Repair Ticket Checklist: What Every Intake Should Capture

Every repair ticket should capture who the customer is and how to reach them, exactly which device they left (model, color, IMEI or serial), the problem in their words, what works and what is already damaged before you touch it (with photos), how you will unlock and test it, the estimate, deposit and promised date, the part quality and warranty, and the customer's signature on your terms. A ticket with all of that settles almost every dispute before it starts. Below is the full intake checklist, why each field matters, and a printable version.

Why the intake is the most important five minutes of a repair

Most repair disputes are not about the repair. They are about what happened before it: "the camera worked when I dropped it off," "I never agreed to that price," "you said it would be ready Tuesday." Every one of those is settled by a ticket that was filled in properly at the counter, with the customer standing there.

A complete ticket also helps the people after you. The technician knows what to test. The person at the counter on pickup day knows what was promised. And six weeks later, when the phone comes back under warranty, you can see exactly what was done.

The intake checklist, field by field

Customer

Field	Why it matters
Full name	Matches the person picking up the device
Mobile number and email	Status updates and the "ready for pickup" message
Preferred way to be contacted	Fewer missed messages
Business customer, if it applies	Separate billing and terms for companies that send you repairs

Device

Field	Why it matters
Brand, model and color	Two black phones of the same model get mixed up; color and model on the ticket stop that
IMEI or serial number	Proves which device you received. On iPhone it is in Settings, General, About, and before setup you can tap the info button on the Hello screen, per Apple's guide to finding the serial number or IMEI. Apple notes iPhone 14 models and later have no IMEI engraving
Accessories left with it	Case, SIM card, memory card, charger, stylus. If it is not on the ticket, you did not receive it

The problem and the test

The problem in the customer's words. Write "dropped it, screen black, still vibrates," not just "screen." The words often point to a second problem.
A pre-repair test of what works. Go through the parts you can test: display and touch, cameras, speakers and microphone, charging, buttons, Face ID or fingerprint, Wi-Fi and cellular. Mark each as working or not.
"Not testable" when you cannot test. If the phone does not power on or the screen shows nothing, write that it could not be tested. That protects you when the customer later says the speaker used to work.

Pre-existing damage and photos

Write down every scratch, dent, crack, bent frame, missing screw and sign of liquid, and then photograph it. Photos are what settle a "you scratched my phone" conversation.

A simple photo routine that takes under a minute:

Front, back and all four sides, under good light.
Close ups of any damage you listed.
The screen powered on, if it turns on.
Attach the photos to the ticket right away, not to a personal phone.

Passcode or pattern

You often need to unlock a phone to test it after the repair. Handle this with care, because the customer is trusting you with everything on their phone.

Apple tells its own customers to never share their Apple Account password or device passcode and says Apple and its authorized service providers will not ask for them. The same page explains that on iOS 27 and later the customer can turn on Ready for Repair or Trade-In before service, and on earlier versions turn off Find My. So treat the passcode as optional and give the customer a choice:

They give you the code, you record it on the ticket where only staff can see it, and you use it only to test.
They do not give it, you mark the device "not testable after repair," and the customer tests it with you at pickup.

Whichever they choose, write it on the ticket. Keep codes off anything a customer at the counter can read, and delete them when the ticket is closed. The Federal Trade Commission's guide for businesses sums it up: keep only the personal information you need, lock it, and dispose of what you no longer need.

