Auto Repair Shop SOP Templates.
Ready-to-use systems for running an independent auto repair shop, from the first phone call to the car going home and the next service. Open any of them free. No login needed.
Mapped with Richard Dansereau of OnTrack Automotive Solutions, 33 years in automotive shop management.
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Mapping an auto repair shop's client flow, live
Richard Dansereau founded OnTrack Automotive Solutions, a Canadian coaching group that works with aftermarket automotive shops, and has more than 33 years in automotive shop management. In this episode he and Dave map the client flow of an independent shop, stage by stage, as best practice.
His first move is to pick the right client: a maintenance-minded driver who wants to keep their vehicle for a long time, not someone whose car gets fixed once and is never seen again.
I believe that the value of any business is based on the systems.
The Critical Client Flow
Your whole shop on one page
This is the flow Richard and Dave built on the call. The three places he sees shops fall over are all on it: client onboarding at the counter, the inspection, and keeping the client updated during the day.
- Onboard every client at the counter. Richard estimates 75 to 80 percent of shops skip it. Set the timeline, how the price will be explained and when you will call, before the client starts running the process for you.
- Inspect every car, every time. A complimentary digital inspection with photos is part of the sales process. It builds trust and splits the quote into what is needed today and what can wait.
- Update the client before they ring you. A client left waiting until 3:30 with no word starts to panic. A set update time fixes most of it.
Where to start
Start at the front counter
Don't try to write everything at once. The pack and Richard land on the same three systems, and none of them are about the repair itself. They are about what the client sees and hears while their car is with you.
Where clients stop coming back
Auto repair shop SOP templates, by department
Each one is a full standard operating procedure: what triggers it, who does it, the steps, the templates and how you know it is done. They are written for an Australian independent shop of around 5 to 15 people doing general repair and maintenance on everyday passenger vehicles: not a dealership service department, not a multi-location chain and not a specialist import, transmission or collision shop. Anything set by a regulator, such as licensing, waste handling and consumer law, is left as a highlighted gap to fill in for where you work. A two or three person shop can read every role as a hat rather than a headcount.
The Repair
The client flow, from the drop-off to the next visit.
Vehicle Drop-Off and Client Onboarding
Set the timeline, how the price will be explained and who controls the schedule the moment the car arrives.
Open the system → Opens in systemHUB. No login needed.Digital Vehicle Inspection
A complimentary, photo-based inspection on every vehicle, so trust is built before the quote.
Open the system → Opens in systemHUB. No login needed.Quote and Deferred-Work Report
A written quote for what needs fixing now and an honest list of what can wait.
Open the system → Opens in systemHUB. No login needed.Progress Updates
A set update time and a named person who makes the call, so silence never makes the client ring in worried.
Open the system → Opens in systemHUB. No login needed.Deferred Repairs and the Next Visit
Track every repair the client put off so it actually gets done, and turn one visit into a long-term client.
Open the system → Opens in systemHUB. No login needed.Also in the full pack (get them with a free trial): Attention: Word of Mouth, Online Visibility and Local Marketing · Inquiry and Phone Handling · Client Approval and Work Authorisation · Handover, Delivery and Payment
Marketing
More word of mouth, on purpose.
Referral Program
Ask happy clients to send friends and family, at a set moment, with a small thank-you, instead of hoping it happens.
Open the system → Opens in systemHUB. No login needed.Website and Online Reviews
Keep your Google Business Profile and website accurate, and turn every good job into a public review.
Open the system → Opens in systemHUB. No login needed.Also in the full pack (get them with a free trial): Content and Maintenance Education · Local Business and Fleet Partnership Program · Social Media and Local Visibility
Sales
Getting quotes approved at the right price.
Estimate and Quote Follow-Up
Chase a quote or deferred-work list before the client puts it off for good or gets it done somewhere cheaper.
Open the system → Opens in systemHUB. No login needed.Pricing and Labour Rate Review
Check your labour rate and parts markup against the local market and real costs, so pricing isn't argued job by job.
