A laptop screen ordered for a customer who vanished
A customer wants a screen for an older laptop model. You do not stock it, so you order one in. The customer says they will bring the laptop in when the part arrives. It arrives, you text them, and you hear nothing. Two months later the screen is still on the shelf, for a model you rarely see.
Other times the customer comes in, but the deposit they paid over the counter was recorded only on a sticky note, and nobody can find it, so they pay the full amount and then argue about it.
Ordered-in parts carry risk and nobody manages it
Common parts for popular models are used quickly whether a customer turns up or not. Parts for older laptops, games consoles, tablets and unusual phones are different: if the customer does not come, the part may never be used. Many shops know they should take a deposit but do it inconsistently, and the deposit is not linked to anything.
- Deposits are taken sometimes, depending on who is at the counter.
- Deposits are recorded in notes, not against the order.
- The customer is not told clearly what the deposit covers.
- Arrival messages are sent once and not followed up.
- Unclaimed ordered-in parts are not tracked.
The cost of parts nobody collects
Each uncollected ordered-in part is money spent on stock you did not want, and some of it cannot be returned to the supplier. Deposits that cannot be found cause disputes with customers who did pay. And staff time goes on chasing customers by phone when a simple, recorded process would have done it.
Whether you take deposits, how much, and whether they are refundable are your decisions, set in your terms. We build the process that applies them consistently.
Deposits linked to the order and the ticket
We build deposit handling into your quoting and ordering.
- When a quote needs a part ordered in, the system marks it as an order-in part and shows your deposit rule for it.
- The customer receives a quote with a payment link for the deposit, through Stripe or your card provider, with your terms stated clearly.
- The part is ordered only when the deposit is paid, or when a staff member overrides that with a reason.
- The supplier order is linked to the ticket and the deposit, and the customer is told when the part is expected.
- When the part arrives, the customer receives a message with booking options, followed by reminders on your schedule.
- At the repair, the deposit is taken off the final bill automatically. Unclaimed parts after your set period appear on a list for you to decide what to do.
| Ticket | Part | Deposit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Older laptop, screen | Ordered in | Paid online | Part arrived, reminder sent |
| Console, HDMI port | Ordered in | Paid online | Part due this week |
| Tablet, digitiser | Ordered in | Not paid | Order on hold |
Ordered-in parts that get fitted
Customers who pay a deposit are far more likely to come back, and those who do not pay are not ordered for. Deposits are always found, because they are linked to the ticket. Customers are reminded when their part is in. And you have a clear list of any ordered-in parts still waiting, rather than a shelf of mysteries.
Do ordered-in parts get left behind?
- You have parts on the shelf for customers who never returned.
- Deposits are taken inconsistently.
- Deposits are recorded on notes and sometimes lost.
- Customers are told once when their part arrives, then forgotten.
- You cannot list every ordered-in part still waiting for its customer.