The 4 Automations Auto Repair Shops Build First
A well-run auto repair shop has customer data spread across shop management software, invoice records, and vehicle history logs. The automation layer reads that data, evaluates conditions, and fires the right action at the right time — without a service advisor needing to track who needs a follow-up call and when.
1. Estimate Follow-Up Sequence
Sending an estimate and waiting is the default at most independent shops. The problem is that most customers don't decline — they just delay. The estimate sits in their texts or inbox, competing with everything else going on, and the shop that follows up first with a clear next step wins the job. Shops following up on estimates within 24 hours close 40% more jobs than those that send and wait.
The estimate follow-up sequence automates that follow-up entirely. It triggers the moment an estimate is sent with no response. Each message includes a direct link to view the estimate and a simple next step — approve now or call to discuss. The sequence stops the instant the customer approves. Nobody gets a day-7 message if they approved on day 2.
The financing angle: The day-3 follow-up is the right moment to mention financing options if the repair is a significant ticket. A customer who is sitting on a $1,400 transmission service because they are short on cash this month may approve immediately when they learn a payment plan is available. Including that option in the second follow-up message — not the first, which risks feeling premature — consistently improves conversion on high-ticket estimates.
How estimate follow-up automation works:
Step 1 Estimate sent to customer in Mitchell 1 or Shop-Ware → Step 2 No response after 24 hours → auto-text follow-up with direct estimate link and simple approve option → Step 3 Day 3: second follow-up with financing option mentioned if applicable → Step 4 Day 7: final follow-up with expiry note on estimate pricing → Step 5 Customer approves → sequence stops automatically → service advisor notified to schedule
2. Service Interval Reminders
Every vehicle that comes into an auto repair shop leaves with a known next service interval. Oil change at 5,000 miles. Tire rotation at 7,500. Brake inspection at 12 months. That data lives in the vehicle record inside the shop management software. The problem is that no one is systematically using it to bring customers back before they drift to a competitor.
Service interval reminder automation reads the next-service date from the vehicle record and fires three messages: 30 days out, 7 days out, and on the due date if the customer hasn't booked. Each message includes a direct scheduling link. The sequence stops when they book. Shops that implement service reminder automation bring back 15–25% of customers who would otherwise not return for 18 months or more — customers who weren't dissatisfied, just un-prompted.
Retention math: If a shop has 400 active vehicle records and 20% of them are overdue for service, that is 80 vehicles whose owners have not received a single outreach prompt. At an average repair/service ticket of $185, recovering half of those 80 customers in a single month is $7,400 in recaptured revenue — from customers who already chose this shop once. Service reminder automation runs this recovery automatically, every month, on the full vehicle database.
Step 1 Vehicle record in Mitchell 1 or Shop-Ware shows next service date approaching → Step 2 30-day reminder SMS sent with service description and direct booking link → Step 3 7-day reminder sent if no appointment booked → Step 4 Day-of reminder sent if still no booking → Step 5 Customer books → sequence stops automatically → appointment confirmed
3. Parts Arrival Notification
Parts arrival is one of the most common sources of unnecessary delay in an auto repair workflow. The part comes in, gets checked into inventory, and sits on the shelf for two or three days while the service advisor catches up on other work and finally remembers to call. The customer — possibly driving a vehicle with a known problem or waiting on a special-order repair — hears nothing and assumes something is wrong.
Parts arrival notification triggers the moment parts are marked received in the shop management software. No service advisor action needed. The customer gets a text immediately: their parts are in, the shop is ready to schedule, and a booking link is included. Customers who were already waiting hear back within minutes. The shop's schedule fills with jobs that were already sold — just waiting on parts.
Step 1 Parts marked received in Mitchell 1, Shop-Ware, or Tekmetric → Step 2 Automation identifies the customer linked to the parts order → Step 3 SMS sent immediately: "Your parts are in — ready to schedule your repair?" → Step 4 Direct scheduling link included in message → Step 5 Customer books → service advisor notified with job details
4. Post-Repair Review Request
Google reviews drive a large share of new customer calls for auto repair shops. A shop at 4.8 stars and 220 reviews and one at 4.2 stars and 35 reviews are competing for the same "auto repair near me" search — and the higher-rated shop wins the call. Every additional review increases visibility and conversion from organic local search at no ongoing cost.
Most shops have happy customers walking out every day without being asked for a review. The service advisor is juggling check-ins and checkout at the same time, and the ask gets skipped. Post-repair review request automation closes that gap — the request goes out automatically at the right moment with a direct link that makes leaving a review a 15-second task. Well-run review request automation generates 25–50 new Google reviews per month for active shops with no staff involvement.
