Every repair shop has a workflow. The question is whether it's intentional or accidental.

Accidental workflows look like this: devices piled on a counter, sticky notes falling off monitors, customers calling to ask "is it done yet?" three times a day, and that one laptop from two weeks ago that nobody remembers who it belongs to.

An intentional workflow means every device has a status, every customer gets updates, and nothing falls through the cracks. Here's how to build one.

Why Your Workflow Matters

A sloppy workflow costs you money in ways you don't always see:

Lost devices — even one lost device can cost you thousands in replacement and reputation damage
Missed deadlines — a customer who expected their laptop Friday and doesn't hear from you until Tuesday won't come back
Wasted tech time — without clear priorities, techs bounce between jobs instead of finishing them
Double work — two techs start diagnosing the same device because nobody claimed it
Unpaid invoices — jobs get completed but never billed because there's no system to catch it

The fix isn't working harder. It's having a system.

The 7-Step Repair Workflow

Step 1: Intake

This is where most problems start. A rushed intake means missing information, and missing information means callbacks, delays, and unhappy customers.

What to capture:

Customer name, phone, email
Device type, make, model, serial number (if visible)
Reported problem — in the customer's words
Physical condition — note any existing damage (scratches, dents, missing screws) before you touch it
Accessories left with device (charger, case, stylus)
Password or passcode (if needed for diagnosis)
Customer's preferred contact method

Pro tip: Take a photo of the device at intake. If a customer later claims you scratched their laptop, you have proof of pre-existing damage.

What to give the customer:

A receipt or ticket number
Estimated turnaround time (be honest — padding by a day is better than missing a deadline)
Your contact info
Your warranty/liability policy

Step 2: Triage

Not every device needs immediate attention. Triage means quickly assessing priority:

Rush jobs — customer paid for expedited service, or it's a business-critical device
Quick wins — 15-minute fixes (screen replacements, battery swaps) that clear the queue
Standard repairs — most jobs, first-in-first-out
Waiting on parts — set aside until parts arrive, don't let them block your bench

Assign each device to a tech (or let techs claim jobs). The important thing is that every device has an owner.

Step 3: Diagnosis

The tech examines the device and determines what's actually wrong — which may differ from what the customer reported.

Document everything:

What you tested
What you found
What needs to be fixed
Parts required (and cost)
Estimated labor time

If the repair cost exceeds the customer's expectation, stop and get approval before proceeding. Nothing kills trust faster than a surprise bill.

Step 4: Repair

The actual fix. This is where techs do their thing.

Best practices during repair:

Work on one device at a time when possible — context switching kills quality
Keep screws and small parts organized (magnetic mats are your friend)
Note any complications or discoveries in the job record
If you hit an unexpected issue, update the estimate and contact the customer before continuing

Step 5: Quality Check

Before you call the customer, verify the fix:

Does the reported problem still occur? Test thoroughly
Did you introduce any new issues? (loose cables, misaligned screens, etc.)
Is the device clean? Wipe fingerprints, clean the screen
Are all screws back in place?
Does the device boot and function normally?

A 2-minute quality check prevents a 20-minute redo and an angry customer.

Step 6: Customer Notification

The device is ready. Let the customer know — through their preferred channel.

What to communicate:

The device is ready for pickup
What was done (brief summary)
Final cost (no surprises)
Your hours / pickup instructions

Timing matters. Send the notification as soon as QC passes, not at the end of the day in a batch. The faster the customer picks up, the faster you clear bench space.

Automate this if possible. Most shop management software (including TechsBox) can send automatic notifications when you mark a job complete.

Step 7: Pickup & Payment

The final handshake.

At pickup:

Walk the customer through what was done
Demonstrate the fix (power it on, show them the new screen, etc.)
Collect payment
Explain your warranty (30 days is standard for labor, parts vary)
Ask if they have any questions

After pickup:

Follow up 3-7 days later — a quick text asking "how's everything working?" shows you care and catches any issues early
Ask for a Google review if the customer is happy

Common Workflow Mistakes

No Status Tracking

If you can't tell a customer the status of their device in under 10 seconds, your system is broken. Every device should have a clear status: Checked In, Diagnosing, Waiting for Approval, Waiting for Parts, In Progress, Complete, Picked Up.

Skipping the Estimate Approval

"I thought it would be $50 and you're charging me $200" is a conversation you never want to have. Always get approval for repairs over a threshold you set (many shops use $100).

Not Tracking Parts

A device sitting on your bench for a week "waiting for parts" that were never ordered is pure waste. Track what's been ordered, when it ships, and when it arrives.

Hoarding Completed Devices

Set a policy for how long you'll hold a completed device (30 days is common). After that, charge a storage fee or dispose of it per your policy. Your bench space is valuable.

Paper-Only Tracking

Paper tickets work until they don't — and they stop working around 10-15 active jobs. After that, you need software. You'll spend more time searching for tickets than doing repairs.

Building Your Workflow in Software

A good shop management system turns this 7-step workflow into something your whole team follows automatically:

Intake form → creates a job record with customer info and device details
Status board → shows every active job and its current stage
Notifications → automatically texts the customer when status changes
Invoicing → generates an invoice from the job record when work is complete
Reporting → shows average turnaround time, jobs per tech, revenue per day

TechsBox is built around this exact workflow — check-in to pickup, with every step tracked and every customer notified. If you're still using a whiteboard or spreadsheet, it's worth a look.

The Bottom Line

A repair workflow isn't glamorous. Nobody starts a repair shop because they love process design. But the shops that thrive — the ones with 5-star reviews and repeat customers and techs who don't burn out — all have one thing in common: a system that works.

Build yours intentionally, and everything else gets easier.

Want a system that handles intake, tracking, notifications, and invoicing? Try TechsBox free — workflow management built for repair shops.

Repair Shop Workflow: From Intake to Pickup in 7 Steps