Common questions

This is the page to skim when you have a quick "wait, how does Pista handle that?" question. Each answer is short on purpose. Where there is a full walkthrough, we link to it so you can go deeper.

Accounts and access

How many users can I add?

As many as your plan allows. Most shops add every advisor, technician, and front-desk person their own login rather than sharing one. Separate logins mean accurate timestamps on repair orders, clean clock-in data, and an audit trail you can actually trust.

Can technicians and advisors see different things?

Yes. Roles control what each person can open and edit. A technician can be set up to work the Job Board and fill inspections without seeing total revenue or markups, while an owner sees everything. You set this under Shop Settings → Team.

Repair orders and estimates

What is the difference between an estimate and a repair order?

An estimate is a quote the customer has not approved yet. A repair order (RO) is the live work ticket once the job is greenlit. In Pista you can build an estimate, send it for approval, and convert the approved lines straight into an RO without retyping anything.

Do I have to add a part to every labor line?

For real repairs, yes, and that is by design. Pairing a part with its labor keeps your margins honest and your purchasing accurate. The one exception is diagnostic time, which stands on its own without a part.

Labor, parts, and pricing

Where do the labor times come from?

Pista pulls labor times from MOTOR, the same industry database the big shops rely on. When a time looks off, see Why a price or labor time looks off.

Can I source parts from my own suppliers?

Yes. Pista connects to multiple parts suppliers so you can compare availability and price in one search instead of bouncing between vendor sites. Your own cost and markup rules decide the customer-facing price.

Payments and messaging

How do customers pay?

Through the checkout on the RO. Pista supports card, Apple Pay, and buy-now-pay-later options, so a customer can settle the bill from a texted link or in person at the counter.

Does Pista text my customers for me?

It can. Status updates, approval requests, and inspection results can all go out by text from the Messaging inbox, and replies land back in the same thread so nothing gets lost in someone's personal phone.

Moto, the AI service writer

What does Moto actually do?

Moto is your AI service writer. It helps turn a customer's plain-language complaint into clean RO lines, suggests related work, and drafts customer-friendly explanations. You stay in control: Moto proposes, you approve.

Tips

• Bookmark this page. Most "how do I" questions a new hire has are answered here in one screen.
• When in doubt, follow the link. The short answers here point to the full step-by-step guides.

Still stuck?

If your question is not here, see Getting more help for the fastest way to reach us.