How Automotive Companies Use Smart Customer Journey Optimization to Improve Service and Save Time

Fewer phone calls and more time for personalized service

A key goal of automated appointment communication is to reduce (unnecessary) phone calls.

When customers receive all the relevant information in advance, they are less likely to contact the repair shop with practical questions.

By answering recurring questions about appointments, services, and alternative transportation as much as possible in advance, we can reduce the number of phone calls.

This offers opportunities for significant time savings and a more efficient use of staff.

In addition to potential cost savings, this approach helps streamline the workflow. Employees don’t have to provide the same information as often, while customers have a better idea in advance of what to expect.

This creates more room for personal attention at times when it is truly needed.

From a workshop visit to targeted follow-up

The possibilities of marketing automation don't end once a customer leaves the shop.

Even after a service visit, customer data can be used to automatically trigger relevant communications.

One example of this is a review campaign following a visit to the workshop. Once the scheduled appointment date has passed and the invoice date is known, an email can be sent automatically thanking the customer for their visit.

In the same email, the customer can be invited to rate the service.

This way, collecting customer feedback becomes part of the regular customer journey, without employees having to reach out to each customer individually.

In addition, campaigns can be targeted at customers who may have had their vehicle inspection performed at a different garage.

If available customer and vehicle data indicate that a customer may have had maintenance or an APK inspection performed elsewhere, this could be grounds for a targeted follow-up campaign.

This allows automotive companies to adapt to changes in customer behavior and stay in touch with customers who might otherwise fall off the radar.

By using various events within the customer journey as a starting point, an automated communication structure is created that brings together service, customer satisfaction, and commercial opportunities.

Greater efficiency and a better customer experience

By utilizing automated customer journeys, automotive companies can organize their communications regarding service visits more effectively.

By leveraging existing customer and workshop data, customers receive information tailored to their personal situation and the stage of the customer journey they are currently in.

This approach offers opportunities to reduce repetitive tasks, better prepare customers for their appointments, and automatically handle relevant follow-up communications.

At the same time, this creates more opportunities for personalized service. Employees can focus on customer inquiries that truly require attention, while routine communications are largely automated.

This approach also offers benefits for marketing. By triggering campaigns based on specific events—such as a completed service visit or a changed vehicle inspection date—communications become more relevant and better tailored to customers’ needs.

“By providing customers with the right information at the right time, the workshop becomes more efficient and the customer experience more personalized.”

A Future-Oriented Customer Journey for the Automotive Industry

The automotive industry involves many recurring points of contact—from maintenance appointments and vehicle inspections to service inquiries and customer satisfaction surveys.

It is precisely these moments that offer opportunities to automate communication and strengthen relationships with customers.

With Ternair, automotive companies can use existing data to design personalized customer journeys, in which every relevant event can trigger an appropriate message.

This results in an approach in which automation not only contributes to efficiency, but also to a consistent and personalized customer experience.

From a practical appointment reminder to a request for feedback after a service visit: every interaction contributes to a better-organized customer experience.