Declined services follow-up that actually happens
Bayback follows up on your declined services for you, automatically. Customers who said "not today" get a timely text with your offer and a link to book, so the work comes back to your bays instead of disappearing.
Half of the work your shop recommends walks out the door
In the shops I've managed, roughly half of all recommended services get declined. Industry research points the same way: a Cox Automotive study found that 58% of recommended services are declined.*
Think about what that means in dollars. A shop that sells $100,000 in service may have close to another $100,000 that customers said no to. That work still needs to be done. The only question is whether it comes back to your shop or goes somewhere else.
Why declined work almost never gets a follow-up
Every owner and district manager knows declined services should be called back. So they push someone to do it.
Here's what really happens. Advisors say they make the calls, but most of the time they don't. I've seen a tire chain require store managers to call every declined service and log it in a shared spreadsheet. The spreadsheet got filled in. The calls didn't get made.
Let's be honest: sometimes advisors just don't want to make the calls. Nobody likes dialing customers who already said no. But even the best advisors are buried. Owners are too busy to make the calls, and so is the counter. Between ringing phones, walk-ins and cars on every lift, yesterday's declines never make it to the top of the list. The result is the same in almost every shop: little to no follow-up at all.
Why customers say no, and what brings them back
There's no single service that gets declined more than the others. Brakes, tires, alignments and fluids all get turned down for the same few reasons:
- Money. The ticket was bigger than they planned for today.
- Time. They couldn't leave the car or wait for the work.
- They forgot. They meant to come back, and life got in the way.
- They didn't fully understand it. Nobody explained what the repair does or what happens to the car if they wait.
Each reason calls for a different follow-up. Some customers just need a reminder. Some need a better reason to come in now, like a discount. Some need a short explanation of why the work matters. And for customers who can't afford the whole job, there's usually a way to do part of the work now, or to offer financing.
Timing matters as much as the message. The best window is a few days to a week after the visit, while the recommendation is still fresh and before the customer has gone elsewhere.
How Bayback follows up for you
- Connect your shop. Connect your shop management system or upload a spreadsheet of your declined work. Bayback works with any POS through a simple spreadsheet upload.
- Bayback sorts your declined work. Every declined job is categorized by service type, so each category can get its own follow-up.
- You set the offer for each category. Choose a percentage off, a dollar amount off, a simple reminder, or a short explanation of why the service matters. Bayback recommends a starting point for each category; you decide.
- You choose the timing. Set how many days after the decline the first text goes out.
- A second follow-up, if you want one. If the customer doesn't book, Bayback can send a second text after a delay you choose, for example 3 weeks.
- Customers book from the text. Every message includes a link to schedule with your shop, and you can message the customer through Bayback to get them on the schedule.
Your advisors stay focused on the cars in front of them. Bayback makes sure declined jobs stop slipping through the cracks.
Free to join. You only pay when cars come back.
Bayback costs nothing to join. There's no setup fee, no monthly subscription and no obligation. You only pay when a declined job comes back to your bay, so you only pay out of money you've already earned.
There's nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Built by someone who's run the counter
Bayback was built by a founder whose whole career has been the work you do every day: from service advisor, to store manager, to leading multi-unit tire and auto service companies. After watching declined work go uncalled at shop after shop, he built the follow-up system every shop needs but no one has time to run.
Frequently asked questions
When should you follow up on a declined service?
A few days to a week after the visit works best. The recommendation is still fresh, and the customer usually hasn't had the work done elsewhere yet.
Why don't service advisors follow up on declined work?
Mostly because there's no time, and sometimes because nobody enjoys calling a customer who already said no. Advisors are handling phones, walk-ins and cars in the bays, so call-back lists get pushed aside, even when owners require them.
What should a declined service follow-up message include?
The service that was recommended, a reason to come in now (a reminder, a short explanation, or an offer), and an easy way to book. Bayback sends all three in one text.
Can I send a second follow-up if the customer doesn't respond?
Yes. You choose whether to send a second text and how long to wait before sending it.
Does Bayback replace my service advisors?
No. Bayback handles the follow-up so your advisors don't have to. When a customer replies or books, your team takes it from there.
*Source: Cox Automotive Service Industry Study (2018), via Xtime. Figures from the founder's own shops are his observations, not a formal study.