10

Summary: Paper inspections breed doubt, delays, and double entry. Digital Vehicle Inspections (DVI) replace handwriting with photo/video evidence, standardized severity, and one-tap approvals. This playbook shows you how to roll DVIs out in a week—and why most shops see a double-digit lift in approval rate and ARO.

Want to see a live DVI flow? Digital Vehicle Inspections (DVI) by Garage360

Table of Contents

• Why Paper Inspections Fail

• How a DVI Works (5 Steps)

• Photo Angles that Persuade

• Notes Your Customers Actually Read

• The Math: Approval Rate & ARO Uplift

• 7-Day Rollout Plan (People, Process, Tools)

• DVI FAQ

• Free Checklist

---

Why Paper Inspections Fail

• Low trust: “Needs pads” is easy to argue. A 2 mm pad photo isn’t.

• Slow handoffs: Clipboards → retyping → delays.

• Inconsistency: Missing boxes, unclear severity, illegible handwriting.

• No audit trail: Sparse timestamps, easy to misfile, hard to analyze.

DVI fixes this with clear photos, short videos, severity tags (green/amber/red), and secure links customers can approve on the spot.

How a DVI Works (5 Steps)

1. Start from a template: Brakes, tires, fluids, battery, suspension.

2. Capture evidence: Photos + 10–15s video where needed.

3. Tag severity: Green = OK, Amber = monitor, Red = fix now.

4. Send the link: SMS/email with tappable thumbnails.

5. Convert instantly: Approved lines auto-populate the estimate/invoice.

Try a working demo: See DVI in action

Photo Angles that Persuade

• Brakes: Outer pad, inner pad, rotor face; angle slightly down to reduce glare.

• Tires: Tread depth gauge on camera; sidewall for cracking/cupping.

• Leaks: One context shot (where), one close shot (what).

• Batteries: Corrosion close-up; meter reading display.

• Steering/Suspension: Bushing cracks; joint play (brief video).

Pro tip: Light beats megapixels—use a bright shop light/headlamp. Keep lens clean.

Notes Your Customers Actually Read

• 20-word rule: “Inner pad 2 mm; minimum 3 mm; recommend pads + rotors.”

• Avoid jargon: Say “coolant” not “ethylene glycol.”

• Offer options: Good / Better / Best binds decisions to a budget.

• Stay factual: Photos + numbers beat pressure language.

The Math: Approval Rate & ARO Uplift

• 10 inspections/day × 22 days = 220/month

• Avg estimate = $650

• Paper approval rate ~ 45% → revenue $64,350

• DVI approval rate 60% → revenue $85,800

• Monthly lift ≈ $21,450 (illustrative; before COGS)

Measure time-to-approval (TTA); faster approvals free bays sooner and cut idle time.

7-Day Rollout Plan (People, Process, Tools)

People

• Appoint a DVI Champion (service writer or lead tech).

• 30-minute kickoff: severity rules + photo basics.

Process

1. Pick 5 core jobs (brakes, tires, battery, fluids, suspension).

2. Create canned notes + photo prompts per job.

3. Set severity rules (clear criteria).

4. Define TTA goal (e.g., 90% within 30 minutes).

Tools

• Phones/tablets with good cameras, headlamp, fender covers.

Schedule

• Day 1–2: Train + templates.

• Day 3–4: Run DVIs on every qualifying job.

• Day 5: Review results; refine notes.

• Day 6–7: Enable SMS nudges; start tracking AR, ARO, TTA.

DVI FAQ

How many photos? 5–10 per inspection; favor clarity over count.
Will it slow techs? After week one, it’s faster—no retyping.
Spotty Wi-Fi? Capture offline, sync near the office; keep videos short.
Privacy? Use role-based access, timestamps, encrypted links, retention rules.

Brand link (safe): Learn more about Auto repair shop software by Garage360