Complaint, Cause, & Correction: The 3C’s of a Perfect Repair Order

The best stories have a strong beginning, a compelling middle, and a resounding end. The same can be said for the repair order (RO)! To be worth the price charged for the repair or claimed via warranty, ROs must capture the 3C’s: complaint (beginning), cause (middle), and correction (end).

In this article, the 3C’s are detailed individually and followed up with a checklist that you can use to write high-quality ROs that appropriately reflect the craftsmanship you apply to every repair you conduct.

1. Complaint: What’s the issue?

The complaint is the problem as reported by the customer or machine operator. Complaint statements must be statements of fact about the issue as experienced from the customer’s perspective.

A well-defined customer complaint is significant because it demonstrates to the customer that you are listening and care about their concern. It increases the likelihood of a first-time fix. In addition, it communicates to the OEM (warranty) areas that need improvement.

In your pursuit of a well-defined customer complaint, here are three things to consider:

? Never pre-diagnose the problem over the phone or at the advice of others, even when you think you know what’s wrong. You’re the expert. It’s your job to match the customer complaint with the root cause and offer a solution (correction).

? Use appropriate and specific language when describing the problem. It’s OK to paraphrase, though try to use words and descriptions close to what the customer stated. But don’t include information that’s not relevant to the specific repair.

? Ask open-ended questions to clarify the complaint. For example, what color is the oil in the gearbox? When does the issue happen, and for how long? Can you hear it, see it, or smell it?

2. Cause: What caused it?

This is the root cause analysis of the problem (for example, using the 5 Why’s method), where you drill down into the specific reason why the problem occurred. The cause should be the fault you found that led to the complaint and why your customer or OEM (warranty) should pay for the repair. Not finding the true root cause can result in your service department losing money, credibility, and customers, or all three!

Here’s the correct sequence of defining the cause on the RO:

? Re-verify the customer’s complaint and can be repeated. Write it down!

? Determine the leading cause of the complaint and the steps you took to reach this conclusion.

? If you expect the repair to be covered under warranty, what is the defect in materials or workmanship?

Sometimes the cause isn’t that easy to identify, but you know how to fix the problem. In these cases, be sure to explain the particular components found to have failed in your story.

3. Correction: How’d you fix it?

The correction is easy if the complaint was communicated and adequately understood and the root cause is found. Then, the correction is a report of what procedures you took to correct the complaint and confirm that the problem was resolved.

Write down precisely what you did to correct the problem. Include key test results, trouble codes, compression results, voltage/current/resistance readings, wiring or part numbers, and any other specific information about the parts you repaired or replaced. Remember, no one can read your mind. Therefore, you must record sufficient information so that your customers or OEMs can easily and quickly understand your repair story.

Finally, when presenting the repair order to your customer, start with the original complaint.

Following the three C’s will keep you from misdiagnosis and rework and lead to higher customer satisfaction rates (and payment).