By the SightShield team · · 3 min read
Two businesses, one site
A dealership is a showroom full of high-value vehicles and a workshop where customers’ cars are in your care. Both carry risks: theft and damage in the yard, disputes over scratches and dents after service, parts going missing from stores, and complaints about how a vehicle was handled. Cameras turn many of these arguments into a quick look at the footage.
Vehicle check-in: the most valuable camera
Most service disputes are about damage — a customer says a scratch appeared during service. A camera at the service reception or check-in lane, positioned to record a walk-around of every vehicle as it arrives, gives a time-stamped record of its condition. Combine it with the job card time and number-plate capture to find the clip instantly.
Camera plan
- Showroom floor, covering every display vehicle and entrances.
- Customer lounge and reception.
- Service check-in and delivery lanes, with number-plate capture.
- Each service bay or group of bays.
- Washing bay and road-test exit gate.
- Spare parts store and its issue counter.
- Cash and accounts counter.
- Vehicle yard and stockyard, with perimeter coverage and intrusion alerts at night.
Service transparency
Some service centres share live or recorded views of a customer’s vehicle being worked on. It builds trust and reduces disputes. If you do, use limited, time-bound access to specific bay cameras only, and never give customers access to the recorder itself.
Parts store control
- A camera over the parts issue counter, showing the part, the job card and the technician.
- Coverage of the store entrance and high-value racks.
- Access control on the store door, with a log of who entered.
- Regular comparison of parts issued against job cards and stock.
- Old parts returned and recorded when replaced under warranty.
Yard security at night
Stockyards and parking lots full of new vehicles are attractive targets. Use colour night-vision or infrared bullets along the perimeter with AI intrusion detection, alerts to the security guard and owner, and lights or sirens triggered by alerts. Boom barriers and a guarded gate control vehicle movement in and out.
See our gate automation service →Test drives and vehicle movement
Showrooms lend vehicles for test drives every day. A camera at the exit gate with number-plate capture, combined with a simple test-drive log, records every vehicle that leaves and returns. The same camera documents delivery of new vehicles and the condition of vehicles leaving after service.
Gate Automation plus CCTV →Storage
Keep 30 days or more — damage complaints and insurance claims can surface weeks after delivery. Export footage of any disputed vehicle when the complaint is raised. SightShield installs IP camera systems only, from CP Plus, PRAMA, Honeywell and Hikvision, using models certified for sale in India, with a GST invoice and an annual maintenance contract.
Example: a two-wheeler service centre
A busy two-wheeler service centre in Rajajinagar handled about 80 vehicles a day and faced frequent claims of scratches and missing parts. It installed a check-in camera that records each vehicle being walked around with the customer, cameras over each service bay, one on the parts counter and store, and two on the yard and gate. Every job card notes the time of check-in, so the clip can be found in seconds. Damage disputes are now resolved by showing the check-in video, and the parts store camera reduced unexplained stock losses.
EV charging and parking security →Quick answers
Can CCTV settle damage complaints after service?+
Yes, when a check-in camera records each vehicle’s condition on arrival and the clip can be found by number plate and time.
How many cameras does a service centre need?+
Often 16–40, depending on bays, yard size and the showroom.
Can customers watch their car being serviced?+
It is possible with limited, time-bound access to specific bay cameras.
Do you cover large yards?+
Yes, with perimeter cameras, intrusion alerts and fibre or wireless links for distant poles.
Can cameras record the condition of new vehicles at delivery?+
Yes. A delivery bay camera records the handover, which helps settle later claims about damage.
Do two-wheeler showrooms need a different plan?+
The same principles apply, with more attention to the display floor, parts counter and parking, and number-plate capture for test rides.
How long should service centre footage be kept?+
At least 30 days, and longer for check-in cameras if customers raise complaints weeks after service.