Review an auto repair inquiry

A repair shop receives a message about an intermittent warning light. The service adviser needs vehicle context and a diagnostic conversation before making promises about repairs. Use a reviewed intake process to decide the next action.

Before you start

Enable Form builder and Pipeline follow-up in Plugins in a workspace you control. Both start disabled. Choose the response reviewer and opportunity owner. Connect a mailbox only if you intend to send a message.

The fictional demo workspaces show the shared screens and simulated actions. Build this example configuration in your own workspace using fictional records first.

Work through this example

Capture. Record vehicle make and model, reported symptom, preferred callback time and general urgency. Use fictional details for the first test.

Decide. Have a service adviser review the symptom; confirm diagnostic arrangements separately. A person with responsibility for the service makes this decision.

Hand off. Verify customer authorization; assign the parts-availability check; confirm the agreed customer update. Keep incomplete confirmations visible rather than marking the whole request ready.

Complete the workflow

1. Open Forms and create a draft named Auto Repair inquiry. Include name, usable email, vehicle make and model, reported symptom, preferred callback time and general urgency. Keep sensitive records in the appropriate specialist system.

2. Preview and save the draft, then publish its share link. Submit a fictional response using the situation above before sharing it with customers.

3. Open Responses and inspect the submission. Accept the appropriate response into the pipeline and check the matched contact. Resolve an ambiguous match before proceeding.

4. Open the opportunity in Pipeline. Assign its owner and a next action: Have a service adviser review the symptom; confirm diagnostic arrangements separately. Record a realistic follow-up date; confirm any booking or purchase separately.

5. Run Pipeline follow-up. Review the stale opportunities or overdue next actions it identifies and update the source record. Use the report to decide which source records need attention.

Check the result

The accepted response appears on the correct contact and opportunity. An owner can identify the pending decision and next action without reopening the original inquiry. Check that the vehicle reference and reported symptom match the customer’s request. Assign the adviser callback and record the next update; the symptom alone is not a diagnosis or repair authorization.

Adapt it for your business

Diagnostic equipment, shop scheduling and repair-order billing remain in your specialist tools unless a separate integration has been implemented and tested. Start with a link or reviewed reference to the source record.

Use Build an extension and the development brief when those systems need a connection. Specify the source of truth, permitted data, person who approves changes, duplicate handling and the receipt that proves completion.

What to check

If the contact match is incorrect or ambiguous, resolve it before updating the opportunity. If accepting a response has an uncertain result, inspect the response and linked opportunity before trying again. Pipeline follow-up is a read-only report; complete the chosen follow-up through the appropriate source screen and check its result.

Keep the approval required by the action policy. Restrict customer data to what the workflow needs. Enabled plugins use your workspace permissions; hosted infrastructure and connected providers may have costs, and AI conversations use your configured model. Verify the saved source record before relying on the result.