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      Customize Invoice in Report Pro

      How to build and create your Invoices in Report Pro

      Things to Note

      • With Report Pro you have the ability to fully customize your Invoices.  From putting your logo on the invoice, making it easier to read, adding social media icons, and even coupons; you can make your invoice yours!

      • Send the invoice to your customers through email and they can click on your Facebook link or web address to give you positive ratings.

      • Add QR Codes!  These are codes that computers scan for information.  You can have a QR code that a customer scans with their smart phone and it sets their next appointment automatically.

      How To

      Place a Logo on your Invoice

      For best results; the image should be created in a graphics software program.  There are many programs out there to use.  The program that is used needs to make an image that has the following specifications:

      • If using a Raster graphics (pixels) program, the logo should be generated for the specific size from the software.  Image size should be 2 inches wide by 1 inch high.
      • If the logo is created using Vector software (paths) to generate the image it can be resized with little effect on the quality to fit the spec of 2 inches wide by 1 inch high.

      When you have created your logo, you must store it on the hard drive in your computer.  (Usually the C drive.)

      When Pro Pack is installed on your computer, a folder named BOT will be installed on the C drive.  Inside the BOT folder you will find the Samples folder.  Save your Logo in the Samples folder.

      If this is done on each computer you can follow the following steps to load it onto your invoice.

      1. From Report Pro select the Customize tab

      2. Select the Customize Invoice button

      3. Check the box Use Logo On Invoice

      4. Click the lookup button (It's the button with the 3 dots on it to the right.)

      5. Open the shared network folder that contains your shop logo

        1. HINT: Instead of navigating via Computer C:\, navigate via Network Places>Computer Name>Shared Folder>BOT Folder>Samples

      6. Select your logo in the folder

      7. Select the open button.

      8. Select the Save button.

      Select What Information Appears

      By selecting the box in front of each item listed in the Customize window you can determine what information appears on the Invoice.

      • Shop Name
      • Shop Address
      • Shop Phone
      • Shop Slogan
      • License 1
      • License 2
      • Ref #
      • Hat #
      • Unit #
      • Engine

      You can choose only one of the following dates to appear on your invoices:

      • Printed Date - Prints the date the invoice is printed.
      • Posted Date - The date that the invoice posted to your history.
      • Promised Date - The date that was promised to the customer for vehicle completion. Can also be used to manually manipulate for printing when sending to an accounts receivable customer if your payment terms need tweaking for an expected due date

      Include the Spouse's name on invoice - Selecting this option will put the spouses name on the invoice if it is listed in the Shop Management System.

      Display Time with Date Display (except simple invoice) - By default, only the date is printed on the invoice. Check this box if you would like to include the Time when the corresponding field in your management system is populated. If this option is selected, and the time is not populated in your management system, then the current time will show.

      Display Vehicle Time- Time In and Time Out.  By default, this section does not show. Check this box if you would like to show the section that displays the Vehicle Time-In and Vehicle Time-Out for the invoice being printed. This section will hide automatically if neither the Time-In nor Time-Out fields contain data

      Add a Paid Stamp on zero balance - Check this box to add a red PAID stamp to invoices when the customer pays the invoice.

      Hide All Header Labels - If your shop uses invoice paper that has your shop's info already printed on it.  Choose this option so that Report Pro does not print over your preprinted  header

      Invoice Body Customization

      Invoice Primary Accent Color

      Report Pro allows you to add color to your invoices.  Select from the provided colors or select a custom color to add to your invoice.  Typically a primary color in your logo is best.

      There are ten different templates and each use this color differently. Pick the invoice template that you prefer. 

      HINT: Use the color saturation scale in the Define Custom Colors to lighten your color preference as darker saturation can make invoice text harder to read, plus you'll save on toner.

      Invoice Secondary Accent Color - Add a second color to your invoice.

      Select the button to select the Secondary Accent color to be used on your invoice then select from the pre-defined colors or Select the Define Custom Colors >> button and use it to define your color specifically. Typically this is the secondary color in your logo.

       

      Show Part Prices - By default the prices for parts are shown for your invoice part items. Uncheck this box to hide the individual part prices. Keep in mind that the part subtotal for a "by the job" invoice will still show unless it is also unchecked.

      Show Part Numbers - By default the part numbers are shown for your invoice part items. Uncheck this box to hide the individual part numbers.

