Made for repair shops and service businesses
Phone and computer repair shops, garages, appliance technicians, tailors, cobblers and field service teams all share the same problem: an item comes in, someone needs to know whose it is, what is wrong with it, what was done, and who collected it. A job card answers all of that on one page, and protects you when a customer says the scratch was not there before.
From drop-off to collection
- Drop-off. Record the customer, the item (type, make and model, serial or registration), its condition on arrival, any accessories left with it, and the fault the customer describes. Print the job card and ask the customer to sign “Received by”. You can leave parts and labour empty at this stage.
- In progress. Change the status and add the work done, parts used and labour hours as you go.
- Ready. The totals are calculated. Send the job card, or turn it into an invoice.
- Collected. The customer signs “Collected by”, and you give them a receipt.
Two copies on one sheet
By default the PDF contains a Customer copy and a Job copy, labelled in the corner. Choose two per sheet under Copies and layout to print both on one A4 page and cut it in half: one goes with the customer, one stays with the item.
What to write in “Condition on arrival”
Be specific and neutral: “Crack in bottom-left of screen, lid scratched, no SIM tray” is far better than “used”. It takes ten seconds and prevents most disputes.
Parts and labour
Parts and labour have their own sections and subtotals. Labour lines work as hours × rate. Tax and payment details are under Advanced settings, and standard terms cover uncollected items, diagnosis fees, repair warranties and data backups.
Job card or work order?
Same document, different names: “job card” is common in workshops and in Africa and Asia; “work order” in facilities management and North America. Choose the title under Document options.
Common mistakes
- Not recording accessories, then arguing about a missing charger.
- No signature at drop-off.
- No terms for uncollected items. Most shops allow 30 days, then may sell items to cover costs.
A worked example
Daniel brings in a laptop that will not charge. At the counter, the shop records the item (Dell Latitude 5420, serial CN-0H8K2X), its condition (scratch on lid, worn keys), that the charger was left with it, and the fault in Daniel’s words. Daniel signs “Received by”, keeps the customer copy, and the job copy goes in the bag with the laptop. The next day the technician replaces the charging port and battery, adds the parts and 1.5 hours of labour, and sets the status to “Ready”. When Daniel collects, he signs “Collected by” and the shop turns the job card into a receipt.
Job card checklist
- Customer name and phone, so you can call when it is ready.
- Item, make and model, and serial or registration.
- Condition on arrival and accessories left.
- Fault as reported, and later the work actually done.
- Parts and labour, with tax if you are registered.
- Promised date, technician and status.
- Signatures at drop-off and collection.
Job card terms explained
- Condition on arrival
- Existing damage or wear recorded when the item is dropped off.
- Fault reported
- The problem in the customer’s words.
- Work done
- What the technician actually did.
- Diagnosis fee
- A charge for finding the fault, often waived if the customer goes ahead with the repair.
- Uncollected items
- Items left after the agreed collection period, covered by your terms.
- Job copy
- The copy that stays with the item in the workshop.
Keep job cards for at least as long as your repair warranty, so you can check what was done if the item comes back.
Who uses job cards
Phone, laptop and electronics repair shops; garages and motorcycle workshops; appliance and air-conditioning technicians; tailors and shoe repairers; and facilities teams handling maintenance requests.
Related free tools
- Free estimate generator: to price a bigger repair before starting.
- Free invoice generator: to bill the finished job.
- Free receipt generator: to confirm payment at collection.
One more tip
Take a photo of each item at drop-off and keep it with the job number. Together with the condition notes on the job card, it settles almost any question about damage when the customer collects.
Updated 2026-10-29