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).
FAQs
The 3 C's on a repair order stand for “complaint,” “cause,” and “correction.” Each of these areas represents a crucial step in the diagnostic and repair process and helps technicians effectively identify and solve the underlying issues with your vehicle.
What are the three C's on a repair order? ›
Complaint, Cause, & Correction: The 3C's of a Perfect Repair Order.
What are the 3 Cs a repair work order should document? ›
If so, what you experienced was the start of a methodical repair process known as "The Three C's." The three C's are as follows; Concern, Cause, and Correction. Each of these pillars is essential and cannot be rearranged or discarded.
What is one of the 3C's of the repair order? ›
Most car dealers and fixed operations managers are familiar with the three 'C's of repair orders: condition, cause, and correction, which are necessary to complete an order correctly.
What are the three C's in order? ›
Training your brain before you find yourself in a high-pressure situation may help you save a life or potentially help someone in pain. There are three basic C's to remember—check, call, and care. When it comes to first aid, there are three P's to remember—preserve life, prevent deterioration, and promote recovery.
What is the 3Cs rule? ›
The 3Cs stand for: Consent (Free, Prior and Informed Consent of the craftsperson, indigenous or local community), Credit (acknowledgement of the source community and inspiration) and Compensation (monetary, non-monetary or a combination of the two).
What are the 3 C's and what do they mean? ›
We are all innately curious, compassionate, and courageous, but we must cultivate these values — the 3Cs — as daily habits to foster the independent thinking, free expression, and constructive communication that will enable our society to reach its full potential.
How to write a proper repair order? ›
It also serves to show the customer the methodology of the repair shop as well as the technician's thought process. Today, a well-written repair order should list a minimum of five items. The Complaint, Diagnostic Procedures, (inspections and tests performed), Test Results, Root Cause and the Recommended Correction.
When talking about the 3 c's, the correction is? ›
When discussing the 3 C's in the context of automotive repair, Correction refers to the actual repair procedure performed to fix the problem with the car.
What do the three Cs include? ›
Most of you are probably familiar with the three C's on your repair orders — Condition, Cause and Correction — which are a necessity to complete a repair order correctly, as well as a warranty claim submission.
This method has you focusing your analysis on the 3C's or strategic triangle: the customers, the competitors and the corporation.
What is the concept of 3 C's? ›
The 3 Cs of Brand Development: Customer, Company, and Competitors. There is only a handful of useful texts on strategy. Any MBA student will be familiar with these: Competitive Advantage and Competitive Strategy by Michael Porter.
What is 3cs method? ›
The chromosome conformation capture (3C) experiment quantifies interactions between a single pair of genomic loci. For example, 3C can be used to test a candidate promoter-enhancer interaction. Ligated fragments are detected using PCR with known primers.
What are the 3 C's requirements? ›
The Three Cs of Requirements: Consistency, Completeness, and Correctness.
What does the 3cs principle stands for? ›
These 3 C's are Cards, Conversation, and Confirmation. These are essential components for writing a good User Story. The Card, Conversation, and Confirmation model was introduced by Ron Jefferies in 2001 for Extreme Programming (XP) and is suitable even today. So, let us examine these 3 C's for writing User Stories.
What are the 3 C's criteria? ›
The Three Cs of Requirements: Consistency, Completeness, and Correctness.
What are the 3 C's of organization? ›
Neglecting these steps in organizational change management may cause the plan to fail. Consider the 3Cs— communication, capability, connection, and culture if you want it to succeed.
What does the 3Cs principle stands for? ›
These 3 C's are Cards, Conversation, and Confirmation. These are essential components for writing a good User Story. The Card, Conversation, and Confirmation model was introduced by Ron Jefferies in 2001 for Extreme Programming (XP) and is suitable even today. So, let us examine these 3 C's for writing User Stories.