Open the system → Opens in systemHUB. No login needed.Also in the full pack (get them with a free trial): Fleet and Commercial Account Sales · Maintenance Plan / Membership Program
Operations
The workshop floor, beyond the repair itself.
Comeback and Warranty Claim Handling
When a car comes back with an issue from recent work, triage, diagnose and resolve it fairly and fast.
Open the system → Opens in systemHUB. No login needed.Parts Inventory and Core Returns
Keep the right parts on hand and claim the credit owed when a used core goes back.
Open the system → Opens in systemHUB. No login needed.Also in the full pack (get them with a free trial): Environmental and Hazmat Compliance · Loaner and Courtesy Vehicle Management · Shop Equipment and Tool Calibration · Shop Safety and Technician Injury Prevention
Finance
Knowing whether the shop is busy or actually making money.
Technician Payroll and Flat-Rate Pay
Pay technicians on flat-rate or commission correctly and consistently, every pay run.
Open the system → Opens in systemHUB. No login needed.Monthly Financial Review
A monthly look at profit, labour efficiency, parts margin and cash, while problems are still small.
Open the system → Opens in systemHUB. No login needed.Also in the full pack (get them with a free trial): Accounts Payable and Parts Supplier Management · Tax and Compliance Calendar · Warranty and Comeback Cost Tracking
Human Resources
Finding technicians and keeping them current.
Technician Recruitment and Onboarding
From the first ad to a new technician's first solo job, so a vacancy doesn't sit open for months.
Open the system → Opens in systemHUB. No login needed.Technician Licensing and Certification
A live register of every technician's licences and certifications, so nothing lapses unnoticed.
Open the system → Opens in systemHUB. No login needed.Also in the full pack (get them with a free trial): Employee Exit Process · Leave and Time Management · Performance Reviews
Management
The rhythm that lets the owner step back from the counter.
Weekly Shop KPIs
Billable-hours efficiency, average repair order, comeback rate and retention, reviewed every week.
Open the system → Opens in systemHUB. No login needed.Daily Huddle and Weekly Team Meeting
A short daily huddle on the job board and safety, and a weekly meeting on the numbers and comebacks.
Open the system → Opens in systemHUB. No login needed.Also in the full pack (get them with a free trial): Keep the Shop Running If the Owner Is Suddenly Unavailable · Manage Risk and Compliance, Including the No-Unnecessary-Work Standard · Run the Annual and Quarterly Strategic Planning Rhythm
Get the whole pack in systemHUB
39 systems for an independent auto repair shop: 9 that carry a client from the first phone call to the next visit, 30 that run the shop around them, plus 34 templates and 9 AI assistants. Start a free trial and ask our team to load the pack into your account.
Start free trialFAQ
Common questions
What should an auto repair shop SOP include?
What triggers it, who is responsible, the numbered steps in order, the scripts, checklists or templates used along the way, and a definition of done so anyone can tell it has been completed.
Do I need a systemHUB account to read them?
No. Every system on this page opens as a public page with no login. You need an account to copy them, edit them and assign them to your team.
Are these for dealerships or chains too?
They are written for an independent aftermarket shop doing general repair and maintenance. The marketing, finance, HR and management systems fit most shops, but a dealership service department or a multi-location chain will need to adjust the client flow.
The rules in these are Australian. Do they work elsewhere?
The steps work anywhere. Anything set by a regulator, such as technician licensing, waste and hazmat handling and consumer law, is marked for you to check against the rules where you work.
What is a deferred repair?
Work the inspection finds that is not urgent today. Richard calls it the deferral process: quote what is needed now, note what can wait, and follow it up later. Tracked properly, that list is the next visit.
What is a Critical Client Flow?
The handful of stages every client moves through, from first hearing about you to the car going home paid for, on one page. It shows where work stalls and which systems to build first.
These systems are workflow documentation. Check anything to do with licensing, safety, environmental rules or consumer law against the rules where you work.