Preview guide
Intermittent faults are expensive because they disappear when help arrives. A consistent record makes patterns visible.
Capture the exact event
Record date, time, operator, formula, base, colorants involved, machine state, and the exact on-screen message. Photograph the screen when safe.
Separate symptom from theory
Write “C3 dispensed 0.18 oz short” instead of “the pump is bad.” Good service notes describe what happened before guessing why.
Record recovery
Note what restored operation and how long it lasted. A reboot, purge, manual dispense, or can-position change may point to very different causes.
Build a short pattern summary
After three events, summarize what is common and what is not. That one paragraph is often more useful than three disconnected tickets.