Use a car's activity, notes, and photos when you need to understand the vehicle's history before taking the next step.

This guide shows you where to look, what each section means, and how to use the information without confusing internal notes with customer-facing updates.

When to use this guide

Use these steps when:

• A customer asks what happened during a recent inspection, intake, pickup, or delivery.
• A teammate needs context before moving, servicing, or releasing a car.
• You want to check whether photos or notes were added during an event.
• You need to see whether a car has upcoming or previous work.

Before you start

• Open the correct car from Cars.
• If you are not sure which car to open, use Find and filter cars.
• Remember that notes may be internal. Do not copy internal notes to a customer unless your team has confirmed they are appropriate to share.

Read Vehicle Activity

Vehicle Activity is the car's timeline. It helps your team answer, "What has happened with this car?"

1. Open the car record

   Go to Cars and open the vehicle.

2. Find Vehicle Activity

   Near the top of the car detail page, look for Vehicle Activity. It sits above Notes and below the car title and action buttons (Assign location and Event).

3. Review each row

   Each row may show:

   • The event name (for example, intake, inspection, or delivery)
   • The date or time
   • How many photos were captured
   • The status (scheduled, in progress, or complete)
   • Short notes from the person who handled the work
   • Actions such as Open, Schedule, or Resume

   Read the newest rows first when you need a quick answer about recent work.

4. Open the event if you need more detail

   Click the row or choose Open when you need the full story — every photo, reading, signature, and checklist answer from that session.

   Expected outcome: The session detail page opens. You can see exactly what was captured and whether the work is finished.

Understand activity status

Statuses tell you where an event stands.

Review internal notes

Notes help teammates share context without relying on memory.

1. Find Notes

   On the car detail page, look for the Notes card.

2. Read the newest notes first

   Notes usually show the most recent context near the top. Read enough history to understand the current situation.

3. Click Add note when you need to record context

   Click Add note. A small form opens where you can type your message.

   Why this matters: Notes stay on the car record for your team. They are not automatically sent to the customer unless your facility uses a separate customer message for that purpose.

4. Save the note

   Type your note, then save it. Confirm the new note appears in the Notes list with today's date.

   Expected outcome: The next teammate who opens this car sees your note without asking around the shop.

Write useful notes

Good notes help the next teammate take action.

• Write what matters for the next step, not every small detail.
• Use clear names and dates when helpful.
• Explain special handling instructions, customer preferences, or follow-up needs.
• Keep the tone professional, even for internal notes.

Review photos

Photos appear when they were captured during a session (such as intake or inspection) or added to the car record another way.

1. Look for Latest Photos

   Scroll below Notes on the car detail page. If the car has recent images, you will see Latest Photos with small thumbnails.

2. Open a photo to inspect it

   Click a thumbnail to open a larger view. Use this when a customer asks about condition, when you need to verify a VIN or odometer photo, or when you are comparing before-and-after damage.

3. Use View all photos when available

   When the car has many images, choose View all photos (or similar wording) to see the full gallery instead of only the newest few.

4. Check the related event when needed

   If you need to know why a photo was taken, open the related row in Vehicle Activity. The session page shows every photo from that event in order.

   Expected outcome: You can answer customer questions with confidence because you saw the actual images tied to the work.

What success looks like

After reviewing activity, notes, and photos:

• You understand the most recent work or upcoming work for the car.
• You know whether there are internal notes your team should consider.
• You can find photos or know why none are available.
• You can take the next step with more confidence.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Do not assume a note was sent to the customer. Notes are often for the team only.
• Do not rely on memory when a note should be added. If the next teammate needs to know it, write it down.
• Do not treat an unfinished session as complete. Check the status before promising a customer that work is done.
• Do not share photos outside your team unless your facility's policy allows it.

Troubleshooting

What to do next

If the record needs a correction, update it with View and edit vehicle details. If the car needs new work, use Start a car session.