Why comebacks matter
A comeback is expensive twice. The shop gives away labor to redo the job, and the technician time spent on it is time not spent on paying work, which lowers billable hours and the effective labor rate. For a fleet, the truck is down again, which can cost loads and driver time. Repeated comebacks can lead a fleet to look for another vendor.
When a failed part is covered by a maker or supplier, see how to manage warranty claims.
Common causes
- Wrong diagnosis. The part replaced was not the cause.
- Incomplete repair. A related problem was missed.
- Workmanship. A loose connection, wrong torque or missed step.
- Part failure. A defective new or rebuilt part.
- Customer or operating issues. Sometimes the problem is how the vehicle is used, which needs clear communication.
How shops track comebacks
- Link the new work order to the original one.
- Record the cause in categories, such as diagnosis, workmanship, part or other.
- Track comebacks by technician, job type and part supplier.
- Review them regularly as a team, without blame, to fix the process.
How to reduce them
- Write clear repair lines with complaint, cause and correction, so the next technician knows what was done. See 3 Cs: complaint, cause, correction.
- Verify the repair before release, such as a test drive or retest.
- Use quality parts and track supplier failure rates.
- Do not let efficiency targets push technicians to skip steps. See technician efficiency.
Billing comebacks
Most shops do not bill for the redo. Still record the labor and parts on a no-charge line, so the cost is visible in reports. If a part failed under warranty, follow the supplier's warranty process and keep the failed part if required.
Records
For fleets, under 49 CFR 396.3, carriers must keep records of repairs and maintenance. A comeback repair is still a repair and belongs in the unit's record.
See how to write a repair line with the 3 Cs.
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