Open your workshop software and scroll back a year. Hundreds of names. People who liked the job, paid the bill and drove off happy. Then you never saw them again.
Plenty of them didn't leave because of anything you did. You didn't remind them, and someone else did.
Why it costs you jobs
Dealerships and service chains send reminders by text and email like clockwork. When a customer's service comes due and the only reminder they get is from someone else, that's who they book with.
Winning a past customer back is usually cheaper and easier than finding a new one. They already know where you are, how you work and that you do a good job.
Work out what it's costing you
Pull a list of customers you haven't seen in the last 12 months. Then do the sum:
- Past customers not seen in 12 months
- Times the share who would rebook if reminded
- Times your average job value
- That's work already sitting in your system
Use your own numbers, not ours.
Three fixes, from free to done for you
- Free: export last year's customer list and send a short, personal text in small batches. For example (use your own names): "Hi Sarah, it's Dave from Smith St Auto. Your Corolla's probably due for a service. Want me to book you in next week? Reply STOP to opt out." Only text people who have been your customers.
- Cheap: set up service-due reminders in your workshop software so every customer gets a text when their next service is due.
- Done for you: a customer win-back text campaign. We contact past customers who've agreed to hear from you, follow up the replies and book them back into your diary, with opt-outs handled properly.
What good looks like
Good looks like a steady trickle of familiar names back in the diary every week, without you lifting the phone.
If you want to know how many jobs are sitting in your own customer list, book a free strategy call and we'll work it out together.