Car repair shop customer retention: bring more customers in for inspections

When should you remind customers about their inspection?

It's best to remind customers four to six weeks before the appointment, so they still have time to plan. If they only hear about it a week before, they usually already have other plans. These intervals are a recommendation from practice, and you can adjust them at any time.

The intervals are recommendations from practice, not fixed rules. Adapt them to your shop.

Why do customers forget their inspection?

Customers forget their inspection because it's rarely on their mind and there's no appointment in their calendar. After all, the car is running fine. A note on the mirror or a sticker under the hood is easily overlooked. Customers aren't unhappy, they just don't think about it. That's why a friendly reminder helps more than any advertising.

What data do you need for the reminder?

You need three details per vehicle: the customer's name, the due date of the next inspection and how you can reach them. Write the date straight into your customer list when the car is picked up. It takes ten seconds and saves a lot of phone calls later. Ask the customer at the same time whether they'd like reminders from you, and note their answer.

How do you write a reminder that gets noticed?

A good reminder is short, mentions the car and offers a specific appointment. Use their first name, state the reason in one sentence and make it easy to reply. Avoid pressure and threats like "otherwise your sticker will expire". Friendly and clear works better. All details below are examples.

How do you get the appointment into the customer's phone?

The surest way for an appointment to end up in the customer's calendar is for them to add it themselves with one tap. For this there's a calendar link (iCal) that puts the appointment with date and time into their phone calendar. Without a link, many people only keep the appointment in their head. With a link, the phone reminds the customer itself, even if you don't send anything else.

How does SmartChat help you with this?

SmartChat sends the reminder via WhatsApp and adds the appointment to the customer's calendar with an iCal link. Follow-ups get in touch automatically when an appointment is forgotten or the customer doesn't reply. Sending costs no credits. Newsletters and follow-ups only go to contacts who have confirmed, and anyone who doesn't want them anymore replies STOP. You collect contacts with a landing page or a QR code in your shop. Find out more for your business on the page SmartChat for car repair shops.