Scheduled maintenance reminders: who to call, when, and what to say
Sado AI team · · 4 min read
In short
A scheduled maintenance reminder is a service centre’s simplest source of revenue: the customer will change the oil and filters anyway, the only question is where. Build the list from each car’s last visit date and mileage: work out average monthly mileage and find who is due. On the call, mention the last visit, say what will be done and offer two exact times. Record “I already had it done elsewhere” too. An AI operator can make these calls as live conversations from your list.
Who to call: build the list
Your service software (1C, Excel or a CRM) already holds what you need. The steps:
- For each car, take the last visit date and the mileage on that day.
- Set the interval: the maker’s schedule or your mechanic’s, for example every 10,000 km or 12 months.
- Work out average monthly mileage: km between the last two visits ÷ months. No data? Use a rough figure.
- Estimate today’s mileage and list the cars within 500–1,000 km of service, or 12 months since the last one.
- The list holds name, number, car, last visit and the work that’s due.
A worked example
For example: a Malibu came in March at 45,000 km. From earlier visits, the owner drives 1,500 km a month. By October seven months have passed: 45,000 + 7 × 1,500 = 55,500 km. With a 10,000 km interval, service is already due, so call. These numbers are only an example.
The estimate needn’t be exact: on the call you ask the customer “what’s the mileage now?”.
How the reminder call goes
Sado: Assalomu alaykum, is that Dilshod? This is Shohruh from Motor Doktor service.
Caller: Yes, go ahead.
Sado: We changed the oil on your Malibu in March. By our count, the next service is due. What’s the mileage now?
Caller: Oh right, I completely forgot. It’s over 55,000.
Sado: Then it’s just the time. Oil, filters and a general check take about an hour. Tuesday at ten or Wednesday at four are free.
Caller: Wednesday at four.
Sado: Done, Wednesday at four. We’ll remind you the day before. Safe driving!
The call is short: last visit, what we’ll do, two times. If asked about price, quote the list; don’t offer extra repairs by phone, the mechanic mentions those at the check.
What to do with each answer
| What the customer said | What to do |
|---|---|
| “Book me in” | Day and time, a reminder the day before |
| “I had it done elsewhere” | Note the date and mileage and count the next reminder from them |
| “Later, at the end of the month” | Set a callback for that day |
| “I sold the car” | Remove the car from the list, say thank you |
| “Don’t call me” | Add the number to the do-not-call list |
“Done elsewhere” is useful too: you see how many customers left and why. Ask the reason in one question, and don’t argue.
What to measure
- How many people on the list were reached.
- How many of those booked, and how many actually came.
- How many were serviced elsewhere: if that grows, review your prices and service.
- Count the same way every month and compare with the last.
Handing reminders to an AI operator
With hundreds of customers on the list, a receptionist can’t call them all. In Sado you bring the list into the portal’s Auto-calls section as an Excel file or from your CRM, set calling hours and a daily limit, and stop it with one button if needed. Preparing the list: calling a list from Excel.
The operator talks with each customer live instead of playing a recording: it asks the mileage, offers times, books the visit or agrees a callback. The difference: autodialer or AI operator. Results are in the portal and download to Excel. More: AI operator for car dealers and service. Try it live.
Questions
Where do I get the service interval?
From the car’s service book or the maker’s schedule, or else from your mechanic. Set one figure per model and build the list from it.
Isn’t a text reminder enough?
A text reminds, but the customer thinks “I’ll book later” and forgets. On a call you agree the time on the spot and know the answer at once.
Won’t these calls annoy customers?
One call when service is due is care, not pressure. Don’t call several times a week, and remove anyone who asks not to be called.