Never Lose a Customer to a Missed Follow-Up
Automated SMS service reminders for your workshop. Due-date tracking, customer re-engagement, personalised templates, and delivery tracking. Built for Australian workshops.
THE CHALLENGE
Sound Familiar?
The Problem
- Customers forget their next service and go elsewhere because nobody followed up
- Manual reminder calls take hours and often go to voicemail with no callback
- No system to track which vehicles are overdue or coming due for scheduled servicing
- Lost revenue from customers who would return if prompted — but your workshop never reached out
The Solution
- Automated SMS reminders sent to customers when their service is due — no manual effort required
- Due-date tracking per vehicle based on time intervals, odometer readings, or custom schedules
- Dashboard visibility into overdue and upcoming reminders so your team can follow up on exceptions
- Re-engage dormant customers with automated outreach that brings them back before they switch workshops
FEATURES
Everything You Need
SMS Reminders
Automated SMS messages sent to customers when their vehicle is due for service. Personalised with customer name, vehicle, and service type.
Due Date Tracking
Set service intervals by date (every 6 months) or odometer (every 10,000 km). PitlaneHQ tracks when each vehicle is next due.
Reminder Dashboard
See all upcoming and overdue reminders in one view. Filter by date range, vehicle type, or service category.
Customer Re-engagement
Identify customers who have not visited in 6+ months. Send them a personalised message to bring them back for their next service.
Template Personalisation
Use placeholders like {{customer_first_name}}, {{vehicle_rego}}, and {{service_type}} to make every reminder feel personal.
Opt-Out Management
Customers can opt out of SMS reminders. PitlaneHQ respects opt-outs automatically and prevents messages to unsubscribed customers.
Delivery Tracking
See which reminders were delivered, which failed, and which customers responded. Every message is logged with delivery status.
Multi-Site Reminders
Each site sends reminders from its own phone number. Customers always receive messages from their local workshop.
HOW IT WORKS
From Start to Finish
Set Service Intervals
Configure default service intervals for your workshop — every 6 months, every 10,000 km, or custom schedules for specific vehicle types or service categories.
Create Reminder Templates
Write SMS templates with personalisation placeholders. For example: "Hi {{customer_first_name}}, your {{vehicle_make}} {{vehicle_model}} ({{vehicle_rego}}) is due for a service. Book online or call us."
Activate Automation
Enable the service reminder automation. PitlaneHQ checks due dates daily and sends reminders at the configured lead time (e.g. 2 weeks before due).
Monitor & Follow Up
Review the reminder dashboard for delivery status and customer responses. Follow up on undelivered messages or customers who have not booked.
COMPARE
Why PitlaneHQ?
| Feature | PitlaneHQ | Spreadsheets | Other Software |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automated SMS service reminders | |||
| Date and odometer-based intervals | |||
| Personalised reminder templates | |||
| Delivery status tracking per message | |||
| Customer opt-out management | |||
| Overdue service dashboard | |||
| Dormant customer re-engagement | |||
| Per-site phone number for reminders | |||
| Linked to vehicle service history | |||
| Template placeholder personalisation | |||
| Two-way SMS (customer can reply) | |||
| Multi-site reminder management |
USE CASES
Real Workshop Scenarios
Customer Retention
The Challenge
A suburban mechanic noticed customers would come once for a service and never return. With no follow-up system, he was constantly chasing new customers instead of retaining existing ones.
The Solution
Enabled automatic SMS reminders for 6-month service intervals. Every customer who completes a job receives a personalised reminder when their next service is approaching.
The Result
Repeat customer rate increased from 35% to 58% in the first year. The shop filled more bays with returning customers instead of spending on advertising.
Fleet Maintenance Compliance
The Challenge
A delivery company with 40 vans needed to maintain strict service schedules for insurance and safety compliance. Manual tracking with spreadsheets led to missed services.
The Solution
Each van has a service reminder set to its specific maintenance schedule. PitlaneHQ sends reminders to the fleet coordinator 2 weeks before each service is due.
The Result
Zero missed scheduled services. The fleet manager has a dashboard showing upcoming and overdue reminders across the entire fleet.
Dormant Customer Revival
The Challenge
A workshop with 2,000+ customer records had no idea which customers had gone dormant. They were spending heavily on Google Ads to find new customers.
The Solution
Used PitlaneHQ to identify 400 customers who had not visited in 12+ months. Sent a personalised re-engagement SMS offering a free vehicle health check.
The Result
Generated 47 bookings from a single SMS campaign to dormant customers. Cost per acquisition was $0.15 per message vs $45 per lead from Google Ads.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What Workshops Are Saying
Customer stories coming soon. We are building something workshops will love.
Ready to Streamline Your Workshop?
Join hundreds of Australian workshops already using PitlaneHQ to manage their business more efficiently.