Last February, a service advisor we visited stared at his calendar. Twelve open slots that Thursday. Eight on Friday.

"We sent the winter service email in November," he said. "I guess people just aren't interested."

Here's what actually happened: 847 customers got that email. Forty-three opened it. Three booked.

The problem wasn't the customers. It was the campaign.

What most get wrong

You send "time for your winter check" in November. Open rates tank. January starts with half-empty bays.

Networks running smarter systems see completely different results. They stopped treating winter service like a broadcast and started triggering messages based on actual vehicle needs.

A better approach

Dealers that use WEBSOLVE’s automated triggers reach customers who haven’t booked in over a year, whose alarm needs a check, or whose regulatory inspection is due. And ask them to combine it with a winter check.

The system sent: "Your service is coming up. To keep your car running smoothly, also in winter, book before the end of January and you’ll get our winter check for a 20% discount."

Another example: when we connected the tire storage system to automated SMS, the system triggered a message as soon as stored winter tires matched a drop below 7°C: “Looks like winter’s here. Your winter tires are ready. Click to book."

The results are consistent: high conversion rates every time.

The key? Neither network managed this manually. The workflows ran automatically based on DMS data, weather triggers, and service history. Dealers can control the number of messages sent to manage workshop load and avoid overbooking.

How it works

Set up automated triggers in your system like this:

  • Last service over 14 months ago + vehicle over 80,000km
  • Winter tires in storage + temperature drops below 7°C
  • Service interval approaching + seasonal maintenance due

The system sends personalized messages, tracks responses, and follows up automatically after a number of days. Via email, SMS or WhatsApp.

You're not revolutionizing anything. You're just being relevant. At scale.

Why it matters

For an NSC or dealer group running 40 dealerships, even a 15% booking lift means a significant additional revenue.

But the bigger win? Rebuilding trust with customers who were drifting. Get them back once, and they're far more likely to return for the next service… and eventually their next purchase.

What gets in the way

Waiting for perfect data. You don't need perfect. You need "good enough to be relevant."

Worrying about looking pushy. "Hey, we noticed this about your car" isn't pushy: it's helpful.

Thinking you need custom development. Modern platforms like WEBSOLVE connect to your DMS and handle these workflows out of the box.

Start with one trigger, one message, one test. Then expand.

The real win

When automated systems send the right message to the right people at the right time, bookings spread across October and November instead of piling up before Christmas. Your workshop runs more smoothly, and customer satisfaction rises because nobody’s waiting two weeks.

That's operational maturity.

Final thought

Winter campaigns work when they stop being campaigns and start being systems. Automated systems that trigger based on real data and scale across 5 rooftops or 150.

Want to see what those workflows look like? Book 30 minutes and we'll show you how they're structured.