Section 02 of 05
Counter Staff — Return in Progress
Return overview
Checkout condition
Inspection progress
Inspection started
9:42 AM — M. Torres
Fuel + meter submitted
3/4 tank — 1,867 hours — 9:48 AM
Walkaround in progress
3 of 5 zones checked — rear flagged
Photos + evidence uploaded
Required if issues continue
Final review submitted
Ready for billing decision
Rear damage flagged during walkaround. Photos pending. Likely requires review before close.
Active workspace
Customer status
When set to "Waiting," the inspector sees a subtle urgency signal. When "Not here," the system queues a text notification when inspection completes.
Prepare draft invoice
Available once inspection completes
Billing readiness
Visibility before certainty
Counter staff do not need full inspection detail yet. They need enough signal to manage the customer conversation while billing is still pending.
Progressive sync
Inspection steps stream in live as the yard crew completes them. Counter staff see progress without waiting for full submission.
Billing path prepared
The system predicts likely adjustments early (fuel, usage, damage) so the counter can prepare the conversation before inspection completes.
Early warning
If issues emerge mid-inspection, the counter sees them immediately, not after a completed handoff that resets context.
Happy path
When no issues are flagged during inspection, this screen is simpler. The progress steps complete without alerts, the billing readiness bar turns green across all fields, and the "Prepare draft invoice" button activates immediately. Most returns follow this path and close in under five minutes from the counter's perspective.
What I rejected
I considered embedding a live camera feed or photo stream from the yard crew's inspection. It would give the counter real-time visual confirmation, but it adds surveillance tension to the yard crew relationship and creates bandwidth and privacy concerns. Progress steps with flag alerts give the counter what they actually need (a billing signal) without overstepping.