Service reminders: how to text clients so they come back, not opt out
You have a client list, but nobody ever messages it. Or you sent one message, to everyone at once, with a discount on everything - and two people replied. This article shows how to send service reminders so the client replies “Thursday works for me”, not “please take me off your list”.
Sławomir Kwaśny
Cold to Close
Service reminders step by step
1. Get your client list in one place
Invoices, your calendar, your phone, the old notebook. For each client you need a first name, a phone number or email, and the date and type of their last service. The car model is a big plus - a message about “your BMW” reads differently from one about “your car”.
2. Check consents
You can only send reminders with a suggested date to clients who agreed to be contacted. GDPR and the e-marketing rules in your country require it. If you don't have consents, start collecting them when you hand the car back, for example on the handover form. Check the consents with a lawyer - the wording, and who you can already message.
3. Pick the moment
A reminder makes sense when it meets a need: a year since the coating went on, time for a film inspection, a wash after winter, an air-conditioning service before summer. A message sent for no reason, “because we haven't been in touch for a while”, falls flat.
4. Keep it short and specific
Name, car, reason and a suggested date. No exclamation marks, no “today only” and no discount on everything.
Studio: “Hi [name], this is XYZ Studio. It's been a year since we put the coating on your Audi - a good time for a service, so it stays as good as on day one. We have free slots next week. Would Tuesday or Thursday suit you? If you'd rather not get messages like this, just reply STOP.”
Workshop: “Hi, this is XYZ Workshop. It's been a year since the oil change on your Skoda - time for the next one. We can do it when we swap your tyres. Does any day next week suit you? To stop these messages, reply STOP.”
Air conditioning: “Hi, this is XYZ Air Conditioning. We installed your air conditioner a year ago - before the season, it's worth having it inspected and cleaned. We have free slots in May. Which week suits you? To stop these messages, reply STOP.”
5. One message and one reminder at most
If the client doesn't reply, send one reminder a few days later. Then leave it until the next occasion. Someone who hasn't replied twice doesn't need a third message.
6. Count how many came back
Write down how many messages you sent, how many clients replied and how many came in. After a few weeks you'll see which reminders work and which need rewriting.
SMS or email?
An SMS is short and easy to reply to - it suits reminders with a suggested date. Email works when you want to show more: photos, a description of a service package, care instructions. In a studio or a workshop, a service reminder usually fits an SMS better.
Opting out has to be easy
In every message, say how to opt out - with one word. A client who wants to opt out will do it anyway. Better they reply STOP than report your messages as spam or remember your studio as pushy.
When you don't have time for this
The system can keep track of it for you: when a client's coating or film needs a service, the client gets a reminder with a suggested date. Only clients who agreed to it, a one-word opt-out, and before anything goes out, we check the consents together. Every week, one SMS shows you how many clients came back.
Frequently asked questions
How big does my client list need to be for this to make sense?
There's no threshold. With a few dozen clients you can write by hand. With a few hundred, keeping track of who to remind and when starts eating into your time - that's when it's worth letting it run by itself.
Can I message clients who didn't give consent?
Not with an offer of a service. Start collecting consents with your next jobs, and check the consents with a lawyer - the wording, and who you can already message.
How many messages should one client get?
One when a service is due, and at most one reminder if they don't reply. Then you wait for the next occasion.
Should I offer a discount in the reminder?
You don't have to. A client you're reminding about a service needs a date, not a discount. Keep discounts for when you have an empty bay to fill.
What about GDPR?
With reminders, three things matter: the client's consent, an easy way to opt out and safe storage of the data. When we connect the system, we sign a data processing agreement with you. Check the consents with a lawyer for the details.
Let's see how much you're leaking
15 minutes on the phone. We'll work out how much is leaking at your place, and at the end you'll see on your own phone what a client gets when nobody picks up.
Book 15 minutes