Lesson 1.3: Customer Intake Form & Job Costing
Section 1: Intro to Business/Entrepreneurship
Week: 3 Duration: 4 hours Date: January 20-26, 2026
Key Learning Objectives
- Understand the customer intake process for marine service businesses
- Collect accurate customer and vessel information for service documentation
- Calculate job profitability through cost analysis and pricing
- Apply business concepts to real-world service scenarios
- Understand legal protections for service providers (mechanic's liens)
Lesson Overview
In this lesson, you will learn the critical first step of any marine service business: properly documenting a customer's service request. You'll use a professional customer intake form to collect all necessary information, then analyze the profitability of the service job by calculating costs, labor, and estimated profit margins. This lesson integrates documentation skills with financial analysis—two essential business competencies.
Main Activities (4 hours)
Part 1: Understanding the Customer Intake Process (1 hour)
Topics Covered: - Why accurate customer information is critical for marine service businesses - Legal requirements and protections (mechanic's liens) - Documentation standards in the marine industry - Professional communication with customers
Discussion Questions: - What could go wrong if customer or vessel information is incomplete? - Why is a mechanic's lien important for protecting a service business? - How does professional documentation build customer trust?
Part 2: Customer Intake Form Training (1.5 hours)
Activity: Review the Full Throttle Marine Customer Intake Form
You'll learn how to complete each section of the form: - Customer contact information - Vessel identification (VIN, make, model, year) - Engine specifications (make, model, year, size, quantity) - Service request description - Estimate of services to be performed - Legal protections and customer agreement
Key Skills: - Accurately recording technical specifications - Writing clear service descriptions - Communicating estimates professionally - Understanding legal language in service agreements
Part 3: Job Costing & Profitability Analysis (1.5 hours)
Activity: Calculate the profitability of a 100-hour service job
Learn to analyze a service job financially: - Cost of Materials: Calculate all parts and supplies needed - Labor Costs: Determine labor hours and hourly rates - Overhead Allocation: Consider business expenses (tools, facility, insurance) - Pricing Strategy: Set a competitive price while maintaining profitability - Net Income Calculation: Determine actual profit from the job
Business Formulas:
Total Cost = Materials + Labor + Overhead
Revenue = Customer Price
Gross Profit = Revenue - (Materials + Labor)
Net Income = Revenue - Total Cost
Profit Margin (%) = (Net Income / Revenue) × 100
Integration Activity: Full Throttle Marine Service Process
This lesson directly supports the "Full Throttle Marine" business plan by: - Establishing professional customer intake procedures - Demonstrating financial viability of service offerings - Creating standardized documentation for service operations - Building a foundation for pricing strategy
The customer intake form and job costing analysis will become part of your business plan's operational procedures and financial projections.
Assignment: Complete Customer Intake & Job Profitability Analysis
Scenario:
A customer calls Full Throttle Marine requesting a 100-hour service on their boat. You need to complete the intake process and analyze the job's profitability.
Customer Information: - Name: Michael Reynolds - Address: 1247 Lakeshore Drive, Traverse City, MI 49684 - Phone: (231) 555-7823 - Email: mreynolds@email.com
Vessel Information: - Make: Sea Ray - Model: Sundancer 240 - Year: 2005 - VIN: SER45821D505 - Length: 24 feet
Engine Information: - Number of Engines: 1 - Engine Make: MerCruiser - Engine Model: 5.0L MPI (Alpha One) - Engine Year: 2005 - Engine Size/HP: 260 HP
Service Request: Customer reports the boat has not been serviced in approximately 100 operating hours. They are requesting a standard 100-hour service to keep the engine running properly for the upcoming boating season. No specific problems reported, just routine maintenance.
