1. Workflow Goals

Each follow-up should help the advisor answer five crucial questions:

Was the customer satisfied with the visit?
Is there any unresolved concern from the original visit?
Did the completed repair solve the issue?
Are there unsold recommendations that still need attention?
Is there a next step we can help schedule?

2. Segment Customers into 3 Post-Visit Buckets

Do not treat every closed RO the same. A simple oil change follow-up should not look the same as a vehicle that left with 2mm brakes.

Bucket 1

Completed visit, no unsold work

Goal: Service experience follow-up and retention.

Bucket 2

Completed visit with unsold work

Goal: Service experience follow-up plus recovery of open work.

Bucket 3

Urgent/Safety work declined

Goal: Higher-priority follow-up with stronger accountability and faster contact timing.

3. CRM Statuses / Categories

Main Process

Post-Service Follow-Up Open Waiting for Customer Response Customer Reached Appointment Set

Outcome Tags

✅ Happy / No Issues
❌ Issue Not Resolved
⚠️ Experience Concern
🔄 Declined Work – Interested

4. Timing & Scripts Playbook

This is your exact communication cadence. Use these scripts to ensure consistency, professionalism, and a no-pressure approach to recovering unsold work.

Day 1

Check Experience & Confirm Repair

Goal: Check experience and confirm repair outcome. Identify interest in open work.
Outline: Thank them → Ask how vehicle is doing → Ask about experience → (If unsold) Mention only the most important item first → Offer help → Record outcome.

Phone Call

"Hi [Customer Name], this is [Your Name] from [Dealership/Shop]. I'm just calling to follow up on your visit yesterday. I wanted to make sure your vehicle is running great and that you had a 5-star experience with us.

[Wait for response]

I also wanted to briefly touch base regarding the [Most Important Unsold Item] we noted on your inspection. I want to make sure you had a clear plan for that—would you like me to help you get that scheduled while it's fresh on your mind?"

Voicemail (If no answer)

"Hi [Customer Name], this is [Your Name] from [Dealership/Shop]. Just calling to thank you for your visit yesterday and make sure your vehicle is doing well! I also wanted to follow up quickly on the [Unsold Item] we discussed. No need to call me back immediately, but I will shoot you a quick text/email with my contact info so you can reach me when you are ready. Have a great day!"

Text Message (If no answer)

"Hi [Customer Name], it's [Your Name] from [Dealership/Shop]. Thank you for coming in! Just checking to make sure your vehicle is running perfectly since your visit. If you have any questions about your visit or the [Unsold Item] we reviewed, feel free to text me right back here!"

Email (If no answer)

Subject: Thank you for your visit! Checking in on your vehicle.

Hi [Customer Name],

Thank you for choosing us for your service yesterday. I wanted to personally check in and make sure your vehicle is doing great and that your experience with our team was excellent.

As a quick reminder, we did note that the [Unsold Item] will need attention soon. I have attached your inspection report for your records. If you'd like to get that scheduled, or if you have any questions at all, just reply to this email or give me a call.

Best,
[Your Name]

Day 3

Reconnect & Reintroduce

Goal: Reconnect if there was no response to Day 1, and reintroduce unsold work naturally. Call only if the unsold work is High-Priority (Safety/Immediate).

Text Message

"Hi [Customer Name], [Your Name] checking in again! Hope your week is going well. Did you have any questions about the [Unsold Item] we noted on your inspection? Let me know if you'd like me to help set that up for you!"

Phone Call (High-Priority / Safety Items ONLY)

"Hi [Customer Name], this is [Your Name] reaching out again. I know you're busy, but I wanted to give you a quick courtesy call specifically regarding your [Safety Item, e.g., brakes/tires]. Because it relates to the safety of your vehicle, I want to make sure we don't let it slip through the cracks. Can I help you find a convenient time to get that wrapped up?"

Day 7

Final Active Follow-Up

Goal: Final active attempt to connect and offer scheduling help. Send an email summary of unresolved recommendations.

Phone Call (or Voicemail)

"[Customer Name], I wanted to make one final active follow-up after your service visit last week. I hope everything has gone perfectly. I am also sending you a quick email to summarize the open recommendation for your [Unsold Item] so you have it handy. When you are ready to plan that service, or if you need anything else, please just let me know!"

Email Summary

Subject: Your Vehicle's Service Summary & Recommendations

Hi [Customer Name],

I am reaching out to provide a quick summary from your visit last week. We loved having you in the shop, and I hope the vehicle is treating you well.

To help you plan ahead, your vehicle still has an open recommendation for: [Unsold Item].

Keeping up with this will ensure your vehicle stays reliable and safe. I am here to help whenever you are ready to take care of it. Just reply to this email, and I will handle the scheduling for you.

Thanks again,
[Your Name]

Day 14

Reminder & Planning

Goal: Reminder and planning follow-up. Invite scheduling. Only for customers with open recommendations.

Text Message

"Hi [Customer Name], just a quick 2-week reminder from [Dealership/Shop] regarding your [Unsold Item]. No pressure at all—just keeping you informed! Let me know if you're ready to get it on the schedule."