      Show Labor Hours - By default the labor hours associated with a labor line will display in the job subtotal section of the "by the job" invoice templates. Uncheck this box to hid the labor hours for each labor line item

      Show Job Totals - By default the "by the job" invoice templates will print the job totals. Uncheck this box to hide the job totals.

      NOTE that the Labor Dollars, Labor Hours, Part Dollars and Sublet Dollars will still show unless their corresponding option is unchecked.

      Show Labor/Parts Job Total? - Uncheck this option to hide the Labor and Parts totals when using a "By the Job" invoice template

      Show Sublet Job Total? - Uncheck this option to hide the Sublet labor totals when using a "By the Job" invoice template

      Show List Prices (By the Job Invoice Templates Only) - By default the "by the job" invoice templates will not show List Prices. Check this box if you sell your parts below list to your customers.

      Show Watermark Across Page Background - Adding a Watermark to the background of your invoice further "brands" your shop.  The watermark prints your shops 2 initials in light gray in the background of your invoice.

      By default this option is unchecked. Check this box and enter up to two letters in the corresponding text box and those two letters will display as a gray scale watermark on your invoice

      Watermark Image Path - Instead of gray scale text, select the lookup button (button with three dots on it) and map to a logo in a shared network folder. Setting is per computer. Place the image in a shared network drive mapped as same folder path on every machine or place the logo in the same folder path on each machine. 

      HINT: Make sure the logo is sized to fit on your paper and is on the lighter end of the color spectrum, preferably gray scale as bold colors or logos that are oversized will dominate the invoice instead of enhancing it. 

      Force Jobs To Group Together - By default this option is checked. This helps the "by the job" invoices keep the entire job on the same page if it can, if it cannot then the "by the job" layout will wrap the job to the next page. Uncheck this box if you want all jobs to wrap even if they can fit on a single page.

      Only Show First Line of Descriptions - By default this option is unchecked so that all information typed in to the management system is displayed on the invoice. Check this box to so that only the first line of the description is displayed on the invoice.

      Remove New Lines From Descriptions - By default this option is unchecked so that even the extra blank lines entered in the management system are displayed on the invoice. Check this box to so that extra lines are not displayed on the invoice.

       

      Customize Footer

      Website? - Check this box and place the URL (Address) to your website in this space.  You can use this for any website you may want to send your customers to.

      Show Website Link? - By default this option is unchecked.  Once you add your web address, select this box and it will be included on your invoice.

      Set text color for website link - Select from the predefined colors or define your own.  It doesn't have to be blue either!

      Generate QR code for Website Link? - Check this option if you have entered a URL for your website and would like a QR code printed on the last page of your invoice that customers can scan to open your website.

      Show Tax details when Multiple Taxes - Check this option if your State/Province requires that you display the individual breakdown of taxes

      Show Disclaimer - Uncheck this option if your disclaimer is pre-printed on your invoice paper or add disclaimer text. Uncheck this option to not show consent notification in the disclaimer text.

      NOTE: Be sure to inform your customers that you will now be using text as a way of communicating with them.

      NOTE: This is not recommended for Message Manager Pro customers as the FCC has recommended that customers be notified that they will be receiving transactional text messages.

      Use Custom HazMat Label - Check this option if your State/Province requires you to use a custom label for Hazardous Material charges. The label value is pulled from your shop management system

      Use Custom Shop Supplies Label - Check this option if your State/Province requires you to use a custom label for Shop Supply charges. The label value is pulled from your shop management system

      Hide Labor, Part, Sublet Totals in Invoice Total box - Check this option if you wish to hide the totaling of Labor, Parts, and Sublet on the last page of your invoice. 

      If using this option, be sure that you are not breaking any consumer protection laws and you may want to hide them in the job sub-totaling as well.

      Show Technician Names - Check this option to display a list of technicians that have worked on this invoice

      Show Technician License with Tech Name - Check this option if your State/Province requires you to display the technicians license number with their name. Be sure to not check this option if you store private information in the technicians ID field of your management system

       

      Customize Sections

      Recommendations

      Check this option to include a recommendations section on the invoice. You invested the time into checking out the vehicle, include all the recommendations you have made for future reference. 

      Note that Portrait templates show or hide the section and Landscape templates show or hide the data.

      Include Past Due Recommendations - Check this option to include recommendations where the Need By date is prior to today's date

      Generate QR Code Appointment - Check this option to have a QR code generated for the next due recommendation.

      Section Title - Give this section a custom title to print on the Invoice.  Such as declined jobs or recommendations.

      Accent Color - Set a color to catch the customer's attention to the items listed.

