The problem
Drivers whose car you tested last year often book their next MOT wherever is nearest or cheapest that week. Sending reminders by hand from a diary or spreadsheet never quite happens. If 120 of your past customers' MOTs fall due each month and 10 of them go elsewhere, at an average of $200£150€179A$288C$282 for the MOT and the work it finds, that's $1,995£1,500€1,785A$2,880C$2,820 a month of work going down the road.
What the AI does
Workshop Software, a cloud garage management system, sends automatic service, MOT and booking reminders by text or email from the vehicle records you already keep. Each customer's preferred contact method decides how they're reminded, and you write the wording once. The UK page says reminders can be set for MOT renewals, services or follow-up work, and the DVLA lookup and MOT history feature helps get each due date right.
A worked example
An independent garage in Swindon with three technicians tests and services about 120 past customers' cars a month. They move onto Workshop Software Silver, check the MOT due dates on their customer records and turn on MOT and service reminders by text, with email as a backup.
Before
No regular reminders; about 10 regular customers a month book their MOT elsewhere
After
Every customer reminded before the due date, with those 10 a month booking back in
What it's worth
About $798£600€714A$1,152C$1,128 a month in profit, at an assumed 40% margin on $1,995£1,500€1,785A$2,880C$2,820 of work (10 MOTs a month that come back, at $200£150€179A$288C$282 each including repairs). That is against $132£99€118A$190C$186 to $158£119€142A$228C$224 a month for the software, plus text message fees.
How to set it up
- If you already have a garage management system, check whether it sends MOT reminders before you switch; many do.
- Start a free trial of Workshop Software and import your customers and vehicles, with MOT and service due dates.
- Check the due dates on your regular customers' vehicles, using the DVLA lookup and MOT history where a date is missing.
- Turn on MOT and service reminders, write the text and email wording in your own words, and include how to book.
- Buy text message credits, set each customer's preferred contact method, and watch the bookings that come from reminders in the first two months.
What goes wrong
- The pricing page says text messages carry a small fee per message without saying how much. Check the rate before sending reminders to hundreds of customers.
- Silver is $158£119€142A$228C$224 a month on monthly billing or $132£99€118A$190C$186 a month billed annually ($1,580£1,188€1,414A$2,281C$2,233 a year). The page doesn't say whether VAT is included.
- Reminders are only as good as the due dates on file. A wrong date reminds the customer too late, or months early.
- Only remind customers who are happy to hear from you, and make it easy to opt out.