Service reminders: customers who come back on their own
The workshop's best sale is the service the customer forgot to book. How to remind them at the right time, by mileage or by months.
AloManagerPublished Oct 15, 2026 · 2 min read
A customer who brings their bike in once and never comes back is not a bad customer: they simply forgot. A timely reminder turns a one-off repair into a relationship that lasts years.
By time or by use?
| Rule | When it fits |
|---|---|
| Every N months | Occasional bikes: what wears out is rubber, grease, a chain that sits still. |
| Every N kilometres | Daily or road bikes: wear follows distance. |
| Every N hours of use | Motors and machines with an hour meter. |
For a mileage reminder to work, the reading has to be noted at intake and at handover. That way the next service is worked out from real data, not guesses.
A good reminder
- Arrives a few days before the date, not after.
- Says what needs checking and why it matters.
- Lets them book with one click or one reply.
- Is one: a useful reminder is welcome; five in a row get blocked.
Measure how many reminders end in a visit. If almost none work, look at the timing before the wording.