Price, timing and parts

Field	Why it matters
Estimate, with parts and labor	No surprise at pickup
Deposit taken, if any	Shows what is still owed
Part quality (genuine, premium, budget)	Recent iPhones show a Parts and Service History that can label a replaced display or battery as Genuine, Unknown or Used. Say which part you used before the customer finds out from Settings
Promised date and time	The single most common source of complaints
Assigned technician and priority	Who owns the job, and which jobs go first
Warranty period	When it starts and what it covers

Terms and signature

Your terms are where you set the rules for the situations that go wrong. Have a lawyer in your state review them. At a minimum, cover:

Data. The customer is responsible for backing up their data, and you are not responsible for data loss.
Diagnostic fees. What you charge if the customer declines the repair.
Fragile devices. A phone that is already cracked or bent can break further during the repair. Say what happens if it does.
Water resistance. Opening a phone can affect its original seals. Say whether you reseal it and what you promise.
Warranty scope. What it covers (the part and your labor) and what voids it (new drops, liquid, opening by someone else).
Unclaimed devices. How long you hold a finished repair and what happens after. Rules on abandoned property vary by state, so check yours.

Then get a signature. An electronic signature on a tablet works: the federal E-SIGN Act says a signature or contract cannot be denied legal effect just because it is in electronic form. Give the customer a copy of what they signed, on paper or by email.

At pickup: close the ticket the same way you opened it

The outtake matters as much as the intake.

Test the device with the customer, using the same list you used at intake.
Show them the repaired part and, if they gave you a passcode, suggest they change it.
Take the final payment and note it on the ticket.
Record the warranty start date and length.
Mark the ticket picked up, and remove the passcode from the record.

Printable repair ticket checklist

[ ] Customer name, mobile number, email, preferred contact
[ ] Brand, model, color
[ ] IMEI or serial number
[ ] Accessories received (case, SIM, memory card, charger)
[ ] Problem in the customer's words
[ ] Pre-repair test: working or not, part by part, or "not testable"
[ ] Pre-existing damage written down
[ ] Photos: front, back, sides, damage close ups
[ ] Passcode or pattern recorded, or "customer declined, test at pickup"
[ ] Estimate (parts and labor) and deposit
[ ] Part quality explained and chosen
[ ] Promised date and time
[ ] Technician and priority
[ ] Warranty period
[ ] Terms reviewed and signed, copy given

How SpotsPOS Repair handles the intake

SpotsPOS Repair builds this checklist into the ticket. A new repair walks through the customer, the device, the problem and the parts, with fields for the IMEI or serial number and the device lock code, plus a pattern lock screen where the customer draws their unlock pattern. A working parts checklist marks what works before the repair, or marks the device as not testable. You can upload up to 10 images and add repair notes, set an estimate and take a deposit, assign a technician and mark a repair as urgent. The customer signs your Terms & Conditions on screen, and you set a warranty period from 3 days to 1 year.

After intake, every ticket moves through statuses on the Repair Board, and customer notifications let you tell the customer when it is ready. See repair tracking for the full workflow.

Frequently asked questions

What information should be on a repair ticket?

At minimum: customer name and contact, device brand, model, color and IMEI or serial, accessories received, the problem in the customer's words, a pre-repair test, pre-existing damage with photos, how the device will be unlocked or that it is not testable, the estimate, deposit, promised date, part quality, warranty, and the customer's signature on your terms.

Should a repair shop ask for the customer's passcode?

Only when you need it to test the repair, and always as the customer's choice. Apple advises its customers never to share their passcode, so offer the alternative: mark the device as not testable and test it together at pickup. If you do record a code, keep it where only staff can see it and delete it when the ticket closes.

How do I document pre-existing damage on a phone?

Write each scratch, crack, dent or sign of liquid on the ticket, then take photos of the front, back, all sides and close ups of the damage, with the screen on if it powers on. Attach the photos to the ticket right away and have the customer sign the intake.

Are electronic signatures valid on repair tickets?

In the United States, the federal E-SIGN Act says a signature or contract cannot be denied legal effect only because it is electronic. Give the customer a copy of what they signed, and have a local lawyer review your terms.

What should repair shop terms and conditions include?

Cover data backup and data loss, diagnostic fees, risk to devices that are already damaged, water resistance after opening, what the warranty covers and what voids it, and how long you hold devices that are not picked up. Check your state's rules on unclaimed property.

Ready to make every intake complete? See how SpotsPOS Repair puts the whole checklist on the ticket.