Solutions · Warranty & recall work
Coverage checked before the van rolls, every claim built from the job itself and every OEM dollar tracked until it arrives. FSM Flow turns no-charge visits from a cost you absorb into a receivable you collect.
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Warranty claim ready
Serial verified · failed part tagged · labour code applied
What it is
Warranty work is a repair or replacement on equipment still covered by a manufacturer, extended or workmanship warranty, performed at no charge (or for a deductible) to the customer and reimbursed by the manufacturer, distributor or third-party administrator. Recall work is a manufacturer-initiated campaign to inspect, modify or replace a known-defective part across every affected unit in the field. Both depend on the same records: model and serial number, install or purchase date, proof of purchase, a description of the defect, the labour code and, often, the failed part returned to the OEM.
The commercial problem is that warranty work looks like a normal repair to the technician but behaves like accounts receivable to the office. Each manufacturer has its own coverage terms, documentation rules, labour rates and claim deadlines. A missing serial, a late submission or a part that was never returned turns a reimbursable visit into a free one, and denied or charged-back claims are rarely chased. Workmanship callbacks on your own installs carry the same cost without even the hope of reimbursement.
FSM Flow starts with the asset. Because installed equipment carries its serials, install date and warranty dates, coverage is visible when the call is logged, and the work order is flagged as warranty, recall or workmanship before dispatch. The technician captures the failed-part photo, serial plate and defect notes on the mobile app, parts are drawn from stock with the covered flag, and the claim pack is built from the job. The customer sees a no-charge or deductible-only invoice; the claim is tracked as a receivable against the OEM until it is paid or credited.
37,769
US appliance repair businesses in 2025, the trade where authorised OEM warranty service is daily work
Source: IBISWorld
7 years
Whole-machine warranty Hoshizaki now offers on ice machines built from 1 January 2025, one sign of lengthening OEM coverage
Source: Mirabake, commercial kitchen equipment warranty guide
77%
Industry-average first-time fix rate across 30 million service events (2026); on warranty work a second visit is usually unreimbursed
Source: Aquant Field Service Benchmark 2026
The lifecycle
From the first call to the OEM remittance, the claim is built as a by-product of doing the job properly.
- Step 1
Coverage checked at intake
The customer’s equipment record shows model, serial, install date and warranty end dates. The office logs the work order with a warranty, recall or workmanship flag and any deductible due.
- Step 2
Authorisation recorded
Where the manufacturer requires a reference or authorisation number before dispatch, it is recorded on the work order along with the OEM or administrator the claim will go to.
- Step 3
Parts pre-identified
Likely parts are identified from the model and past repairs and reserved from stock or ordered, marked as warranty parts so they are costed to the claim rather than the customer.
- Step 4
Scheduled with the right technician
The AI scheduler matches a technician certified for that brand or equipment type, since many OEMs only reimburse authorised technicians.
- Step 5
Evidence captured on site
The technician photographs the serial plate and the failed part, records the defect and the fix, enters labour time and parts used, and tags the failed part for return if the OEM requires it.
- Step 6
Customer invoice at no charge
The invoice shows the covered work at zero or deductible only, so the customer has a record and the job is closed cleanly.
- Step 7
Claim pack built and submitted
Serials, proof of purchase, photos, labour code and parts flow into the claim record. The office submits it to the OEM or administrator and marks it submitted, with the deadline visible.
- Step 8
Receivable tracked to payment
The claim sits as a warranty receivable until approved, paid, credited in parts or denied. Denials and chargebacks are flagged for appeal with the evidence still attached.
What goes wrong
Most lost warranty revenue is never denied. It is simply never claimed.
Nobody knows the unit is under warranty until the customer argues the invoice.
Equipment records carry install date, warranty dates and serials. Coverage is visible when the call is logged and the work order is flagged before dispatch.
See how it worksThe serial number was never written down.
The warranty job type requires a serial-plate photo and failed-part photo on the mobile app before the job can be completed, offline if needed.
See how it worksClaims are assembled weeks later from memory and a paper ticket.
Serials, photos, defect notes, labour time and parts used are already on the work order. The claim pack is built from the job, not reconstructed after it.
See how it worksWarranty parts get costed to the wrong place.
Parts drawn for a warranty job are marked covered and costed against the claim, so the customer invoice stays at zero and the OEM receivable carries the cost.
See how it worksSubmitted claims disappear until the money does not arrive.
Each claim is tracked as a receivable with status (submitted, approved, paid, credited, denied) and a deadline. A workflow can remind the office before the OEM’s submission window closes.
See how it worksRecall campaigns are run from a spreadsheet of serial numbers.
Filter the install base by model and serial range, generate a work order per affected unit, schedule them by zone and report completion per device to the manufacturer.
See how it works
Across the trades
The paperwork differs by manufacturer. The need for serials, evidence and a tracked claim does not.
