Service report template

A service report records one visit: what was wrong, what you did and what happens next. Print the template below and leave a copy with the client before you go.

What a service report is for

It tells the client what they are paying for, and it tells the next technician what has already been tried. On maintenance contracts, a run of service reports becomes the history of each piece of equipment, which helps when deciding whether to repair or replace.

What each section should contain

• Visit details: client, site, date, arrival and departure times, and the technician's name.
• Equipment: what was serviced, with make, model, serial number or asset tag where there is one.
• Fault reported: what the client said, in their words.
• Findings: what you found, which may be different.
• Work carried out and parts used, with quantities.
• Recommendations: further work, parts to order, or the date of the next service.
• Signatures from the technician and the client.

How to fill it in well

Fill it in on site while the details are fresh, not in the van an hour later. Write the fault and the findings separately: "No heating" from the client and "Pump seized, replaced" from you are both useful.

Note readings before and after, such as pressures or temperatures, so the effect of the work is clear. Take a photo of the equipment label and of anything you recommend fixing later, and note where the photos are kept.

Keeping a history

File each report against the client and the piece of equipment, not just the date. When the same unit fails again, the last three reports show what was replaced and when, and whether a pattern is forming. That history is also the strongest case you have when recommending a replacement instead of another repair. Number your reports so they can be listed in order.

Mistakes to avoid

• Writing "serviced, all OK" with no detail of what was checked.
• Leaving out the time on site when the client pays by the hour.
• Recommending work without saying how urgent it is.
• Forgetting to note parts used, which then never reach the invoice.

Questions