In an effort to increase trust between the service department and customers, Nissan is introducing video-walkthroughs of vehicles to be shown to customers before work is performed.
Their new "eVision" service basically involves techs making a quick iPhone video of a customer car, pointing out what needs attention, then e-mailing said video to the customer for review before the work is approved.
A "green-yellow-red" scale of repair-necessity will be included along with a cost estimate of the work. You know, exactly like the piece of paper and live walk-through you get if you're at the service center in person.
So this won't mean much if you perform your own maintenance or wait on-site while someone else does the dirty work, but it could be nice for those who drop off their cars and move on to other engagements. Anyone who's had a phone call from a mechanic telling you your brake pads/serpentine belt/flux capacitor is "looking pretty worn" would surely appreciate technology like this coming into the main stream.
It's also a win for honest mechanics, who could use this tool to debunk negative stereotypes about their revenue-generating practices. For the moment, it's only for the UK.
Does your dealer/mechanic do anything similar?