Spanish-language check-in for body shops

Who Spanish check-in is for

Spanish is by far the most common language other than English spoken at home in the United States. In the Census Bureau's 2018–2022 American Community Survey, 78.3% of people age 5 and older spoke only English at home, and Spanish accounted for 61.1% of those who spoke another language. Among Spanish speakers, 61.0% spoke English "very well," which means roughly four in ten reported speaking it less than very well (U.S. Census Bureau).

Customers who get by fine in English may still prefer Spanish when a form asks about insurance claims, deductibles and repair authorizations, because that is where a misunderstanding costs money. A Spanish option is not only for customers who speak no English. It is for anyone who reads a contract more carefully in Spanish.

What to translate on a check-in

A check-in is more than one form. List every piece the customer reads, and decide on each one:

The fields themselves don't change. Our body shop check-in guide lists what to collect, and the Spanish version of this guide, Hoja de recepción de vehículos, has the same field list written in Spanish.

Getting the translation right

• Use a qualified translator for anything legal. Machine translation is fine for a first draft of button labels, not for consent wording or contract clauses.
• Ask for a back-translation of the legal pieces: a second translator puts the Spanish back into English, and you compare it with your original.
• Use the words your customers use. A Houston or Los Angeles customer may say "aseguranza" in conversation, but "seguro" is the safer choice in writing. Match the register to the document.
• Use "usted." It is the normal, respectful form for a business talking to a customer.
• Test it with real customers and with your bilingual staff. If a sentence makes them pause, rewrite it.
• Keep a glossary so the same term is translated the same way everywhere.

Repair agreements in Spanish

The hardest question is the repair authorization itself. Whether a signed agreement must be in Spanish when the conversation happened in Spanish, and which version controls if you offer both, depends on your state and the kind of contract. We did not find a primary source that settles it for body shop repair authorizations in general, so treat it as a question for your attorney.

Common approaches shops discuss with their attorneys:

• English agreement, Spanish help: the agreement stays in English, the customer is told so in Spanish, and bilingual staff are available to explain it.
• Full translation: a professionally translated agreement, reviewed by your attorney, with a clause saying which version controls.
• Bilingual document: both languages side by side, so the customer and your staff read the same page.

Whatever you choose, state-required notices need extra care. Some states prescribe the wording of notices on estimates and authorizations. Arizona, for example, requires a written notice with a set statement, in ten-point or larger type, on repair estimates that use aftermarket crash parts (A.R.S. § 44-1293). A translation that drifts from required wording can cause problems. Our repair authorization guide covers those notices.

This is general information, not legal advice. Have your attorney review your forms. That includes any Spanish translation.

Tips for front counter staff

• Know who is bilingual on every shift, and put a "Hablamos español" sign at the counter only if that is true during your open hours.
• Don't rely on a customer's child or friend to interpret a contract. They may not know the terms, and the customer may not want them to.
• Learn the key phrases even if you are not fluent: "¿Prefiere en español?", "Firme aquí", "Su carro estará listo…".
• Read the Spanish screens yourself once, so you can point a customer to the right button.
• Match the language in follow-up. If the customer checked in in Spanish, call or text them in Spanish when you can.

How IntakeBay handles Spanish check-in

IntakeBay's customer check-in screens are available in English and Spanish, and customers switch with one tap. On a customer's own phone, the check-in opens in Spanish when the phone is set to Spanish. The counter kiosk opens in English for each new customer, who can switch to Spanish with one tap.

• In Spanish: the screens, field labels and most error messages, the text-message consent and the e-signature consent, and the default confirmation text after check-in.
• As your shop wrote it: the repair agreement clauses, add-on names and other text you enter appear exactly as you typed them. When a customer is using the Spanish screens, the agreement step tells them in Spanish that the agreement is in English and that counter staff can help.
• Status texts: each status has one template that you edit, so if many of your customers check in in Spanish, write those templates in both languages.

Spanish screens are included in the one monthly price (pricing).

Questions

Sources

1. Most Americans Speak Only English at Home or Speak English "Very Well" (2018–2022 ACS 5-year estimates), U.S. Census Bureau (accessed October 24, 2026)
2. A.R.S. § 44-1293: Disclosure on use of aftermarket crash part, Arizona Legislature (accessed October 24, 2026)