Choose one of three approaches. The steps for that option appear below.
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You supply the facts. ChatGPT drafts; you check and decide.
Get materials ready
Draft the result
Check and decide
Use: You
Service-book photos, mileage, symptom notes and garage scope.
Use: ChatGPT
Use service records, mileage, symptoms and scope to draft dated work table, requested checks, scope differences/questions and keys/belongings/quote/pickup checklist with roadworthiness question.
What to paste into the tool
These are pages from my service book and my own notes. Build a table by date and mileage: work done, what I noticed, and open questions. Mark anything unreadable as unreadable. Do not diagnose. Write a short briefing for the garage: my observations in my words, what I would like checked, and questions about the quoted scope. Do not suggest causes. Make a drop-off and pickup checklist: keys, belongings to remove, quote to confirm, questions to ask at pickup. Add a line saying the mechanic decides whether the car is safe to drive.
Use: You
Check vehicle identity, mileage, observations, table, briefing and checklist against originals and garage scope; leave unreadable entries blank and correct or mark discrepancies.
Owner confirms costs and authorisation limits separately; the briefing does not authorise work or diagnose faults. The assistant can misread text in photos, so re-check every value against the originals. Owner asks a qualified mechanic about roadworthiness. Do not drive with a suspected dangerous fault; the mechanic assesses safety. No booking or work authorisation here.
You supply the facts. Claude drafts; you check and decide.
Get materials ready
Draft the result
Check and decide
Use: You
Service-book photos, mileage, symptom notes and garage scope.
Use: Claude
Use service records, mileage, symptoms and scope to draft dated work table, requested checks, scope differences/questions and keys/belongings/quote/pickup checklist with roadworthiness question.
What to paste into the tool
Make a table of date, mileage and work done from my service book pages, and add my symptoms from my log. Leave unreadable cells blank and say so. Then draft my requested-checks list from my notes. Use only my supplied facts; do not invent facts, numbers or dates. Compare the garage scope with my list of requested checks. List what the scope includes that I did not ask for, what I asked for that it omits, and questions to ask. Do not say what is wrong with the car. Draft my drop-off and pickup checklist from my requested checks and the scope questions: keys, belongings, quote confirmation and pickup. Include the roadworthiness question to ask the mechanic. Do not diagnose or authorise work.
Use: You
Check vehicle identity, mileage, observations, table, briefing and checklist against originals and garage scope; leave unreadable entries blank and correct or mark discrepancies.
Owner confirms costs and authorisation limits separately; Claude does not diagnose or authorise. No booking, diagnosis or work authorisation.
You supply the facts. Gemini drafts; you check and decide.
Get materials ready
Draft the result
Check and decide
Use: You
Service-book photos, mileage, symptom notes and garage scope.
Use: Gemini
Use service records, mileage, symptoms and scope to draft dated work table, requested checks, scope differences/questions and keys/belongings/quote/pickup checklist with roadworthiness question.
What to paste into the tool
Make a table of date, mileage and work done from these pages. Leave unreadable cells blank and say so. Draft my service briefing from my table, my symptom notes and the garage scope: my symptoms in my words, what I want checked, and questions about the garage scope. Do not diagnose, book or authorise work. Draft my handover checklist from my briefing: keys, belongings, quote confirmation and pickup, plus the roadworthiness question for the mechanic.
Use: You
Check vehicle identity, mileage, observations, table, briefing and checklist against originals and garage scope; leave unreadable entries blank and correct or mark discrepancies.
Owner confirms costs and authorisation limits separately.
Best when: Your history is on paper; you want one assistant reading photos
What it does: ChatGPT drafts; you check and decide
Strong at: Drafts text and tables from supplied files
Limit: Free plan limits uploads and data analysis
Free plan: Yes, limited uploads and analysis
Best when: You want Claude building the history table and comparing garage scope
What it does: Claude drafts; you check and decide
Strong at: Drafts and edits documents from supplied text
Limit: Usage capped in 5-hour and weekly windows
Free plan: Yes, limited (5-hour and weekly windows)
Best when: You want Gemini reading photos, then drafting briefing and handover list
What it does: Gemini drafts; you check and decide
Strong at: Analyses supplied images and text
Limit: File uploads need sign-in
Free plan: Yes, limited
Before you paste into any AI tool, remove any confidential information. Put it back at the end.
Deciding between ChatGPT and Claude for this? See the comparison.
Owner checks vehicle identity, mileage and quoted scope.
A mechanic assesses safety; do not drive with a suspected dangerous fault.
No booking, diagnosis or work authorisation from this workflow.
Check the result against your original inputs. Approve it before sharing or acting.