Appliance repair
Authorised service on in-warranty refrigerators, ranges and washers, with proof of purchase, serial and failed-part photos attached to every OEM claim.
HVAC
Compressor and board replacements under 5- and 10-year parts warranties, with the labour billed to the customer or covered by an extended plan.
Refrigeration & commercial kitchens
Factory-authorised agent work on ice machines and cook-line equipment, with the authorisation number recorded before dispatch and the compressor tag returned.
Garage door service
Opener and spring failures within the manufacturer’s warranty, with the model and serial on file from the original install.
Solar & battery storage
Inverter and optimiser RMA swaps under 10- to 25-year warranties, with serial-level tracking so the replacement unit is on the asset record.
EV charging
Charger and cable RMAs under manufacturer warranty, dispatched against the site’s uptime commitment and credited by the OEM.
Medical equipment service
FDA recall and manufacturer safety-alert campaigns across every affected device in a health system, with completion reported per device.
Industrial & OEM equipment
OEM warranty claims on compressors, forklifts and packaging lines, with machine hours and load-test readings as supporting evidence.
Security & low-voltage
Panel and camera replacements under manufacturer warranty, kept separate from billable service under the monitoring contract.
Smart home & AV integration
Controller, amplifier and display RMAs for integration clients, with firmware and serial history on each device record.
In FSM Flow
Warranty touches assets, work orders, inventory, invoicing and reporting, so FSM Flow handles it in each.
Install base with warranty dates
Every installed unit carries model, serial, install date, warranty end dates and documents, linked to the customer and site.
- Equipment lifecycle from install to retirement
- Coverage visible at intake
- Serial search across all customers
Warranty & recall job types
Dedicated job types with the claim fields, required photos and no-charge billing rules built in.
- Warranty, recall and workmanship flags
- Authorisation number and OEM on the job
- Deductible or copay recorded
Evidence capture on mobile
Serial-plate and failed-part photos, defect description, labour time and parts used, captured offline and attached to the job.
- Required fields per job type
- Failed-part return tagging
- AI translation for mixed-language crews
Covered parts & returns
Parts drawn for warranty jobs are flagged covered and costed to the claim; parts awaiting return to the OEM are tracked until shipped.
- Warehouse and van stock
- Low-stock alerts on common warranty parts
- Parts credit recorded against the claim
No-charge invoicing & claim receivables
Customer invoices at zero or deductible only, with the covered work itemised; the claim is tracked as a receivable against the OEM.
- Claim status from submitted to paid
- Denials and chargebacks flagged
- Customisable invoice templates
Warranty analytics
Claim approval rate, days to reimbursement, denied value, warranty cost as a share of revenue and callbacks by install crew.
- Dashboard widgets and AI-built reports
- Ask the assistant for unpaid claims
- Recall completion per campaign
Pricing & billing
The customer pays little or nothing. Someone else pays, and FSM Flow keeps track of who and how much.
No-charge to the customer
The invoice shows the covered parts and labour at zero so the customer has a record, and the job’s cost is carried on the claim rather than written off.
Deductible or copay
Where a home or extended warranty requires a customer contribution, it is invoiced to the customer and the balance is claimed from the administrator.
Parts covered, labour billable
Common in HVAC parts warranties: the part is claimed from the manufacturer and the labour is invoiced to the customer at your rate.
OEM labour codes and rates
Claims priced at the manufacturer’s labour allowances and part pricing rules, recorded per OEM so the submitted amount matches what will be approved.
Reimbursement by cash or parts credit
Approved claims settle as a payment or as a parts credit; both are recorded against the claim and the credit is visible when ordering.
Recall campaign rates
Manufacturer-set per-unit rates for inspect, modify or replace, applied to every work order in the campaign and reported as a batch.
Numbers worth watching
All available as dashboard widgets, reports or a question to the AI assistant.
Claim submission rate
Warranty jobs completed that actually produced a submitted claim. Anything below 100% is reimbursable work given away.
Target 100%Claim approval rate
Submitted claims approved on first review. Driven by serial capture, photos and matching the OEM’s labour codes.
Days to reimbursement
From submission to payment or credit, by manufacturer. Shows which OEMs are slow and where cash is tied up.
Denied and charged-back value
Money lost to rejected or clawed-back claims, with reasons, so the paperwork gap can be fixed.
Warranty cost as a share of revenue
Unreimbursed warranty and workmanship cost against total revenue; the honest measure of install quality and claim discipline.
Recall campaign completion
Affected units completed versus identified, per campaign and per site, reported back to the manufacturer.
What is warranty work in field service?
How does FSM Flow know whether equipment is under warranty?
Can FSM Flow submit claims to manufacturers or administrators automatically?
How are warranty parts handled in inventory?
Can I run a recall campaign across my install base?
How is workmanship warranty on my own installs tracked?
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