Out of Scope vs No Access — when to use each

Most jobs proceed cleanly through to completion. A small minority can't — either because something physically prevents you from reaching the vehicle or your equipment, or because the vehicle itself is in a state where a normal valet isn't possible.

Zuno has two distinct exits for these situations. Picking the right one matters — the customer's outcome depends on which one you choose, and our admin team relies on the distinction to handle the booking fairly on both sides.

The canonical policy text lives in your Operative Guide — section C (Out of Scope) and section D (No Access). This article is the plain-language summary and the "which one is it?" decision aid.

The core distinction

Out of Scope = the vehicle's condition, or the limitations of cleaning it, once you're there.
No Access = you are physically prevented from reaching the vehicle or getting your equipment to it.

No Access — you're physically prevented

You attended, but something physical stopped you from doing the job. Typical situations:

The vehicle isn't at the address.
It's locked and the customer isn't responding (operatives don't contact customers directly — Zuno relays attempts to reach them).
It's behind a locked gate, or on a site you can't reasonably enter.

Mark the booking as No Access in the app, upload clear photos that show the situation (the locked gate, the empty driveway, whatever applies), and leave a brief note explaining what you found.

No Access — parking specifics

Parking comes up often enough that it has its own rules:

Nowhere safe or legal to park at all → No Access.
The customer has provided a space large enough to park, open your doors, and reach water and power where applicable → do the job.
The space is so tight that, once parked, you can't get out of your vehicle or can't get your equipment out → No Access. You physically cannot reach the car or your equipment. Take clear photos showing the tight parking.
The customer asks you to pay for parking → No Access. You should be provided with free, acceptable parking for the service; paying to park is not something you should have to do.
A door you're not using is blocked — e.g. the passenger door while you're travelling alone — but you can still get out and reach your equipment → not No Access. Marking this as No Access is a breach, because you were able to complete the job.

Out of Scope — vehicle condition prevents the work

You reached the vehicle, but its condition makes a normal valet unsafe, unsanitary, or so far outside a standard clean that it's a different job. Typical examples:

Biohazards (vomit, blood, sewage).
Severe pet contamination (excessive hair embedded in upholstery, urine, faeces).
Extreme builder's residue (cement dust through the interior, wet paint, that level of mess).
Damage that makes the vehicle unsafe to work on (live electrical hazard, structural damage).
A vehicle that simply isn't what was booked — e.g. a motorhome booked as a Size M car.

Mark the booking as Out of Scope in the app, pick the closest reason from the dropdown, upload clear photos that show the issue, and add notes if context helps. Any other vehicles on the same booking continue as normal.

What never qualifies as Out of Scope

A vehicle being dirtier than you expected is not Out of Scope — a vehicle that's dirty but cleanable in the time allotted is the job we expect you to complete. Out of Scope is reserved for situations where a normal professional would decline the work, not for routine difficulty.

We take it seriously if vehicles are repeatedly marked Out of Scope with photos that show conditions which were cleanable in the time given. If you're not sure where the line sits, ring support before you mark it — we'd rather help you decide than unwind it after the fact.

Integrity — how we monitor No Access

We monitor use of the No Access option. If it's used repeatedly with insufficient evidence, or with evidence that doesn't show the full picture or appears misleading, we'll investigate.

Where we believe there may be fraud, we reserve the right to take action on your account — which may be temporary or permanent. Every case is assessed individually on its circumstances. We do this to keep the platform fair to customers and operatives alike, and to minimise fraud.

Photos are mandatory either way

Both Out of Scope and No Access require photo evidence in the app. The photos protect you (proof you were on site, proof of the condition or the obstacle) and they let us handle any customer pushback fairly. The Operative Guide makes this explicit in sections C and D.

Never push through unsafe work

The Operative Guide is firm on this: never complete work you believe is unsafe or unsuitable. Out of Scope and No Access exist precisely so you don't have to. We back operatives who make the right judgement call — flagging an issue properly is the professional move, not a failure.