Deliverables
Part 1: Completed Customer Intake Form (50 points)
Complete the Full Throttle Marine Customer Intake Form with all information provided in the scenario. Ensure: - All fields are filled out accurately - The service description is clear and professional - The estimate section includes all anticipated services - Customer signature line is properly documented - Form is neat, professional, and ready to present to a customer
Required Elements: - Customer contact information - Complete vessel identification - Engine specifications - Clear description of requested service (100-hour service) - Estimate of services to be performed - Legal agreement section completed
Part 2: Job Profitability Analysis (50 points)
Create a detailed financial analysis of the 100-hour service job. Your analysis must include:
1. Materials Cost Breakdown Research and list all materials needed for a MerCruiser 5.0L 100-hour service: - Engine oil (type and quantity) - Oil filter - Fuel filter - Air filter - Spark plugs - Lower unit gear oil - Grease and lubricants - Any other consumables
Provide: - Item name - Quantity needed - Unit price - Total cost per item - Total Materials Cost
2. Labor Cost Calculation - Estimated labor hours for 100-hour service - Hourly labor rate (research typical marine mechanic rates or set your own) - Total Labor Cost
3. Overhead Allocation Consider indirect costs: - Tool usage/depreciation - Shop supplies - Insurance - Facility costs (if applicable) - Estimate overhead as a percentage of labor (typically 15-25%) - Total Overhead Cost
4. Pricing & Profitability - Calculate Total Cost (Materials + Labor + Overhead) - Determine Customer Price (research competitive pricing for 100-hour service) - Calculate Gross Profit (Price - Materials - Labor) - Calculate Net Income (Price - Total Cost) - Calculate Profit Margin %
5. Business Analysis Answer these questions: - Is this job profitable for Full Throttle Marine? Why or why not? - What is your profit margin, and is it sustainable for a service business? - How does your pricing compare to competitors? - Would you take this job? Explain your reasoning. - What could increase or decrease profitability on this type of job?
Submission Format
Submit two documents:
- Full Throttle Marine Customer Intake Form (completed)
- Job Profitability Analysis Report (spreadsheet or document format)
Both documents should be professional, accurate, and demonstrate understanding of business documentation and financial analysis.
Grading Rubric
| Criteria | Points | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Customer Intake Form Accuracy | 25 | All fields completed correctly with accurate information |
| Customer Intake Form Professionalism | 15 | Form is neat, clear, and professionally presented |
| Estimate & Legal Sections | 10 | Service estimate and legal agreement sections properly completed |
| Materials Cost Research | 15 | Thorough research of parts/materials with accurate pricing |
| Labor & Overhead Calculations | 15 | Realistic labor estimates and appropriate overhead allocation |
| Profitability Analysis | 10 | Correct calculations of costs, revenue, profit, and margins |
| Business Analysis Quality | 10 | Thoughtful answers demonstrating business understanding |
| Total | 100 |
Resources & Research
To complete this assignment, you'll need to research:
Parts & Pricing Sources: - West Marine (westmarine.com) - Defender Marine (defender.com) - Local marine supply stores - OEM parts catalogs (MerCruiser)
Labor Rate Research: - Local marine mechanic rates (call local marinas) - Industry standards ($80-$150/hour typical range) - Geographic market considerations
100-Hour Service Specifications: - MerCruiser 5.0L service manual - Manufacturer maintenance schedules - Marine service industry standards
Learning Connections
Academic Standards: - Mathematics: Calculate costs, percentages, profit margins - Business: Customer service, documentation, financial analysis - Communication: Professional writing, technical documentation - Research: Market research, competitive pricing analysis
Real-World Application: - Every marine service business uses customer intake forms - Job costing determines whether a business is profitable - Professional documentation protects both business and customer - Understanding profitability guides business decisions
Next Steps
After completing this lesson, you will: - Have a standardized customer intake process for Full Throttle Marine - Understand the profitability of service offerings - Be prepared to develop pricing strategies for your business plan - Have documentation templates ready for future service scenarios
This lesson's deliverables will be incorporated into your Business Plan Development (due May 18) and Pro Forma & Financial Model (due May 25).
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