
Enter your active jobs — just the ones currently in your shop
Commit to using it for every new job — no exceptions for "quick" repairs
Turn on customer notifications — instant credibility boost
Review your dashboard every morning — catch slipping jobs early

The investment is small (often under $50/month). The return is huge: fewer lost jobs, happier customers, and a shop that runs smoothly even when you're not there.

Track every repair from intake to pickup. Try TechsBox free — built by a repair tech who got tired of spreadsheets.

How to Track Repair Jobs Without Losing Your Mind