When to send MOT and service reminders, and what to say

Sending reminders is one of those jobs every garage knows it should be doing. The tricky bits are knowing when to send them and what to put in them so people actually book, rather than reading it and thinking "I'll sort that later".

Here's what tends to work.

Timing for MOT reminders

A car can have its MOT up to a month minus a day before the current one runs out and still keep the same renewal date. Most drivers don't know that, so it's worth telling them.

That gives you a natural window. Aim for your reminder to land around a month before the MOT is due, or a little earlier. That's early enough that:

• they can book in the month before and not lose any days off their MOT
• you're in at the same time as GOV.UK's free reminder service, which also goes out a month before, or ahead of it if you send a little earlier
• you've got time to fit them in around your busiest days

Leave it until a week or two before and plenty of people will already have booked somewhere else, or they'll be scrambling for any slot they can get.

Go much earlier than six weeks and you hit the opposite problem. They read it, think "that's ages away", and forget all over again.

For a car that's due its first MOT at three years old, the same timing works. Those customers are worth a bit of extra effort, because the first garage they use for an MOT often becomes the garage they stick with.

Timing for service reminders

Services are less clear-cut, because they depend on mileage as well as time. Most garages remind somewhere between 11 and 12 months after the last service, and that suits most private drivers.

If a customer does high mileage for work, it can make sense to remind them sooner. If you already know the car's coming in for its MOT around the same time, it's usually better to send one message that covers both than two separate ones a few weeks apart. People are more likely to book both together, and they won't feel like they're being chased.

Should you send more than one?

One well-timed reminder does most of the work. But a gentle follow-up catches a lot of people who meant to book and simply didn't.

A sensible pattern for most garages:

1. The main reminder, around a month before it's due.
2. A quick phone call or second message about a fortnight later, but only to customers who haven't booked yet.

Stop there. Three or four messages about the same MOT starts to feel like nagging, and that's when people unsubscribe.

What to say

Keep it short, especially in a text. The customer should be able to read it in a couple of seconds and know who it's from, what it's about and what to do next.

A good reminder covers four things:

1. Who you are. Your garage name, right at the start.
2. Which car. The registration makes it feel personal and stops any confusion in households with more than one car.
3. What's due. MOT, service, or both.
4. How to book. A phone number, a link, or both.

Something like this works well as a text:

Hi Sam, it's Smith's Motors. LK19 HWV is due its MOT next month. Call us on 01452 000000 or tap here to book: [link]

Emails can say a bit more

An email gives you room to be helpful without it feeling like a sales pitch. As well as the basics, it's a good place to:

• remind them they can come in early without losing any days off their MOT
• mention anything you noted last time, like a tyre that was getting close to the limit
• suggest doing the service on the same visit, if it's due around then
• say when you're open, especially if you do Saturday mornings

Something along these lines:

Hi Sam,

Just a reminder that the MOT on your Ford Focus (LK19 HWV) is due on 14 March.

You can book in any time from 15 February and keep the same renewal date, so there's no need to leave it to the last minute.

Last time we noted the front tyres were getting close to the limit. We'll take a look while it's in.

Give us a ring on 01452 000000 or reply to this email and we'll find you a slot.

Thanks, Dave at Smith's Motors

It reads like it's come from a person, because it has. That's what makes people book.

What to leave out

• Hard selling. A reminder that reads like an advert gets ignored. Be helpful first.
• Long paragraphs in texts. If it doesn't fit comfortably on a phone screen, cut it down.
• Jargon. "Your VT20 expires" means nothing to most drivers. "Your MOT runs out" does.
• Anything without a way to opt out. Always include a simple way for people to stop receiving reminders, and stick to it when they do. It's good manners and it keeps you on the right side of the rules on marketing messages. The ICO has clear guidance if you want to check the details.

Text or email?

Both, if you can. Texts get read almost straight away, which makes them ideal for the short "you're due" nudge. Emails are better for the extra detail and are easier for people to find again when they sit down to book.

If you only have one contact for a customer, use what you've got. A reminder by either is far better than none.

One reminder, sent reliably, beats a perfect plan you never get round to

The biggest problem isn't usually the wording or the timing. It's that reminders get done in a rush when it's quiet, then forgotten for a month when it's busy.

Whatever you decide, the main thing is that it happens every time, for every customer. That's where an automatic system earns its keep. Garage Reminders sends each customer a text and email from your garage when they're due, using wording you can change to sound like you. You set the timing once and it handles the rest.