Text Request Talks
4 Automotive Franchise Growth Tips with Ziebart's Larisa Walega
Business texting can increase the number of customers your automotive franchise serves, but you need the right tactics in place.
Here’s how to use texting messaging to increase reviews, schedule services, prevent no-shows, and foster community within your franchise.
This article takes insights from our Text Request Talks podcast with Larisa Walega and further distills it into advice specific to texting. Walega is the Senior VP & Chief Growth Officer for Ziebart International.
The following tips expand on how to meet the same goals Ziebart International does with text messaging.
Watch the full interview on YouTube.
1. Text message links to increase online reviews.
Online reviews are the #1 way people decide whether or not to work with a business. That’s why Walega encourages her franchisees to gather more reviews by texting customers review links.
Walega is also big on having reps respond to every new review that comes in, whether they’re positive or negative. Responding to reviews demonstrates to customers that you care about their experience, plus provides insight on what areas your franchise location could potentially improve on.
Walega has her franchisees use Text Request to monitor and respond to online feedback. Our Reviews feature connects your locations’ Google Business pages to Text Request, so you can easily earn, track, and respond to online reviews all from one place.
The more online reviews you have—and the more positive they are—the higher you’ll rank in potential customers’ searches.
2. Book automotive services by text messaging.
Businesses live and die on appointment scheduling. Ziebart locations need a reliable channel to schedule automotive services, which is why Walega recommends they use text messaging.
77% of consumers want to initiate texts to businesses about scheduling appointments, because that’s easiest for them. Your location just needs to make it clear that customers have the option to do so.
One way you can enable customers to schedule appointments through text is by adding SMS Chat to your website. SMS Chat is a widget that current and potential customers can use to start text conversations with you. It can even be formatted to have a prompt that says, “Text us to schedule your next service!”
Once a customer reaches out to schedule a service using SMS Chat, you can text them back a link to select a time slot. You’ll then have their number saved for any reminder and pick-up notices later—which leads into Walega’s next tip.
3. Text service reminders and pick-up notices to decrease no-shows.
Ziebart customers receive text confirmations when they schedule appointments, plus a reminder text 24 hours before their appointment. Walega also encourages locations to send text reminders for annual maintenance.
A customer will essentially come in and get their car serviced after the reminder, then they’ll get a text when it’s time for pickup. This ensures services keep moving along and revenue continues flowing.
Customers love the convenience of instant notifications and reminders, and Ziebart’s franchisees love being able to connect and communicate with customers instantaneously. Your own location can decrease no-shows using the same workflow.
4. Foster growth by incorporating texts into franchisee communication.
Walega believes that franchisors benefit the most from knowing what’s working at high-performing locations. Keeping everyone within your franchise connected is an enormous task, but text messaging helps make it smaller. Mass text your franchisees everything from:
Upcoming brand events
Tactics
New partnerships or tech
Brand highlights
Customer success stories
Survey links to report performance
Mass texts, like BCC email, give your franchise the power to reach everyone at once. Any replies become one-on-one conversations that can be used to further help franchisees.
Franchisees have questions—especially when they’re trying to get their footing as a new owner—and text messaging makes it easy for them to get the resources they need.
How Else Can Text Messaging Grow Your Automotive Franchise?
The above are just a few quick tips—but we have an entire in-depth automotive text messaging playbook for those who want to learn even more ways to implement SMS into your processes.
Our business texting software has helped hundreds of automotive centers, and we’re ready to help yours next!
