How Can Text Messaging Benefit Car Sales And Service Businesses?

If your car dealership or garage wants to boost customer engagement, improve communication and loyalty and drive more business, trying to reach sales and service customers by phone calls and emails alone might not be effective enough – it may be time to widen your communication methods and include text messaging in order to increase the chances of receiving a response.

Phone calls can easily go unanswered if a customer isn’t familiar with your telephone number or it wasn’t a convenient time to answer, while emails can unfortunately easily end up overlooked in a busy inbox never to be seen by the customer, potentially leading to missed service appointments and lost vehicle sales.

Car dealers and garages can instead expect more success with their customer communication when they make use of text messaging as another contact method, thanks to text previews on modern mobile phone screens all but guaranteeing your message has been seen.

Text messages can be particularly useful for workshops, who are regularly using this method of contact to remind customers to book themselves into the garage when it’s time for their annual MOT or service. Reaching customers early with a friendly reminder that keeps their vehicle safely on the road will increase trust and loyalty with your business, which is why it’s essential to use a contact method with the best chances of receiving a response.

Once customers have booked their vehicle into the workshop, text messages can then also be used to remind them about the upcoming MOT or service appointment closer to the time, leading to a reduction in no-shows so that your garage can maintain maximum efficiency throughout the year.

Car dealers can benefit from text messaging when reminding customers about pre-booked test drives or simply letting prospects know a car of interest is back in stock, as it’s a highly visible method delivered directly to the user’s phone screen. Sending a text message can also be a convenient way for dealers to make contact for less urgent issues, such as promoting the latest showroom offers or asking for an online review after a recent visit to the dealership.

The DragonDMS not only lets car dealers and garages send text messages to customers, but our dealer management system also has the capability to receive customer replies directly back into your software, allowing you to keep track of all your customer communication in one place. This optional feature automatically provides dealerships and garages with a record of any text message conversations in full, without needing to copy any of the details, so you can easily refer back to it.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the text messaging feature in your DragonDMS dealer management system or how the system can benefit your car dealership or garage, please contact our sales team on 01327 222 333 or email sales@dragon2000.co.uk for more information.

Dragon2000 have been helping dealers and garages drive their businesses forward since 1995. Contact our sales team today to find out how our dealer management system and car dealer websites can help your business increase profits and reduce costs. Our mobile apps for sales teams and workshops can also help save valuable time and maximise efficiencies.