Mobile battery replacement visits: what to prepare

A planned battery replacement at home or at work is quick when the right battery is in the van. Identify the vehicle and the battery type at booking, check whether the car has start-stop and needs the new battery registered, and find out where the battery sits: some are under a seat or in the boot, not under the bonnet. On the day, protect the car's settings, fit and secure the battery, test the charging system and take the old battery away for recycling.

On cars with a battery management system, a new battery may need to be registered with a diagnostic tool so the car charges it correctly. Ask at booking whether the car has start-stop, and bring the tool if needed. Say in the service description whether registration is included, so the driver knows what they are paying for.

A battery under the bonnet is a short job. One under a seat, in the boot floor or behind a panel takes longer, and some cars need trim removed. Check the location when you identify the vehicle and set the slot length accordingly, or offer two services: standard access and difficult access.

Disconnecting the battery can reset the radio code, clock, windows and other settings. Use a memory saver where appropriate, and ask the driver whether they have the radio code if the car needs one. After fitting, check windows and other functions that may need re-initialising.

Test the old battery first: sometimes the problem is a loose terminal or a charging fault, not the battery itself. After fitting the new one, test the charging voltage with the engine running. If the alternator is not charging, the new battery will go flat too; say so and refer the driver to a mechanic.

Take the old battery away for recycling, and say in the description that it is included. Never leave it with the driver unless they ask.

Keep the battery sizes you fit regularly in the van, and order the rest once the booking arrives. When a booking is for a less common size, confirm the order before the day and tell the driver if the visit has to move because the battery is late.

Ask where the car will be parked and whether you can open the bonnet safely: a busy street, an underground car park with no light or a car blocked in by others can slow the job. Wear eye protection, keep metal tools away from the terminals, and secure the battery properly before closing up.

A car that will not start this morning is urgent and goes through the phone. A battery that is weak, or a car that a battery test has flagged, can wait for a planned visit. Say so on your booking page, and keep a few planned slots in your week for these visits.

On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page. Create services for standard and difficult access, say whether the battery, registration and recycling are included, and publish slots that repeat weekly. Each slot belongs to one service and sits within a single day, and with one place per slot a booked visit no longer appears on your public page. Drivers book with their name, email and phone and can add the car model, registration and address in the optional note, which you read in your new-booking email.

Durations and prices are examples, labour only, battery extra: set your own. If a visit has to move, change it from your bookings list and tell the driver yourself, as Book does not email clients when a booking is rescheduled or cancelled. Book costs €5/month, all-inclusive: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no commitment.