A message comes in on Facebook at 11 am: "How much for a logbook service on a 2017 Hilux?" You see it at 6 pm, reply with a price, and get nothing back. They asked three shops. The one that replied first booked them in.
Online enquiries feel less urgent than a ringing phone, but they go cold just as fast.
Why it costs you jobs
People who send an enquiry online are usually asking a few workshops at once. They're not waiting for the best price, they're waiting for the first clear answer and a time that suits them.
If your reply comes hours later, it lands after they've already said yes to someone else. It's not that they didn't want you. You were just second.
Work out what it's costing you
Count last month's online enquiries (web form, Facebook, Instagram, email) and how many turned into bookings. Then do the sum:
- Online enquiries last month that didn't book
- Times the share you could have won by replying first
- Times your average job value
- Times 12 for the year
Use your own numbers, not ours.
Three fixes, from free to done for you
- Free: turn on instant replies in Facebook and Instagram, something like "Thanks, we're on the tools. Send your rego and the job and we'll reply with a time today." At least they know you're real and listening.
- Cheap: check enquiries at set times, like 10 am, 1 pm and 3 pm, and reply with a price range and two available times rather than just a price.
- Done for you: instant enquiry follow-up. Every web form and Facebook enquiry gets a reply within seconds, a call back when there's a number, and a time in your diary.
What good looks like
You'll know it's fixed when nobody waits more than a few minutes for a real reply, and you stop hearing "we already booked somewhere else".
If you want to see how fast follow-up would work for your shop, book a free strategy call.