Cash Collection for Tyre Fitters and MOT Garages: While-You-Wait Counter Cash, Fleet Account Money and a Forecourt That Peaks When the Weather Turns
A tyre fitter’s day is ruled by the weather and the calendar. A puncture brings a walk-in who pays on the spot, an MOT booking arrives because a test date fell due, and a fleet account pays weeks later by invoice. A cash collection tyre fitters MOT garage forecourt routine keeps those three kinds of money apart, so the counter count never includes money that was never in the till.
A cash collection tyre fitters MOT garage forecourt plan that keeps walk-in cash apart from fleet money
Start with the simplest split in the garage: cash taken at the counter today, and money invoiced to be paid later. A cash collection tyre fitters MOT garage forecourt plan records walk-in tyre and test payments on the day sheet the moment they are taken, and fleet and trade work on an invoice list that never enters the counter count.
- Take walk-in tyre and puncture payments at the counter, with a receipt for every job.
- Record MOT test payments on the booking line, with the test date noted.
- Invoice fleet and trade work on its own list, and never add invoiced amounts to the counter day’s takings.
- Count the counter float before opening and after closing, and write both counts down.
- Note the weather and the date on the day sheet.
- Bank the counter cash on a fixed round, and check the credit against the day sheet.
While-You-Wait Cash: Punctures and Tyres Paid on the Spot
Most tyre work is paid while the customer waits, and that is the garage’s steadiest cash. A cash collection tyre fitters MOT garage forecourt routine treats every while-you-wait job the same way: the tyre is fitted, the price is agreed before work starts, and the payment is taken at the counter with a receipt. No job leaves the forecourt without a line on the day sheet.
The rush comes in waves, and the first cold snap is the classic one: tyres that were fine in summer suddenly lose grip, and drivers arrive together. A counted float and a second person on the counter turn a rush into a good day instead of a messy one.
MOT Bookings: Test Money That Clusters Around Month Anniversaries
MOT work follows the calendar more than the weather. Cars first registered in the same month fall due together, so bookings cluster around month anniversaries and the diary fills in waves. A cash collection tyre fitters MOT garage forecourt plan expects those waves: the booking book is checked a week ahead, the float is sized for the busy days, and test payments are recorded against the booking.
A test fee is a different kind of sale from a tyre, and the record should show it. Write the vehicle and the test result beside the payment, and keep any retest or repair work on its own line. When a customer returns for a retest, the record shows what was paid the first time.
Fleet and Trade Accounts: Invoiced Money Is Not Counter Takings
Fleet work looks like garage work but pays like office work: the job is done today and the money arrives later, by invoice. A cash collection tyre fitters MOT garage forecourt routine never lets invoiced money into the counter count. The fleet job is written on the invoice list with the company name and the agreed price, and the counter day sheet stays a record of cash actually taken.
Our guide to cash collection for auto repair garages covers the same split between cash jobs and account work in a busy workshop. The lesson is the same in a tyre bay: a counter count that includes money still owed is a count that flatters the day and hides the debt. Keep the invoice list beside the till, and check it when the fleet payment arrives.
Sizing Pickups for the Cold Snap and the Pre-Holiday Test Rush
A forecourt that peaks when the weather turns needs a pickup round that peaks with it. A cash collection tyre fitters MOT garage forecourt plan sizes collections to the diary, not to habit: extra pickups after the first cold snap, after a wet weekend of punctures, and before the pre-holiday rush. A fixed weekly round is a starting point, not a rule set in stone.
Our guide to a cash buffer for weather-dependent trade explains how businesses that live by the weather keep a small reserve for washed-out weeks. The UK government’s guidance on getting an MOT explains how the test works and when it is due. Together they frame the garage year: busy weeks fund the quiet ones, and the buffer is built in the busy weeks, not wished for in the quiet ones.
FAQ
Why keep fleet invoices out of the counter day’s takings?
Because the counter count should show cash actually taken, not money still owed. A cash collection tyre fitters MOT garage forecourt routine keeps invoiced work on its own list, so a busy fleet week never makes the till look fuller than it is.
How should a garage handle a sudden rush of puncture work?
Staff the counter, keep the receipt book open, and count the float before the rush starts. A rush is only a good day if every job is recorded, so the routine stays the same when the queue is long: receipt, record, next job.
What makes MOT bookings cluster at certain times?
Cars first registered in the same month fall due in the same month, year after year, so bookings bunch around those anniversaries. Checking the diary a week ahead lets the garage size the float and the staffing for the busy days.
When should a garage bank its counter cash?
On a fixed round, with extra pickups after the busiest days. No large pile should sit in the building overnight, and the bank credit should be checked against the day sheet within a day or two.
Conclusion: Counter Cash Counted, Fleet Money Invoiced, Forecourt Ready
A sound cash collection tyre fitters MOT garage forecourt routine is three habits: count walk-in tyre and test cash at the counter the day it is taken, invoice fleet work on its own list, and size pickups to the weather and the diary. Then the forecourt earns what the day sheet says it earned.
If cash routines are one of several money habits you are tightening this year, BCC Financial’s Cash Collection guides apply the same discipline to other garages and workshops. Start with the fleet list, because that is where counter money is most often overstated.
This article is general educational information only and is not financial advice. Every garage’s circumstances differ, so consider seeking professional advice for decisions about your own business.
