Deferred work: how to win back the jobs customers say “not now” to
Amber items customers leave for later are future work. How to record deferred work, when to remind, what to say, and how to respect consent rules.
Deferred work is every item a customer chose not to do today: the tyres at 3 mm, the wiper blades that smear, the brake fluid that is due. It is not lost work, it is work with a date on it. Garages that record it properly and send one well-timed reminder win a good share of it back; garages that rely on memory rarely see it again.
Why deferred work usually disappears
- Nobody wrote it down properly. The item is on a paper sheet or in a note on the job card, without a price or a date.
- Nobody owns the follow-up. The advisor who spoke to the customer is busy, and "ring them in six weeks" never makes it onto a list.
- The customer forgets. They meant to come back, then the car went to whichever garage was nearest when the tyre finally went.
Record it at the time
The follow-up is only as good as the record. For each deferred item, keep:
- What it is, in the customer's words: "front tyres, 3 mm, wearing on the inside edge".
- The photo that showed them the problem.
- The price quoted, so the reminder can say it.
- The date, and when you think it will become urgent.
If the customer deferred it from their own phone, you already have all four, plus a record of the choice.
When to remind
Timing beats frequency. One reminder at the right moment works better than three at the wrong ones:
- Tyres, brakes, wipers: a few weeks to a couple of months after the visit, depending on how worn they were. Six weeks is a sensible default for most amber items.
- Anything that would fail an MOT: before the MOT is due, not after it fails.
- Seasonal items: wiper blades and batteries before winter, air-conditioning before summer.
What to say
Keep it short, specific and easy to act on. Name the item, remind them of the price, and give one way to book:
Hi Sarah, when your Focus was with us on 2 November we noticed the front tyres were down to 3 mm. A pair is £180 fitted. Reply to book, or call us on 0118 496 0018. Kings Road Motors.
Include a link or a reply option to stop reminders. It is required for marketing messages and it keeps the ones you send welcome.
Consent: send reminders only to customers who agreed
In the UK, sending marketing emails and messages is covered by PECR as well as UK GDPR. A reminder that tries to win a booking can count as marketing. The straightforward way to stay on the right side of the rules is to ask at the time: a tick box at check-in or on the health check, "Remind me about work I leave for later and when my MOT is due". Record the answer, send reminders only to customers who said yes, send them at reasonable hours, and add a stop link to every one.
Messages about the current visit (your health check is ready, your car is ready to collect) are service messages and are a different matter. This is general guidance, not legal advice; the ICO guidance for organisations is the place to check the detail for your garage.
Measure what comes back
Count deferred work in money, not just items: the value deferred each month, and the value of deferred items later approved. It shows whether reminders are worth the effort, and which kinds of work customers come back for.
Let the system do the remembering
The reason deferred work is lost is that following it up depends on someone remembering. Servenk records every deferred item with its photo and price when the customer chooses "not now", and sends the reminder on its own after the number of weeks you set, only to customers who agreed, between 8:00 and 20:00, with a stop link. MOT reminders and Google review requests work the same way. See all the features.