Email

Subject: Planning ahead for your vehicle

Hi [Customer Name],

I wanted to drop a quick note to see if you were ready to plan for the [Unsold Item] we discussed a couple of weeks ago. Our schedule is open next week if that works for you.

As your advisor, my goal is simply to make sure you have the information you need. Let me know how you would like to proceed!

Best,
[Your Name]

Day 30

Long-Tail Recovery

Goal: Long-tail recovery attempt. Reserved only for larger unsold work or pending maintenance items.

Text Message

"Hi [Customer Name], it's been about a month since we saw you at [Dealership/Shop]! I'm doing a quick review of my files and noticed we still haven't tackled that [Maintenance Item]. No pressure, just wanted to see if you were ready to get that taken care of?"

Email

Subject: Checking in on your [Vehicle Make/Model]

Hi [Customer Name],

I hope you are doing well! It has been about a month since your last visit. I was reviewing my notes this morning and saw that the recommendation for your [Maintenance Item] is still open.

Taking care of this item is a great way to protect the long-term reliability of your vehicle. Let me know if you would like to find a time this week or next to bring it by!

Best regards,
[Your Name]

5. The Workflow Logic

Path A: No Unsold Work

Ask about visit experience
Confirm vehicle is doing well
Thank them
Reinforce next maintenance timing
Close workflow

Path B: Unsold Recommendations

Experience: "Make sure everything went well."
Confirm: "How is the vehicle doing?"
Transition: "We noted a few items not completed..."
Structure (RIM): Related, Immediate, or Maintenance.
Ask: "Would you like help getting that taken care of?"

6. Conversation Structure

To keep the team consistent, give them this order every time:

1

Appreciation

Thank them for the visit.

2

Experience check

Ask how everything went.

3

Outcome check

Confirm original concern was resolved.

4

Open items review

Discuss unsold work using facts.

5

Offer help

Ask if they'd like to schedule.

6

Document outcome

Record exact response & next step.

7. How to Present Unsold Work

Important: Advisors should not dump all declined work back on the customer at once. Use this priority order.

Priority 1

Immediate

Anything safety-related or likely to worsen.

"This was the most urgent item noted during your inspection because of its safety impact / risk of further damage."

Priority 3

Maintenance

Routine items that protect long-term reliability.

"This one was not urgent that day, but it is part of keeping the vehicle on schedule and preventing future issues."

8. CRM Notes Format

Make note-taking structured so managers can review execution.

Post-Service Follow-Up Result Contact Date: Contact Type: Call / Text / Email Reached Customer: Yes / No Vehicle Performing Properly: Yes / No Customer Experience Feedback: Original Concern Resolved: Yes / No Open Recommendations Reviewed: Priority Discussed: Related / Immediate / Maintenance Customer Response: Appointment Offered: Yes / No Appointment Set: Yes / No Next Follow-Up Date: Escalation Needed: Yes / No

9. Manager Review

Managers should review based on behavior, not just appointment count.

Made contact on time?
Began with the service experience?
Confirmed repair outcome?
Presented unsold work using facts?
Prioritized recommendation correctly?
Asked for a next step?
Documented outcome clearly?

10 & 11. Automation Rules & Pathways

Trigger: RO Closes

If no unsold work:
Auto-create Day 1 follow-up task. Close after successful contact.
If unsold work exists:
Auto-create Day 1 call, Day 3 text/email, Day 7 call, Day 14 reminder, Day 30 reminder.
If Immediate/Safety declined:
Auto-flag High Priority, manager visibility, faster repeat attempt cadence.
If customer dissatisfaction:
Auto-flag Experience Concern, manager follow-up task within 24 hours.

Customer Response Pathways

Happy & Not interested now:
Mark Happy / Not Now. Set future reminder based on recommendation type.
Unhappy:
Mark Experience Concern. Notify manager, create recovery follow-up.
Issue still happening:
Mark Issue Not Resolved. Escalate immediately. Priority callback/appt.
Wants to schedule:
Mark Appointment Set. Convert to active service appointment.

12. The Golden Rule

Never lead with the sale.

Lead with:

Customer Experience Vehicle Outcome Facts Next Step

That keeps the process aligned with trust and professionalism.

13. Training Manual Quick-Sheet

Post-Service Follow-Up

& Open Recommendation Workflow

Objective

To create a structured post-visit follow-up process that strengthens customer trust, confirms satisfaction, verifies repair effectiveness, and re-engages customers on unsold recommendations using fact-based advising.

Process Standards

Every closed RO enters a workflow. The advisor's first responsibility is to confirm the customer's experience and original visit outcome. If recommendations exist, review them using this priority:

Related: Items connected directly to the original concern.
Immediate: Safety-related or damage-prevention items.
Maintenance: Routine services based on history and mileage.

Follow-Up Timing

Day 1: Call/text to confirm satisfaction.
Day 3: Follow-up on unanswered contacts.
Day 7: Final active attempt.
Day 14/30: Reminder cadence for open work.

Advisor Expectations

Begin with experience & outcome.
Present unsold work using facts/measurements.
Offer a next step, do not pressure.
Document result clearly in CRM.

Success Standard

The goal is not simply to "sell declined work." The goal is to continue advising the customer professionally after the visit, using unshakable facts to build trust, protect the vehicle, and strengthen long-term retention.