Repair order software: from paper tickets to a system that keeps up

This guide covers phone, computer, tablet and console repair counters, not auto shops or field-service crews.

What a repair order has to hold

Whether it is on paper or in software, a usable repair order has the same core fields:

1. Order number, date and who checked it in.
2. Customer name and phone number.
3. Device: brand, model and serial number or IMEI.
4. Condition at drop-off and the reported problem in the customer's words.
5. Quote, deposit and estimated ready date.
6. Assigned technician, status and repair performed.
7. Parts used and the final amount paid at pickup.

The field-by-field checklist is in phone repair work order template. This page is about what changes when those fields live in software.

Where paper repair orders break down

Paper works until the shop gets busy. Then the same problems show up every week:

• Two orders with the same number, or a missing number nobody can explain.
• A customer calls and nobody can find the ticket without digging through a tray.
• The tech changed the quote but the copy at the counter still shows the old price.
• A device comes back under warranty and nobody can prove what was done the first time.
• Parts used never make it back to the inventory count.

Each of these costs time at the counter, and some of them cost money.

Numbering and search

Software gives every order the next number automatically, so there are no duplicates and no gaps. More importantly, you can find an order by the customer's phone number, the order number or the device serial or IMEI. That is what turns a "where's my phone?" call into a ten-second answer. See IMEI tracking for repair shops.

Status from intake to pickup

A repair order should move through clear statuses, for example received, diagnosing, waiting on customer, waiting on parts, repaired and picked up. Each shop names these differently, so the list should be editable instead of hard-coded. The counter and the bench then see the same status, and a manager can see every order that is stuck. More on this in tracking repairs in a phone shop.

Parts and pricing on the order

When the tech records the screen or battery used, it should come out of inventory on the same order. That keeps the shelf count honest and shows what each job really cost. A price list your counter staff can quote from keeps the quote on the order consistent. See repair shop inventory management and repair shop price list.

Pickup, receipt and warranty

At pickup the order closes with the amount paid and the repair performed, and the customer leaves with a receipt (see phone repair receipt template). If the device comes back, the warranty order should carry the original order number so you can see the first repair, the part and the tech. Details are in warranty repair tickets.

Quick checklist

• Every order gets the next number automatically.
• Orders are searchable by phone number, order number and serial or IMEI.
• Condition at drop-off and the reported problem are recorded at intake.
• Statuses are editable and the same on the counter and the bench.
• Parts used come out of inventory on the order.
• The order closes with the repair performed and the amount paid.
• Warranty returns link to the original order.
• Each staff member has their own login.

How RepairAmigo helps

RepairAmigo is free repair order software for cell phone, computer and console repair shops. It was built inside a busy repair shop that has processed more than 50,000 repair tickets. Made in Texas.

• Smart intake. Returning customers are found by phone number and their details fill in. Receiving has options for a new customer, a repeat customer, a warranty return, a purchase or a search.
• Tickets and tech workflow. Each ticket holds status, repair performed, assigned tech, quoted price and comments. Owners and Managers can add, remove and reorder statuses.
• Inventory. Screens and parts deduct when a repair is saved, with low and negative stock warnings and history linked to tickets.
• Cash POS. Register and safe balances, deposits and withdrawals, plus a cash sale screen for accessories and walk-ins.
• Warranties. A warranty ticket carries the original repair order number so the history stays together.
• Optional customer texts. Through your own Twilio account, texts can go out when a device is received, needs input or is ready for pickup.
• Roles and your data. Owner, Manager and Technician roles. Records stay on your own machine. Back up the entire VM and run it on another computer as easily as you installed it. The Owner can also use Management → Owner Only → Export Data for an extra data-only copy (SQL backup, or CSV tables you can open in Excel) and keep it off the machine.

It runs as a VirtualBox virtual machine on a Windows, Linux or Intel Mac computer in your shop. Your team uses it from any browser on the shop network. There are no ticket or user limits. A full Spanish edition is available.

Download RepairAmigo free or read the setup guide.

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