Timing is the key variable: Sending the review request 3 hours after invoice payment — not immediately at checkout, and not the next morning — consistently outperforms other timing approaches. The customer has had time to get home, confirm their car feels good, and settle. The repair experience is still fresh. Three hours after a successful repair is the peak of customer satisfaction and willingness to act. Automation delivers the request at exactly that window, every time.
Step 1 Invoice marked paid in Mitchell 1, Shop-Ware, or Tekmetric → Step 2 3-hour delay → Step 3 SMS sent: "Thanks for trusting us with your vehicle — how did everything go?" → Step 4 Positive response → customer routed directly to Google review link → Step 5 Negative or mixed response → customer routed to private feedback form → shop manager alerted
Tools Auto Shops Integrate
Every automation builds on the shop management software already in use. There is no data migration, no new system, and no new login for service advisors. The automation layer connects the existing tools — reading job status, invoice flags, and vehicle records to send the right message at the right time.
The automation engine — n8n or Make, selected based on the shop's existing infrastructure and integration requirements — acts as the orchestration layer. It monitors shop management software for trigger events (estimate sent, parts received, invoice paid, service date approaching), evaluates the condition, and fires the appropriate SMS or email action through Twilio. Payment integrations with QuickBooks or Stripe can be included for shops that want to automate invoice-triggered workflows as well.
Everything runs on your own accounts. No proprietary portal, no vendor lock-in, and no recurring fees to Aplos AI after the build is delivered.
What the Numbers Look Like
Each automation targets a specific, measurable revenue leak or retention gap. Even at conservative recovery rates, the math justifies the one-time build cost within months.
Estimate conversion: A shop sending 60 estimates per month at a 55% unaided approval rate closes 33 jobs. At a 40% improvement from systematic follow-up, that same 60 estimates closes 46 jobs — 13 additional jobs per month from estimates that were already written and sent. At a $185 average ticket, that is $2,405 in recovered monthly revenue from a one-time automation build.
Service retention: Service reminder automation brings back 15–25% of customers who would otherwise not return for 18 months or more. A shop with 400 active vehicle records and a 20% lapse rate has 80 overdue customers in its database right now. Recovering 15 of them in a given month at $185 average ticket is $2,775 in recaptured revenue — with no new customer acquisition cost and no paid advertising.
Review volume: A shop completing 80 repair jobs per month that implements post-repair review request automation typically generates 25–50 new Google reviews per month at a 31–62% response rate among satisfied customers. Going from 30 reviews to 300 reviews in under a year changes a shop's competitive position on local search results fundamentally — more calls, higher conversion, and a defensible local reputation that compounds indefinitely.
| Automation | Estimated Hours | Flat-Rate Range |
|---|---|---|
| Estimate Follow-Up Sequence | 20–30 hrs | $3,000–$4,500 |
| Service Interval Reminders | 25–35 hrs | $3,750–$5,250 |
| Parts Arrival Notification | 15–20 hrs | $2,250–$3,000 |
| Post-Repair Review Request | 20–25 hrs | $3,000–$3,750 |
Every build at Aplos AI is priced at $150/hr, scoped in hours before any work starts. No hourly billing surprises. No ongoing monthly fees. You pay once and own the automation outright.
How Long Does It Take
Most auto repair shop automation builds are delivered in 1–2 weeks from signed scope to live automation. That includes the build, testing with real job data scenarios from the shop's existing records, and a full handoff package.
What the handoff includes: A Loom video walkthrough recorded for the shop owner and service advisors — covering what each automation does, what triggers it, and what a service advisor should expect to see. A written handoff document with troubleshooting steps and instructions for modifying message copy or timing. Full access to all automation logic in your own accounts. No dependency on Aplos AI to keep the automations running after delivery.
On the shop's end, the pre-build requirements are straightforward: API access to the shop management software, a Twilio account for SMS (we can help set this up if needed), and approximately one hour for a final walkthrough to confirm everything runs correctly against the shop's real data environment.
The four automations can be built individually or as a complete stack. Most shops start with estimate follow-up and review requests — the two with the fastest and most measurable payback — and add service reminders and parts notifications in a second phase once the first automations are live and the ROI is visible.
Deep Dive: Auto Repair Shop Automation Services
This article covers the four automations auto repair shops build first. Our full auto repair automation services page goes deeper on scope, what a complete stack looks like for independent shops versus multi-location groups, integration notes for Mitchell 1 and Shop-Ware, and how the delivery process works from scoping call to live automation.
Read the full auto repair shop automation services page →
Frequently Asked Questions
More Automation Guides
Stop losing jobs to unanswered estimates and forgotten service reminders.
We scope every project before charging a dollar. Book a free 30-minute call and we'll walk through exactly what we'd automate for your shop and what it would cost.
Get Your Free Automation Audit →