The problem with approval by phone
The brake pads are worn, the exhaust is through, the boot is torn: extra work is part of everyday workshop life. Approval for it usually happens by phone. That has two catches.
- The car is stuck. As long as the customer cannot be reached, the vehicle blocks the lift or the parking space.
- Nothing is in writing. At pick-up the customer remembers the price differently from you. Then it is your word against theirs, and the discussion costs time and trust.
How approval works in OpenHood
- Create the estimate: set it up with one tap, change it if needed and send it to the customer for approval.
- Extra work in the middle of a job: for example “Front brake pads badly worn, +€180 — approve?”, with a photo in the chat.
- Customer decides: taps yes or no, wherever they are.
- Everything stays traceable: every change to the estimate goes into the version history, every approval onto the job.
The legal background
In Germany an estimate (Kostenvoranschlag) is free of charge unless agreed otherwise (§ 632 (3) BGB, German Civil Code). If it becomes clear that it will be exceeded substantially, the workshop must inform the customer without delay (§ 649 BGB). A written approval with a clear time stamp is the cleanest proof of that — far more reliable than the memory of a phone call.
General information, not legal advice.
Less waiting, less discussion
When the customer answers in minutes instead of hours, the car is ready sooner and the space is free sooner. And because the customer saw the photo and approved it themselves, there is no surprise on the invoice. Soon they will also pay right in the app — more under customer communication for workshops.