Independent garage: quotes and extra work approved in writing
“I never said yes to the discs”: the repair decided over the phone
A car comes into the workshop for its timing belt. The quote is accepted at the counter or over the phone, and the registration document arrives as a photo by text message. Then, with the wheels off, your mechanic finds discs below the minimum thickness. You call the client, who does not answer; you leave a message, and she calls back while you are under another car.
The car takes up a bay in the meantime. And on invoice day, there is no written record of what was accepted, or when.
What Kolinea changes for you
Annotations
The worn part, pointed out on the photo
On the photo of the disc or the tyre, draw an area, write your annotation and mention your client. They see what you see in the workshop, reply on the spot, and the annotation becomes a request in one click.
- A point or an area, on the photo as on the quote
- Replies in place, and “handled” once settled
- A post or a request in one click
Included in Premium: your clients annotate too, even from their phone
Document requests
Registration document and accident report, uploaded from the phone
Registration document, service book, accident report, claim number: your client uploads each document to its own line; you accept it, or reject it with the reason.
- One list of documents per request, with a due date
- A reason with every rejection: the client knows what to reshoot
- Everything ready before the assessor comes
Your client uploads their documents from their phone
Automatic reminders
The answer arrives before the car blocks the lift
Quote approval, extra work, insurance documents: set the due date and Kolinea reminds your client, two days before, on the day, the day after, then seven days later. As soon as your client replies, Kolinea stops.
- Two days before, on the day, the day after, seven days later
- Stops as soon as the request is handled
- Chasing by hand is still possible
Your clients find what is expected of them as soon as they open the folder
What Kolinea solves for garages
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Before: An approval given by text or over the phone cannot be found on the day it is disputed
A quote or variation submitted in the folder, accepted or declined by each named person, with the date and their name.
See how -
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Kolinea also takes care of
Folder templates
Every repair, ready in advance
The “Mechanical repair” template prepares the vehicle documents, the quote approval, the extra work question and the checklist before collecting the vehicle, with their due dates.
- Planned requests, in order
- A “Bodywork after a claim” template for insurance jobs
- Your own templates, shared with the workshop (Premium)
You write your requests once for all your clients
Cockpit
All your folders, one action at a time
Every open point in your folders is either an action for you or a follow-up Kolinea handles in your place. The session runs your actions from the keyboard, first to last.
- One action per point: approve, answer, publish, call
- Points being followed up, reminded by Kolinea
- Milestones to hold, with their weather
Included in every plan
One repair, one folder: the quote, the extra work, the handover
Your client opens the folder through a link, with no account, from their phone. They upload the documents you ask for, or ask you about a noise they have noticed. Your mechanic works in the same folder, opened from the “Mechanical repair” template.
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Quote
You attach the quote, and your client accepts or declines it in a sign-off, with the date and their name. Kolinea does not price or invoice: it keeps the record of the approval (sign-off in detail).
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Extra work
The photo of the worn part, annotated where it matters, then a choice decision (replace now, at the next visit, call me back); the answer is dated (choice decisions).
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Vehicle documents
Registration document, service book, and for a claim the accident report and the claim number, each with a due date; you accept each document, or decline it with the reason (document requests).
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Handover
Slots offered to hand the car back; the client picks one and receives the calendar invitation (appointments).
A sign-off is a simple approval, not a qualified electronic signature.
From drop-off to handover, the client knows where their car stands
Each request has a recipient and a due date. Reminders go out two days before the due date, on the day, the day after, then seven days later, and stop as soon as the client answers. You add milestones to the folder: vehicle dropped off, repair done, vehicle ready.
For a repair covered by insurance, the assessor joins the folder as a participant with limited access: they only read what names or mentions them, and your internal notes stay between you.
When the vehicle is returned, you close the folder. Your client and you will find the accepted quote, the extra work and the date of each stage there, for as long as your workspace exists. If the car comes back under warranty, you reopen the folder and everything is still there.
More features for your line of work
Frequently asked questions
Another question? Contact us
Your workspace moves to the Free plan, with no time limit: 2 active folders at a time and 2 members. The trial asks for no credit card. Beyond 2 active folders, new folders wait until one is closed, or until you choose Premium.
One Premium subscription per workspace: €159 excl. VAT a month, or €1,548 excl. VAT a year (€129 excl. VAT a month), with unlimited members and folders. Your clients never pay.
Your ongoing folders carry on, and your clients keep access to closed folders for life, as long as your workspace exists. If you delete the workspace, everyone is notified by email 30 days beforehand and can download the export of their folders.
Learn moreNot if your exchanges are one-off, with no follow-up: an email is enough. Nor if you need to invoice your clients, or a qualified electronic signature: Kolinea does not invoice, and its sign-off is a simple approval, dated and in the name of the person who gave it, with no value as a qualified signature. It keeps a record of what was accepted and when; if your document requires a qualified signature, you need another tool.
They have nothing to install or remember: they open their link and first see what you expect from them, on a phone or a computer.
Learn moreFrom their contact card, you generate a single-use link, to be opened within 24 hours, and a 6-digit code that you pass on yourself: the link by text or messaging app, the code by phone or in person. Their device is then recognised for your folders.
Learn moreEach trade shown here has its own folder template, with the usual requests already written: “Litigation” for a lawyer, “Year-end” for an accountant, “Rental listing” for a property manager, and so on. They are available on the Free plan; writing your own templates and adding custom fields (floor space, budget, property type…) is reserved for Premium.
Learn moreInvite your colleagues to your workspace: 2 members on the Free plan, as many as you like on Premium. Each one accesses the folders they work on; owners and admins see every folder, and the overdue items of the whole team.
Learn moreYes, free of charge. You open the folder, add your documents and create a free account with no password, then send them the link. They open the folder from that link, then claim it so they can reply; if nobody claims it within 30 days, the folder stays with you, and they can still claim it later.
Your next folder, with nothing lost along the way
Not the right time?
Get the link by e-mail and pick up later, from your computer.
One e-mail only, and your address is not kept.