How can quickbooks help an Auto Repair shop ?

We are a firetruck repair shop. I have set up my customers and then put their vehicles as "job" under each customer, then when their vehicle comes in I add another "job" under the vehicle and this is where I charge out all of the time and parts used. To make it easier to find the job when entering I go I start the invoice and use the invoice number as the leak in for the "job". Since QB assigns invoice numbers it make it easier then trying to find "oil change" which might be a job for many customers. QB will not let you save a blank invoice so I type oil change on the first line and save and close. So my customer list would look like this

Smith, John

1996 Ford Aerostar Lic 12345

9136-OIL CHANGE/TRANSMISSION

Doing this allows me to click on Smith John and see every invoice for him, or, click on the Aerostar and see every invoice for that vehicle. If when you finish the invoice you put "oil change/transmission" in the memo line at the bottom of the invoice that information will appear on the invoice list giving you an instant history for that vehicle.

It took me a while to figure out how to make a 'one size fits all' program work for us but I looked at other auto shop programs and did not like how the inventory was not attached to the accounts payable so it would have been double entry. Using QB allows me to do all of this in one single entry, receive under vender and assign to customer invoice at one time.

Hope this helps, it can be done.