Before You Hit Record
The best videos are 80% prep and 20% recording. Sloppy prep is why so many videos come out shaky, dark, and confusing — and have to be re-recorded. Two minutes of setup saves you ten minutes of cleanup.
Build a fast, repeatable pre-recording routine so every video you make is clean, audible, and shows the customer what they need to see.
Set the Car Up Right
You can't shoot good video of something you can't see. Before you press record:
- Lift the car to the right height. For underbody findings, get the car up high enough that you can stand under it. Don't bend over and shoot up — the angle is awful.
- Wipe what you're going to show. Brake dust, road grime, mud — none of it tells the customer the truth about the part. Quick wipe with a shop rag. Takes 5 seconds.
- Position your light source. Underbody is dark. Have a drop light or use your phone's flashlight. Light the subject before you start filming it.
- Clear the background. Loose tools, shop chaos, other techs' work in frame — distracting. Move your shot so the background is clean.
Check Your Equipment
| Check | Why |
|---|---|
| Phone/tablet battery above 30% | You don't want the recording to cut off mid-finding |
| Storage available | Full storage = no recording. Clear old files weekly |
| Camera lens is clean | Fingerprints and grease make everything look foggy |
| Mic isn't covered | Easy to block the mic with your hand or a glove |
| Holding the phone landscape (sideways) | Customers watch on phones and computers — landscape fills the screen |
Plan What You're Going to Say
Take five seconds before you press record to think through:
- What did I find?
- What am I going to show first?
- What am I going to show second (if anything)?
- What's the closing line?
Five seconds of planning means no "uh, so... let me see... yeah, so basically..." in the first 20 seconds of your video. That's the most common reason customers tune out.
No more than three findings per video. If the car has more than three, record multiple short videos — or focus on the top three and let the advisor handle the rest in the writeup. A 90-second video on three findings sells. A 4-minute video on twelve findings overwhelms the customer and gets skipped.
Mind the Audio
The video can be perfect visually and still fail because the customer can't hear what you're saying. Audio kills more videos than any other single issue.
- Air tools running in the next bay. Step away or wait 10 seconds.
- The radio. If the shop radio is blasting, your customer hears the radio more than you. Move or turn it down.
- Mumbling. Speak up. Speak clearly. You're talking to a customer, not your buddy in the next bay.
- Talking through a mask or face shield. Pull it down for the recording if it's safe to do so.
- Wind under the lift. Big shop fans turn into a roar on phone mics.
The Pre-Record Checklist
Tap each item as you do it. Your progress is saved.
Common Mistakes
- Recording vertical (portrait) — looks unprofessional, doesn't fill screens.
- Starting the video and figuring out what to say while you're already filming.
- Pointing at the brake dust covering the wear instead of wiping it off first.
- Recording in pitch-black wheel wells with no light. Customer sees a black void.
- Trying to cram 7 findings into one video. Customer watches 30 seconds and bails.
Manager Coaching Tip
Pull 5 videos from yesterday's ROs at random. Score them on prep alone: was the area wiped? Was there enough light? Was the phone horizontal? Was audio clean? You'll spot patterns fast. Most "bad video" coaching is actually "bad prep" coaching.