Repair progress texts for bodyshops: fewer chasing calls

Accident repairs take one to three weeks, and customers without their car ring for updates. A bodyshop repairing 30 cars a month that gets 3 calls per car at about 5 minutes each spends 7.5 hours a month answering the phone, mostly to say 'still waiting on parts'.

Firetext sends texts from a web account with editable templates and merge tags for names and registrations. Write a template for each stage: booked in, parts ordered, parts arrived, in paint, reassembly, ready to collect. When a car moves on, reception sends the next text in a few seconds. A UK reply number ($12£9€11A$17C$17 a month) lets customers text back, with replies forwarded to your email.

A bodyshop in Ipswich repairs about 30 cars a month, mostly insurance work. Reception sends 5 stage texts per car from Firetext templates as each car moves through the workshop.

About $133£100€119A$192C$188 a month in reception time: 5 hours saved at an assumed $27£20€24A$38C$38 an hour, against about $23£17€20A$33C$32 a month for 150 texts at 5p and the $12£9€11A$17C$17 reply number, excluding VAT.

1. 1Open a free Firetext account and buy 500 credits for $33£25€30A$48C$47.
2. 2Write a short template for each repair stage, with merge tags for the customer's name and registration.
3. 3Ask each customer at booking-in whether they'd like text updates, and add their mobile number.
4. 4Send the next template whenever a car changes stage, and agree who on the team does it.
5. 5Add the $12£9€11A$17C$17 reply number if you want customers to be able to text back.

• Texts depend on someone sending them. Make it part of moving a car to its next stage.
• Don't promise dates in a text that the insurer or a parts supplier controls. Say 'expected' and update if it changes.
• Keep these to repair updates. Marketing texts need the customer's separate agreement.
• Messages over 160 characters use 2 credits.