Authorizing Tickets (Estimate Authorization)

Some states require a repair shop to obtain authorization from the customer for the amount before starting work. R.O. Writer documents these authorizations and prints each of them on the customer invoice.

Entering a Customer Authorization

If the ticket needs to be authorized, the Est Auth toolbar button appears with a red line: The estimate authorization button with a red line below the icon in the ticket toolbar..

You need to reach out to the customer using their preferred contact method. You need to communicate the details of - or the changes to - the ticket. If the customer approves, enter the authorization information.

To Enter an Authorization

Complete these steps:

  1. Click the Est Auth toolbar button The estimate authorization button with a red line below the icon in the ticket toolbar.. The Estimate Authorization window opens.
    For the first authorization, all the fields are active.

    The Estimate Authorization window.

For each additional authorization, the fields are inactive until you click the Add button.

  1. The customer's name appears in the Authorized By field by default.
    • Verify the information in the Authorized By field; it must be completed with the correct name before you can click OK.
  2. Information is transferred from the ticket but can be modified as needed.
  3. The following table describes the information transferred from the ticket.

    Item

    Description

    Phone

    The customer's phone number.

    Contact Phone

    The type of phone number (e.g., home, work, cell, etc.).

    Total Amount

    The total Balance Due (as displayed on the Calculations tab) for the repair order. The Amount and Difference amounts always include taxes and fees.

    Difference From Last Authorization

    This field appears only if there has been a previous authorization. It displays the difference between the current amount and the most recent authorization.

    The amount is red if the new total amount is less than the previously authorized amount.

  4. Enter the other information.

    The following table describes the information you must enter.

    Information

    Description

    Contact Method

    Select the method you used to contact the customer.

    Phone is selected by default. The dropdown list contains additional options, including an option for in-person authorizations.

    Reason

    Type in the reason for the authorization.

    Date

    Defaults to the current date. You can type in a different date.

    Time

    Defaults to the current time. You can type in a different time.

    By

    Type in the name or initials of the person who received the authorization from the customer.

  5. To save the information, click OK. The window closes. The Est Auth toolbar button changes to indicate that the ticket has been authorized The estimate authorization button with a green line below the icon in the ticket toolbar..

Editing Previous Authorizations

If the ticket has been authorized previously, the Est Auth toolbar button appears gray with no colored line The estimate authorization button in the ticket toolbar..

If the total Balance Due is different from the most recent authorization, the Est Auth toolbar button appears red The estimate authorization button with a red line below the icon in the ticket toolbar..

To Edit Authorizations

Complete these steps:

  1. Click the Est Auth toolbar button to re-authorize the current ticket.
    Each previous authorization appears in the Approval History section at the top of the window. The most recent authorization begins with "*CURRENT*."

    The top half of the estimate authorization window showing multiple approvals where one is current.

  2. Double-click on the authorization you want to edit. The information appears in the Estimate Approval section but is disabled.
  3. Click the Update button to activate the fields. The following information is updated from the ticket:
    • The Amount (and Difference amount), including taxes and fees.
    • The Date/Time
  4. Edit the fields as necessary.
  5. Click OK to save changes.

In-Person Authorizations

In the Contact Method dropdown list, select In Person when you want to obtain the authorization from a customer who is in the shop. A Get Signature button appears below all options if

Click the Get Signature button to capture an electronic signature to approve the current repair order.

The electronic signature for estimate authorization checked in configuration pointing to the get signature area of the Estimate Authorization window.

Authorizations on Printed Repair Orders

All authorizations print on the customer invoices in the Estimate Authorization section. If an electronic signature was captured for the authorization, the captured signature prints with each authorization.

Estimate Authorization Column on the Progress Windows

An estimate authorization column can be added to the Work in Progress (WIP) and Estimates in Progress windows. The Est Authorization column shows the status of the authorization for each ticket.

Statuses in this column include

To Make the Est Authorization Column Visible

If you do not see the Est Authorization column, right-click on the WIP window and select Est Authorization in the Visible Columns section.

Click Save and the Est Authorization column appears on the progress windows. This column displays the estimate authorization of each ticket.

The Est Authorization column on the in progress windows.

Requiring Authorization

You can require that the estimate be authorized before the repair order can be finalized.

Click Configuration module > Configuration menu > Repair Orders > Required Entries > Finalize section > Require Estimate Authorization. You are prompted as follows when finalizing repair orders whose total amount does not match the previous estimate authorization:

The prompt notifying you that the total has changed since the last authorization and asking if you want to authorize again or finalize with the new total.

Security Settings

You can password-protect the ability to update or delete estimate authorizations in Configuration: Configuration menu > Security > Security Levels > Repair Orders/Estimates section.

The estimate authorization security levels in configuration.