Capture the starting point
Document existing paint and trim marks before disassembly. Keep new observations attached to the same visit.
For ppf shops
Protect the finish. Document the care.
PPF is careful work on a vehicle someone cares deeply about. GuestLot helps your team keep the condition, parking location, and handoffs clear across the whole stay.
Paint condition before disassembly, the bay the car moved to on day three, and a record that survives the shift change.
A clearer visit, from the start
- 1
Document paint before prep
Rock chips, swirls and prior respray are the whole argument later. Capture them before a single panel is touched.
- 2
Keep one visit across days
Wash, prep, install and cure are one stay. New observations attach to the same record rather than starting a new one.
- 3
Track the move between bays
Note the staging area as the car moves, and read the last authorized Tesla location with the time it was observed.
- 4
Walk the car at collection
Review condition and key return together, retain the visit, and decide whether to share an owner report.
The work behind the visit
A multi-day job has more than one handoff.
Keep staging visible
A car can move from wash to prep to install to collection. Record the parking area and compare it with available timestamped vehicle readings.
Leave a clear handoff
Review the condition and keys at pickup. Keep the shop record, and share a private owner report when it adds value.
Choosing software
What software does a PPF shop actually need for customer cars?
Two different things, and they are usually not the same product. One is the business system that quotes film, books the bay and takes the deposit. The other is the record of the car while you have it — arrival paint condition, where it is staged across a multi-day install, staff key handoffs, and available authorized Tesla readings with their observation times. GuestLot is the second one. If your comebacks and damage disputes come down to “what did the paint look like when it arrived,” that is the gap it fills.
What GuestLot does not do for you
GuestLot records the vehicle’s stay. It does not run the rest of the shop, and these stay with the systems you already use:
- Quotes, bookings, deposits and invoicing — your shop management system.
- Film pattern cutting and inventory — your film supplier’s software.
- Ceramic coating warranty registration — the coating manufacturer’s portal.
If a visit record is not the gap you have, the honest answer is that GuestLot is not the tool to buy.
Respect the vehicle. Support the team.
Settings are a choice. Records are a habit.
PPF crews need access to edges and openings. Tesla’s Valet Mode locks the frunk, so choose the appropriate mode for the job and confirm the vehicle state. GuestLot does not remotely lock Service Mode.
Read the relevant guidance: Tesla Model Y driver profiles and Valet Mode.
Your shop can change these. They are review thresholds and agreed settings, not remote controls: GuestLot does not set Guest Mode, Valet Mode, or driving permissions on the car, and a boundary only detects an eligible arrival — it does not grant or restrict driving access.
A week-long PPF visit records fine without a Tesla connection
Paint condition photos, panel-by-panel notes, staging location, key handoffs and collection details are all shop-entered. Without owner authorization, Tesla location and vehicle readings are unavailable, and those fields read “not recorded” rather than showing a stale guess.
The record is yours to share
Keep the shop record for later questions, and preview a private owner report before enabling its link. Documentation can support an insurance review; it does not determine coverage or a claim outcome.
Questions
Built around ppf shops
Can we document a car staying over the weekend?
Yes. Keep one visit open across the stay, with condition records and staff context. Available Tesla readings show when they were observed; the product does not promise continuous weekend monitoring.
Does GuestLot help with a damage question after collection?
You can retrieve the retained visit and its condition documentation. The record adds context; it does not establish fault or guarantee an insurance outcome.
Should we leave a Tesla in Valet Mode during a PPF install?
Usually not. Valet Mode locks the frunk, and a full-front or track-pack install needs the frunk open for edge wrapping and hardware. Pick the mode that matches the work, set it on the car, and confirm the vehicle state — a policy saved in GuestLot is a record of intent, not proof the vehicle changed mode.
Does GuestLot watch the car overnight while the film cures?
No. Authorized snapshot refreshes show available vehicle readings and the times they were observed. Continuous monitoring and alert delivery require supporting services to be provisioned and monitored, and a missing or stale reading cannot establish that a car stayed on the lot.
Days of careful work. One continuous record.
Capture the paint before prep, keep the staging and handoffs visible across the stay, and give the car back with the whole visit intact.