      Unsold Revisions - Check this option to display a summary of unsold revisions on the invoice. The first line of the revision must be labor or part. Only the description of the first labor or part will be printed in the summary.

      Show Prices - Uncheck this option if your sub estimates contain many jobs where the total sub estimate price could mislead the customer since only the first labor line is shown as a summary description.

      Section Title - Give this section a unique title that describes the sub-estimates. Default description is the traditional "Declined Work"

      Sold Revisions - Classically these represent sub-estimates that were sold to a repair order after initial approval was given. The approval is for the additional work and cost to the customer.

      Show All Details for Sold Revisions - Check this if all the details regarding the customer approval transaction need to be, or you would like to have, print on the invoice

      Section Title - Give this section a unique title that describes the invoice revisions. Default description is the traditional "Customer Approval"

      Discount - This section is a special section that will not show if discounts are zero. If Discounts are greater than zero, that amount will print big and bold to the right of your section title

      Section Title  - Give this section a unique, catchy title. Default description is the traditional "Discounts". You could try making something like: "TODAY YOU SAVED:"

      Show State-specific Sections - When this option is selected, Report Pro will add the state specific sections to your Estimate and/or Invoice templates if the State in your Shop Information table of your shop management system has one of the following states: WI; FL; MI

       

      Social Media

      Here you can add direct links to any social media your shop uses to advertise.  Check the corresponding site and link your social media pages to the icon by typing in the URL to your social media page. If you do not have one of or any of the following pages, do not check them off as it can mislead your customer in to trying to find you on those social media sites.

      Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Sure Critic are the available options.

      Credit Cards

      It is always a good idea to communicate to your customers what methods of payment you accept. The big four have icons ready to add to your invoice and there are two additional spots to add specialty cards that you accept. Be sure to load the icons for those specialty cards in the image path box provided.

      Just select the box by the cards you accept; Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and including two spots where you can add your own customer credit cards.

      Affiliate Logos

      Align your invoice with more branding and familiar names by adding the logos of local brands that you believe in. Recommended size - 1in x .5in. 

      NOTE: if the logo is square and smaller than the specifications, put some "white space" padding on each side of the image to prevent the logo from being flattened during the rendering process

      Customize Coupons

      Static Coupons

      There are 3 static coupons that print on the invoice when the Show Coupons box is checked (On the last page of portrait invoice templates and on even number pages of Landscape invoice templates). Each coupon has 3 editable areas

      • Line 1 is the large bold print coupon offer
      • Lines 2 through 4 are the three lines for a description
      • Then the coupon footer, which is the same for all coupons. Typically the footer is your default coupon disclaimer.

      It is important to note that although the section is called coupons and they print like coupons on the invoice, you can also use them for advertising other services you offer at your regular retail price.

      1. From Report Pro select the Customize tab

      2. Select the Customize Invoice button

      3. Select the Coupons button in the left navigation panel

      4. Click in the Coupon Offer section and enter your single line coupon offer

      5. Click in the Coupon Description section and enter your coupon description (up to 3 lines)

      6. Click in the Coupon Footer section and enter your coupon footer (Remember it's the same for all coupons)

      7. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for each coupon

      Intelligent Coupons

      Report Pro has the ability to make your coupons specific to recommended services that exist for the vehicle on the invoice being printed. This is achieved via the Recommendation Category

      1. From Report Pro Select the Customize tab

      2. Select the Customize Invoice button

      3. Select the Coupons button in the left navigation panel

      4. Select the Advanced button in the Coupons section

      5. Select a category from the the list of categories in the left box to link a coupon to (Categories that already have a coupon linked are highlighted)

      6. Click in the Coupon Offer section and enter your single line coupon offer

      7. Click in the Coupon Description section and enter your coupon description (up to 3 lines)

      8. Repeat steps 5 through 7 for each category you want linked to a coupon.

      Now when a Recommendation with a matching category exists on the vehicle that the invoice is being printed for, that categories corresponding coupon is printed instead of the static coupon. Up to 3 Intelligent coupons can be printed when multiple recommendations exist, if less than 3 exist then the static coupons are printed.

       

      Apply invoice customizations on other workstations

      Optional customizations are stored in the database and immediately available on other workstations. Custom logos, such as your invoice logo, will need the network paths to each of the logos set manually on each workstation.

      1. From Report Pro

      2. Select the Customize tab

      3. Select the Customize Invoice button

      4. Map the path to each of your custom logos used with the lookup button next to each of the logo path fields.

      5. Click the Save button