5 Use Cases for Automotive Text Messaging

Would you believe me if I told you that one of themost powerful ways to market your dealership is through automotive text messaging? It’s true! If you want your valuable information to not only be seen, but be seen in a timely manner, then start texting leads.

An astounding 98% of text messages are opened, where only a mere 20% of emails are read. On average it only takes 90 seconds for a mobile phone user to respond to a text message, creating a higher probability that customers can be reached in real-time.

Because of the fast-paced and highly competitive nature of the automotive sales environment, enabling text messaging for automotive dealerships will allow you to save time, and communicate with customers in a channel they prefer. This gives you  a leg up on your competitors. 

Here are 5 use cases for automotive text messaging to illustrate how valuable business texting can be for your dealership.

As the leader in business text messaging, and an expert in the automotive sales industry, Calldrip is proud to work with thousands of auto dealers across the globe. But don’t just take our word for it! Take our automotive text messaging tool for a test drive today - no demo required!

Use Case 1: Send Automotive Text Messages to Respond to Online Inquiries

With text messaging, you can serve and even anticipate the needs of your automotive customers. Car dealerships can easily send product and service-based replies to customers based on their inquiries. 

With Calldrip, dealerships can create a unique yet automated response for each make and model of car. We accomplish this by allowing you to create a “fill in the blank” style automated response, with an unlimited number of custom keyword fields. 

You can also leverage automotive text messaging for a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) reply. In this case, you can have pre-configured text messages for those FAQ's so you can conveniently and quickly respond to the customer. These messages can include links and content that can be instantly accessed by the consumer. 

It’s no surprise that a recent survey reveals that 75% of consumers prefer texting customer support agents to any other option available. And as an added bonus? No more phone tag!

Use Case 2: Send Text Message Reminders to Confirm Appointments for Sales and Service

Business text messaging also takes the difficulty out of scheduling and confirming appointments with customers. By automatically reminding customers of sales and service appointments, you give more time back to sales agents all while reducing the number of no-show or missed appointments. 

This is just one way you can leverage text messaging to customers by salespeople in automotive retailing. Next up, we'll share a few more options.

Use Case 3: Use Customer Service SMS Tactics to Prep for Dealership Visits.

Texting is a great way to prepare customers for their upcoming appointments with your dealership. This kind of customer service SMS strategy leveraging automated text messaging can encourage engagement, and even reduce no-shows.

Sending out directions ahead of time helps customers know exactly where they are going so that they can arrive in a timely manner at the correct location. Also including details such as images, statistics, and related videos about the car they’re interested in can help them get ready for the visit. These resources help customers prepare questions they may want to ask while they are in your showroom. This cuts down on the back-and-forth nature and can help them make a faster decision.

Use Case 4: Send Business Text Messages to Follow- Up on Showroom Visits

Around 68% of customers say a service representative is key to a positive service experience, making it no surprise that the top reason customers switch brands (or dealerships) is because they feel unappreciated. Research also indicates that 46% of car buyers want to hear from their dealership after purchase.

This goes to show that a positive interaction before, during, and after a showroom visit can make all the difference in a customer's purchase decision. Whether it’s a quick “thank you” for keeping their appointment, a brief note letting them know you enjoyed meeting with them, or a request for more information from them about a lost deal, following up with a customer after they visit your showroom demonstrates that you value them. A text also eliminates the pressure that a phone call puts on the client, but is more personal than an email. A brief follow-up can be an invaluable piece in your automotive sales puzzle.

Use Case 5: Request Google Reviews and More Via Text

After the sale, you have the opportunity to consider text messaging to customers in automotive retailing. Said differently, now is the time to use texting to turn your customers into evangelists for your auto dealership. One of the tried-and-true ways of activating your customers is by collecting online reviews.

A recent study found that 63% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase from a site that has some type of customer reviews over one that hasn’t made any such attempt. In fact, the Spiegel Research Center reveals that the likelihood of a product getting purchased increases 270% when a company has just 5 reviews.

One way to gather these reviews is to use automotive text messages to collect testimonials that can be used on your site. Some tools, like Calldrip, even allow you to automatically collect Google reviews with a simple automated text message. 

Text messaging can be extremely helpful for your automotive marketing and sales - they are quick, always available, and impactful.

With the ability for customers to opt-in and opt-out, text messaging can be molded to fit any lifestyle (for both the dealership and customer). And with automation options available, SMS strategy is simple and easy to implement in your automotive dealership.

For more information, check out The Ultimate Guide to Text Message Automation.

Want to see how Calldrip's business text message software works? Test drive Calldrip’s automotive text messaging solution today!