Customer Workflow: From Booking to Invoice to Payment

This guide covers the complete customer workflow in Workshop Software — from creating a booking in the diary, through working on the job, to processing the invoice and receiving payment. This is the core daily workflow for most workshops.

Step 1: Create a Booking

The Booking Diary shows your workshop’s availability at a glance — how many jobs are booked, how many hours are available, and which mechanics are assigned.

1. Open the Booking Diary from the main menu.
2. Press the + icon to create a new booking.
3. Select the Customer — start typing their name and select from the list, or press + to create a new customer.
4. Select the Vehicle — vehicles linked to the customer appear automatically. Press + to add a new vehicle or use Registration Lookup.
5. Add a Description of the work to be done.
6. Add Product Lines:
   • Choose Service Labour if this is a scheduled service (triggers the reminder system to calculate the next service date).
   • Choose Regular Labour for repairs, fittings, or other non-service work.
   • Set the quantity (hours) and price. These may auto-fill from product defaults.
   • Press the + icon on the product line to add parts — type the product name to search your product list, or use the down arrow to search integrated suppliers (Repco, Burson, HSY, PartsCheck, and more).
7. Add Notes — e.g. “rattling sound at 40 km/h” — or insert a saved template from Company Lists.
8. Add Job Card Notes if needed (these print on the job card).
9. Press the Cog Wheel to set diary details: assign a Mechanic, select the Date and Time, and adjust the diary duration if needed (e.g. give an apprentice more time than you’re charging).
10. Press Save.

In the Booking Diary, you can drag and drop bookings to reassign them to different mechanics or move them to different times.

Step 2: Start the Job (Convert Booking to Invoice)

When the vehicle arrives at the workshop, convert the booking into an open invoice to begin working on it.

1. Click on the booking in the Booking Diary to reopen it.
2. Press Start Job. This copies all booking details (customer, vehicle, products, notes) into a new open invoice.
3. The open invoice is now your working document. All further changes are made here, not on the booking.

Step 3: Work on the Invoice

The open invoice is where you add products, track mechanic time, and manage the job throughout the day.

1. Find open jobs in the Transaction Centre (Job Centre), which shows all open invoices with their job status and comments — no need to open each job to check progress.
2. On the invoice, use the available tools:
   • Customer star icon — change the customer or send them an SMS.
   • Vehicle star icon — view the vehicle’s service history and past invoice notes.
   • Attachments — view photos added from the mobile app or add your own.
   • Activity Log — view emails sent from this job and any invoice type changes.
3. Use the Invoice star icon for advanced options:
   • Gross Profit Analysis — see profit margins on the job.
   • Split Invoice — split the invoice between an insurer, warranty provider, or another customer.
   • Copy Invoice — duplicate the invoice (useful if you need to void and re-do a processed invoice).
   • Link Inspection — attach an inspection to the job.
   • Link Supplier Order — attach a supplier purchase order.
   • Open Booking — return to the booking to adjust calendar entries (e.g. add a second day by pressing Create and selecting the mechanic, date, and time).
4. To add a product not already in your system, press Add Products to open a mini product creation form. Fill in the item code, description, cost, and price. Tick Don’t Update Quantity for non-stocked items like miscellaneous parts.
5. If mechanics clock on/off via the app, press the Star on any product line to view or manually enter mechanic times. Note: mechanic hours are tracked separately from the billing quantity — updating clock times does not automatically change what the customer is charged.
6. Add Product Line Notes (prints directly under that product on the invoice) — different from Invoice Notes, which appear at the bottom of the entire document.
7. Update the Cost on stock items if the purchase price has changed for this particular job.
8. Set Job Status and Job Status Comment for at-a-glance progress tracking in the Transaction Centre.

Step 4: Add Deposits and Discounts

1. To add a Deposit, use the dropdown on the invoice and enter the amount and payment method. The deposit reduces the total balance due.
2. To add a Discount, enter a fixed dollar amount or switch to a percentage.

Important: If you are integrated with an accounting package (Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks), deposits entered on the invoice will not sync to your accounting software until the invoice is processed. If you need deposits reflected immediately, refer to the Workshop Software workflows document or the Knowledge Base for deposit-specific guides.

Step 5: Print or Email Documents

1. Press the Share icon on the invoice.
2. Choose to Print or Email the invoice or job card.
3. If attachments exist, you will have the option to include them.
4. Changing the invoice type (e.g. to Quote) changes the share options accordingly — you will print/email a quote instead of an invoice.

Step 6: Process the Invoice

Processing closes the job and records the transaction.

1. Set the Account Type:
   • Cash (Cash on Delivery) — the customer pays now. When you press Process, a payment popup appears asking for the payment method and amount.
   • Account — the customer pays later. Set the payment terms (e.g. 7 days). When you press Process, no payment popup appears. The balance is saved to the customer’s profile.
2. Fill in optional fields: Customer Order Number, Odometer, Next Service Date, and Rego Due Date (these save to the vehicle profile).
3. Press Process. Confirm the date and proceed.
4. For Cash customers: select the payment method, enter the amount, add a reference number if needed, and choose whether to print the invoice immediately.

Step 7: Manage Account Customers and Statements

1. Customers with a balance due show the amount at the top of their profile.
2. Go to Analytics > Statements to see all customers with outstanding balances.
3. To send a statement: select a date range, click on the customer, and press Send. Choose Email or Print.
4. Toggle to Aging Statement format to show current balance and aging values (30, 60, 90+ days).

Step 8: Record a Customer Payment

1. Go to Actions > Customer Payment.
2. Enter the customer name and press the magnifying glass to search for unpaid invoices.
3. Select the invoices being paid and press Select.
4. Enter the Applied Amount for each invoice.
5. Specify the payment method(s) and amounts — you can split across multiple methods (e.g. $400 direct deposit + remainder cash).
6. Press Process to close the invoice.

Voiding an Invoice or Payment

1. Find the customer and scroll to the bottom of their profile.
2. Open the invoice or payment you need to void.
3. Scroll to the bottom and press Void.
4. This removes the document from both Workshop Software and your connected accounting software.

FAQ

What is the difference between Cash and Account customers?
Cash (Cash on Delivery) customers pay when the job is complete — Workshop Software prompts for payment when you process the invoice. Account customers pay later according to their payment terms and receive statements.

Can I change a booking after starting the job?
You can still adjust the calendar entries (add extra days, change mechanic assignments) by pressing Open Booking from the invoice. However, all product and pricing changes must be made on the invoice itself.

What happens when I void an invoice?
Voiding removes the invoice from Workshop Software and your connected accounting software. Stock quantities are reversed and any payments are also voided.

Can I split a payment across multiple methods?
Yes. On the Customer Payment screen, you can add multiple payment methods (e.g. card and cash) with different amounts.

Related Articles

• Managing Customers, Suppliers, Vehicles, and Products
• How to Make a Booking
• How to Create an Invoice
• How to Allocate a Payment