Dealers Are Buying Cars From a Text Message: How to Text Service Customers to Buy Their Cars
One Honda store started buying cars straight off its service drive with a single text message. See what that text says and why it fits any team.
A Honda store acquired a Civic, an Accord, and an Insight from its service drive in six days, all starting with a text message.
On the Accord, the store was working to acquire the car within 30 minutes of the customer texting in, while also working to sell that customer another vehicle.
The text goes out within five to 10 minutes of the customer checking in and the RO opening, and it simply asks if the store can put a value on their car.
The system is 100% customizable, so you set the guardrails on who gets a text, and 100% automated, so it works with or without a dedicated acquisition team.
MOTO(drive) stores consistently buy about 1% of their repair orders without dedicated service acquisition hires.
Your service drive is full of cars you would love to own, and most of them drive back out the door without anyone asking. Learning how to text service customers to buy their cars fixes that, and it does not take a buyer standing in the lane all day. In this video, Mike Crothers, CEO of MOTO(acquire), shows what it looks like when a dealership buys cars from a text message.
Three cars in six days from the service drive
A Honda store acquired three cars in just six days: a Honda Civic, a Honda Accord, and a Honda Insight. All three came from their service drive. All three started with a text.
The Accord is what Mike calls the crazy part. The customer texted in, and within 30 minutes the store had the process started and was working to acquire the car. In that same window, they were working on selling that customer another one.
It was not a one-off. Another Honda store acquired a 2019 CR-V within 24 hours of going live. As Mike put it: "Two different stores, same process, same result."
How do you text service customers to buy their cars?
The process is simpler than most dealers expect. Here is how Mike describes it:
The customer checks in and the RO opens. That is the trigger.
A text goes out within five to 10 minutes. The customer has just arrived for service.
The text asks a simple question: can we put a value on your car?
When they say yes, the whole process takes off. From there, your team works it like any other acquisition opportunity.
The timing is the point. You are not cold-calling a name off a list weeks later. You are reaching someone who is already your customer, while their car is sitting in your shop.
Built to fit your team, not the other way around
Mike says the speed is not even the coolest part. The best part is that it is 100% customizable, which means you set the guardrails. If you only want certain customers to get a text, that can be set up.
It is also 100% automated. You can have a dedicated acquisition team or not. In Mike's words: "No matter what your system is, this can slide into it and help you acquire more cars and sell more cars directly out of your service."
If your service acquisition effort depends on one person walking the drive, it stalls when that person gets busy. Automating the first touch means the text goes out on every eligible RO, whether or not anyone remembers to ask.
How MOTO(drive) handles service drive acquisition
The system in the video is MOTO(drive). It uses DMS data and automated texts to reach service customers, pushes VIN and miles to your inventory tools, and alerts your sales team when a customer is ready.
MOTO(drive) stores consistently buy about 1% of their repair orders without dedicated service acquisition hires. MOTO(acquire) integrates with all major DMS platforms and many others, including Tekion, Dealertrack, CDK, Reynolds, and Auto/Mate. If your DMS is not one we integrate with yet, we will build the integration.
For more on buying from the service lane, browse our Service Drive Acquisition videos, or watch how a dealer group grew profit through service acquisition.
If you want to acquire more cars out of your service drive, book a call with our team. We will walk you through exactly how MOTO(drive) works and how it fits the team you already have.
Frequently asked questions
What does the text message to service customers actually say?
It is simple. The text asks the customer if the dealership can put a value on their car. When they say yes, the acquisition process starts from there.
When does the text go out?
The text goes out within five to 10 minutes of the customer checking in and the RO opening. That means you reach them while their car is in your shop, not weeks later.
Do I need a dedicated service acquisition person to make this work?
No. The process is 100% automated, so it works whether you have a dedicated team or not. MOTO(drive) stores consistently buy about 1% of their repair orders without dedicated service acquisition hires.
Can I control which service customers get a text?
Yes. The system is 100% customizable, so you set the guardrails. If you only want certain customers to receive a text, that can be configured.
Will MOTO(drive) work with my DMS?
MOTO(acquire) integrates with all major DMS platforms and many others, including Tekion, Dealertrack, CDK, Reynolds, and Auto/Mate. If you use a DMS we do not integrate with yet, we will build the integration.
Find out what's sitting in your service drive
See how MOTO(drive) stores consistently buy about 1% of repair orders without adding a service buyer. Start with the service drive readiness questionnaire.
More on Service Drive Acquisition
Full transcript
A dealership just bought a car from a text message, and they ended up doing it three times in just six days. Here's that dealership. This is a Honda store who acquired three cars in just six days: a Honda Civic, a Honda Accord, and a Honda Insight. And they bought them all from their service drive. And here's the crazy part.
This Honda Accord, they texted in at 825, and by 855 the whole process was started and they were actually trying to acquire this car. So within 30 minutes, they were acquiring a car and selling this customer another one. And here's another Honda store that acquired a 2019 CR-V in just 24 hours after going live. So two different stores, same process, same result.
So here's what's happening. One text is going out. As soon as that customer checks in and that RO opens, they're going to get a text message within five to 10 minutes of coming in for service. And that text message is really simple. It's going to ask them if you could put a value on that car. When they say yes, the whole process takes off from there.
And that's not even the coolest part. The best part is this is 100% customizable, meaning you can set the guardrails. So if you only want certain people to get text messages, we can make that happen. Also, this is 100% automated, meaning you can have a team or you cannot have a team. No matter what your system is, this can slide into it and help you acquire more cars and sell more cars directly out of your service.
So if you're a dealership out there and you want to acquire more cars out of your service drive, this is the system for you. It's 100% customizable and 100% automated. It can fit into any team out there. So if you want this, go check out the link in our bio, book a call with our team, and we'll walk you through exactly how MOTO(drive) works and how it can help you acquire more cars directly from your service drive.