Switching Repair Shop Software: What to Move, What to Leave, and How to Do It in a Day
Switching repair software is mostly about deciding what not to move. This guide covers what to bring over and what to leave, how to prepare a paper list, a spreadsheet or another system's export, a plan for the switchover day, and the mistakes that cost the most time.
1. Key points
Move the repairs you're holding today and your regulars' history. Leave old finished jobs in the old file. Pick a day, put every new repair in the new system from then on, and let the old list run out.
2. What to move, what to leave
| Data | Move it? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Repairs you're holding right now | Yes, all of them | These are the ones customers will call about this week |
| Regular customers and their past repairs | Yes, if you have them in a list | So you can say "last time we replaced the battery" |
| Finished repairs from years ago | Only if they're already in a spreadsheet | Keep the old file. Look things up there when you need to |
| Customers with no repairs (a mailing list) | No | A repair system is a record of repairs. Keep marketing lists where they are |
| Paper tickets and photos | Only the open ones, typed in | Retyping finished paper tickets costs more than it saves |
3. From paper tickets
Don't retype the whole drawer. Enter only the tickets for items you're holding, as you'd take them in today: customer, item, problem, estimate, due date. It takes a few minutes per ticket.
If you also keep a paper logbook of past repairs, copy just your regular customers into a spreadsheet (one row per repair) and import that.
4. From Excel or Google Sheets
Spreadsheets import well if they look like this:
- One row per repair, with a header row on top. Columns can be in any order
- A phone number or email on every row, so repairs from the same customer can be grouped
- Dates written the same way all the way down (for example 10/09/2026). Mixed formats are the most common import problem
- A status column if you have one (for example "in progress", "picked up"), so finished repairs come in as history
- Save as .xlsx or CSV. Very old .xls files usually need to be opened and saved again in the newer format
- If you use Google Sheets, download it as .xlsx or CSV first
5. From another repair system
Most repair systems let you export tickets (repairs) and customers as CSV, often as two separate files. Export both: the ticket file has the work, and the customer file has the phone numbers and emails that connect them.
Before you cancel, also download anything that doesn't come out in the export (invoices as PDFs, photos you need to keep). After the subscription ends, you may not be able to sign in.
6. Switchover day, step by step
The day before
Export your list or system. Make a copy of the file and leave the original untouched.
Morning
Import the copy. Check a few customers you know well: right phone number, right items, right status.
From that day
Every new repair goes into the new system only. Don't keep writing new repairs in two places.
The first two weeks
Repairs still on paper are finished on paper, or typed in when the customer calls. The old list runs out by itself.
After a month
Keep the old file read-only somewhere safe. You'll open it rarely.
7. Common mistakes
- Importing without checking the columns first. A phone number read as a date, or a price in the notes column, is hard to fix afterwards. Look at the preview before saving.
- Day and month mixed up. 03/04 is March 4 in the US and 3 April almost everywhere else. Make sure the system reads your dates the way you write them.
- Customers get messages during the import. Imported repairs should never trigger "your repair is ready" emails. Check before you import, not after.
- Running two systems for new repairs. Double entry doesn't last. Pick a day and put every new repair in the new system from then on.
- Moving everything because you can. Old finished jobs make lists longer and searches slower. Bring what you'll actually look up.
8. Moving to Repair Karte
- Import works on every plan, including Free.
- It reads .xlsx and CSV: your own spreadsheet, or exports from RepairDesk and RepairShopr. When repairs and customers come as two files, select both and they are joined by customer.
- It guesses each column from its heading, in any order, and shows a preview where you can correct it before anything is saved.
- It works out whether your dates are month/day or day/month, and asks when it can't tell.
- Up to 2,000 rows at a time. Rows already imported are skipped, so running the same file twice doesn't create duplicates.
- Picked-up repairs come in as history. Imported repairs never send customer emails or reminders.
- Customers with no repairs are not imported (it's a record of repairs, not a contact list); the preview tells you how many were left out.
- It can't read paper, photos or old .xls files.
Comparing first? See Repair Karte vs RepairDesk, vs RepairShopr, or how to choose repair shop software. You can also try a practice shop without signing up.
9. Frequently asked questions
Can I import from Excel or Google Sheets?
In most repair systems, yes, as long as it's saved as .xlsx or CSV with one repair per row and a header row. Download Google Sheets as .xlsx or CSV first.
Will my customers get emails when I import?
They shouldn't. Ask before you import. In Repair Karte, imported repairs never send customer messages or reminders.
What about repairs that are halfway done?
Import them with their current status, or enter the open ones by hand on switchover day. Then continue them in the new system.
Do I have to cancel my old system first?
No. Keep it until the repairs you're holding are finished and you've checked the import. Export everything before you cancel.
The Free plan covers up to 100 repairs a month for 1 staff login, with no credit card, and stays free. Automatic email updates to customers start on Standard. Every new account gets all Pro features free for 30 days.
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