Garages
How to tell the customer their car is ready
A WhatsApp message when you finish the repair, with the quote accepted first and the invoice when you close. A garage example, with no brand names.
What you’ll get from this
- The “is it ready yet?” stops being a call in the middle of the job.
- The quote is accepted in the chat, with the amount you set.
- The invoice is not promised “legal” in the abstract: it fits how you invoice now.
In a garage the midday question is always the same: “is my car ready yet?”. You’re under the vehicle. The customer is out on the street, or at work, looking at their phone.
A message when you finish saves the call for both of you. It doesn’t replace the job sheet, or your judgement if the fault grows.
The order that usually works
- A quote with the amount you calculated. The customer replies yes or no.
- A “it’s ready” message, with the latest time they can come by.
- The invoice through the channel you already use, not through a new program invented on this page.
Example, fictional garage. The 245 € is illustrative, not a rate:
Virtual assistant, 10:05. Hi Carlos. I’m the virtual assistant at the garage. Quote: front brake pads and discs, 245 € VAT included. Shall we do it?
Customer, 10:20. Yes, go ahead
Virtual assistant, 17:12. Your car is ready. You can pick it up until 19:30. We’ve sent you the invoice by email.
If the amount changes halfway through the job, the assistant doesn’t close it. It alerts you so that you talk to the customer yourself.
Invoices
We’re not saying here that a message meets invoicing rules. That depends on your software and your accountant. What you can get running is the alert, and sending the invoice you already generate. The detail is in quotes and invoices.
Months later, a service or ITV reminder brings back someone who already trusted the garage. That’s a message too, not a campaign.
If you want to see how many hours you lose between calls and quotes, the form separates the two.