Digitally Charged has developed a bespoke CRM for Surface Works, designed around the practical demands of a specialist vehicle protection workshop.
Combining customer and vehicle records, AI-assisted quoting, guided check-in and automated product aftercare, the private staff platform helps the team manage the journey from first enquiry to future inspections and reapplication bookings.
One system from first enquiry to finished vehicle.
The CRM gives the Surface Works team a clear lead pipeline, customer book and vehicle record. An enquiry can be followed from its first contact through quotation, booking and workshop completion without the important details becoming separated across emails, notes and different systems.
Each record keeps the customer, vehicle, requested work, agreed price and current status together. That makes it easier for the team to see which enquiries need attention, what is booked into the workshop and what has already been completed.
The lead pipeline is tied to the status of the job itself. Staff can move work through lead, quoted, booked, installation and completion stages, retain the source of the enquiry and see the next action without maintaining a separate sales spreadsheet. Referral tracking records whether work came from a dealership, paint shop, customer recommendation or another source.
The workshop dashboard brings current jobs, upcoming bookings, work in progress and weekly job values into one practical view. Follow-ups, workshop work and completed actions remain distinct, giving the team a clearer picture of what must happen next.
Built around a detailing workshop.
This is not a generic CRM with vehicle terminology added afterwards. The system was shaped around Surface Works' actual services, including paint protection film, ceramic coatings, paint correction and protection for wheels, glass and interiors.
A dedicated protection quote builder supports genuinely custom quotations. Staff can combine PPF and coatings, select vehicle size and paint-correction level, then add or remove individual panels. Percentage or cash adjustments can be applied, while the final negotiated price can be recorded where the vehicle or job needs a bespoke approach.
Bert can begin the process conversationally from a description of the vehicle and requested work. A photograph can also help identify the likely make, model and pricing size category, with the suggestion presented for staff confirmation before it affects a quote.
The pricing distinction remains clear. Standard packages use Surface Works' configured prices, while bespoke AI-assisted panel suggestions are labelled as estimates for staff review. The confirmed products and coverage move into the job rather than having to be entered again.
A branded customer quotation can then be previewed, downloaded as a PDF or emailed directly from the CRM, while internal notes and Bert's conversation remain private. The work calendar and job lists give the workshop a practical view of upcoming work, progress and collection dates.
Vehicle condition recorded before work begins.
The check-in process records the vehicle's condition against the job. Staff can capture front, side, rear and roof photographs, add close-up damage evidence and record visible marks with supporting notes. If the normal photographic record cannot be completed, the reason is logged rather than silently leaving a gap.
A built-in paint analyser can assess supplied paintwork imagery and return a structured workshop recommendation. It supports the team's inspection by identifying whether no correction, a single-stage correction, a two-stage correction or a closer physical inspection may be appropriate. The assessment stays connected to the vehicle and quote workflow instead of becoming another disconnected tool.
Product aftercare starts when the work is complete.
The product catalogue records an expected lifespan or review horizon, inspection interval and staff notification timing for each treatment. When a job is completed, the CRM can create a separate aftercare schedule for every selected product.
Each coating, film or treatment can therefore have its own applied date, expected reapplication date, inspection cycle and advance-notice period. The team can see what is coming up, due or overdue, record an inspection or reapplication, add notes and stop reminders when they are no longer relevant.
Shared actions can be filtered to show overdue work, the next fortnight or a selected future date range. Advance reminders give the team time to contact the customer and arrange a suitable booking before an inspection or expected renewal becomes due.
That gives Surface Works a structured way to plan annual checks, product reviews, reapplication conversations and timely customer contact. A vehicle carrying several products can have several accurate schedules, rather than one generic reminder for the whole job. Lifespans remain planning guidance, not a promise that a product will perform unchanged until a fixed date; actual vehicle condition can require earlier attention.
Designed for the workshop and the phone.
The mobile experience was designed for staff who are moving between vehicles, customers and the workshop. Compact lead cards keep the most useful information visible, while the full detail remains available when it is needed. Photo capture and voice input are available on supported devices.
Mobile navigation gives quick access to the overview, customers, leads and protection builder, so the team can check work, record vehicle condition or prepare a quotation without returning to a desk.
A working system, not a generic CRM template.
Digitally Charged planned, designed and developed the platform around the way Surface Works manages customers and vehicles. The efficiencies come from connecting tasks that off-the-shelf CRM and detailing software often treat separately: the lead, custom quotation, vehicle evidence, workshop plan, selected products and aftercare schedule all form part of the same working record.
That reduces repeated entry and gives staff one place to check the current position. A change made while quoting can carry into the job; confirmed products can create the correct aftercare plans; and the customer history retains the work, evidence and follow-up activity around the vehicle.
Bert is the brain of the system.
Bert is fully incorporated into the CRM as Surface Works' AI-assisted quoting assistant and knowledge brain. In CRM mode, staff can ask Bert about customers, jobs, actions and reminders, including a summary of the week ahead. In technical mode, Bert checks the maintained Surface Works knowledge base first, followed by XPEL, Gtechniq and wider sources when further information is needed.
The knowledge base contains workshop rules, product information, aliases and references that can also support the quote builder. Staff can review useful answers before saving them, so Bert's shared knowledge is maintained deliberately rather than allowing unverified information to become workshop guidance automatically.
This gives the team quick access to practical information from within the system where the work is already being managed. Bert can help retrieve the context, but configured prices remain controlled by the quotation logic and customer records stay within the CRM workflow.
Access is private, invitation-only and protected by Cloudflare Access. The result is a business system built for day-to-day use by the people handling enquiries, preparing quotations and delivering the work.
Connecting marketing with what happens next.
The project demonstrates a wider part of Digitally Charged's automotive capability. Generating a lead is only the beginning. The response, quotation, booking, workshop experience and aftercare all affect whether that opportunity becomes a valuable customer relationship.
By connecting those stages, a bespoke CRM can support the operational work behind the marketing as well as the first enquiry.