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The 2025 DVI Playbook: Photo Angles, Notes & the +15pt Approval Lift

Summary: Paper inspections breed doubt, delays, and double entry. Digital Vehicle Inspections (DVI) replace handwriting with photo/video evidence, standardized severity, and one-tap approvals. This playbook shows you how to roll DVIs out in a week—and why most shops see a double-digit lift in approval rate and ARO.

Want to see a live DVI flow? Digital Vehicle Inspections (DVI) by Garage360

Table of Contents

  • Why Paper Inspections Fail

  • How a DVI Works (5 Steps)

  • Photo Angles that Persuade

  • Notes Your Customers Actually Read

  • The Math: Approval Rate & ARO Uplift

  • 7-Day Rollout Plan (People, Process, Tools)

  • DVI FAQ

  • Free Checklist

Why Paper Inspections Fail

  • Low trust: “Needs pads” is easy to argue. A 2 mm pad photo isn’t.

  • Slow handoffs: Clipboards → retyping → delays.

  • Inconsistency: Missing boxes, unclear severity, illegible handwriting.

  • No audit trail: Sparse timestamps, easy to misfile, hard to analyze.

DVI fixes this with clear photos, short videos, severity tags (green/amber/red), and secure links customers can approve on the spot.

How a DVI Works (5 Steps)

  1. Start from a template: Brakes, tires, fluids, battery, suspension.

  2. Capture evidence: Photos + 10–15s video where needed.

  3. Tag severity: Green = OK, Amber = monitor, Red = fix now.

  4. Send the link: SMS/email with tappable thumbnails.

  5. Convert instantly: Approved lines auto-populate the estimate/invoice.

Try a working demo: See DVI in action

Photo Angles that Persuade

  • Brakes: Outer pad, inner pad, rotor face; angle slightly down to reduce glare.

  • Tires: Tread depth gauge on camera; sidewall for cracking/cupping.

  • Leaks: One context shot (where), one close shot (what).

  • Batteries: Corrosion close-up; meter reading display.

  • Steering/Suspension: Bushing cracks; joint play (brief video).

Pro tip: Light beats megapixels—use a bright shop light/headlamp. Keep lens clean.

Notes Your Customers Actually Read

  • 20-word rule: “Inner pad 2 mm; minimum 3 mm; recommend pads + rotors.”

  • Avoid jargon: Say “coolant” not “ethylene glycol.”

  • Offer options: Good / Better / Best binds decisions to a budget.

  • Stay factual: Photos + numbers beat pressure language.

The Math: Approval Rate & ARO Uplift

  • 10 inspections/day × 22 days = 220/month

  • Avg estimate = $650

  • Paper approval rate ~ 45% → revenue $64,350

  • DVI approval rate 60% → revenue $85,800

  • Monthly lift ≈ $21,450 (illustrative; before COGS)

Measure time-to-approval (TTA); faster approvals free bays sooner and cut idle time.

7-Day Rollout Plan (People, Process, Tools)

People

  • Appoint a DVI Champion (service writer or lead tech).

  • 30-minute kickoff: severity rules + photo basics.

Process

  1. Pick 5 core jobs (brakes, tires, battery, fluids, suspension).

  2. Create canned notes + photo prompts per job.

  3. Set severity rules (clear criteria).

  4. Define TTA goal (e.g., 90% within 30 minutes).

Tools

  • Phones/tablets with good cameras, headlamp, fender covers.

Schedule

  • Day 1–2: Train + templates.

  • Day 3–4: Run DVIs on every qualifying job.

  • Day 5: Review results; refine notes.

  • Day 6–7: Enable SMS nudges; start tracking AR, ARO, TTA.

DVI FAQ

How many photos? 5–10 per inspection; favor clarity over count.
Will it slow techs? After week one, it’s faster—no retyping.
Spotty Wi-Fi? Capture offline, sync near the office; keep videos short.
Privacy? Use role-based access, timestamps, encrypted links, retention rules.

Brand link (safe): Learn more about Auto repair shop software by Garage360

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