How many SMS messages does a typical car dealership send?

Manual: 20-80 SMS/month (front desk). With fully configured CRM SMS: 500-2,000 SMS/month (auto-replies, reminders, ready-for-pickup notifications, service, tyres, reactivation, NPS, renewal).

What does it cost to send SMS from a CRM?

CARRUSLiNK tiered pricing from €308/month based on fleet size includes 1,500 SMS/month. Beyond that: €0.04/SMS. A typical dealership uses 800-1,500 SMS/month, which is included.

Which SMS template has the highest response rate?

Short (under 160 characters), personalised (customer and vehicle name), with a clear call to action. Example: 'Hi Peter, your Skoda is ready — €332. Pay via mobile here: [link]. — Anna' delivers a 70-80% response rate.

Does the customer need to give consent for SMS?

For marketing SMS (reactivation, renewal): yes, consent is required under GDPR. For transactional SMS (ready-for-pickup notifications, test drive reminders, service appointment info): no, this is necessary communication regarding an existing customer relationship.

How does CARRUSLiNK handle STOP/UNSUBSCRIBE?

Built-in: customer replies 'STOP' or 'UNSUBSCRIBE' → all marketing SMS flows pause automatically. Transactional SMS (ready-for-pickup notifications, service appointment) continues. Full audit log on everything.

What times have the highest response rate?

Tuesday-Thursday 10:00-15:00 (35-45% response rate). Avoid Monday mornings and Friday afternoons. CARRUSLiNK automatically times SMS within this window.

How does the CRM integrate with the workshop management system for 'vehicle is ready'?

We integrate with Autoflex, AutoIT, AD Manager and Keyloop Workshop. When the technician marks 'ready' in the workshop system, the SMS flow is triggered automatically. No manual messaging.

What is the difference between a CRM with SMS and an SMS platform like Sleipner?

Sleipner sends SMS. CARRUSLiNK executes SMS as part of customer workflows at the right moment (lead response, service triggers, reactivation) with automatic timing, templates and auditing. In practice, it is a much bigger difference than it appears.

Guide

Automotive CRM with customer SMS

SMS has a 95–98% open rate, calls 25–30%, email 18–22%. A CRM with SMS integration is the single move that impacts conversion and customer satisfaction the most. Here are the 8 SMS flows that work for a car dealership.

Last updated: 2026-06-05

Kort svar (TL;DR)

Automotive CRM with SMS integration runs 8 flows automatically: auto-reply < 5 min on leads, day-before test drive reminders, 'vehicle ready' after service, service reminders 30 days prior, seasonal tyre changeover, reactivation at 6/12/24 months, NPS after visits, and renewal 60 days prior. CARRUSLiNK includes all 8 + templates.

De typiske udfordringer

The receptionist types SMS messages manually — 'vehicle is ready', 'see you tomorrow'
Lead receives an email reply 4 hours later, and the customer has already contacted a competitor
Sales rep calls to remind about a test drive — no answer, no-show
Service reminder sent by post, 30% forget to book
Customers never hear from you between service visits
You don't know whether the customer was satisfied until they leave a Google review

Konkret playbook

1. Flow 1 — Auto-reply to lead < 5 min

Bilbasen/DBA/website lead → SMS: 'Thank you Peter for your interest in the Skoda Octavia. Anna will call within 30 min. Would you like to book a test drive here: [link]?'

2. Flow 2 — Day-before test drive reminder

SMS the day before at 16:00: 'See you at 10:00 tomorrow. The Skoda Octavia is ready. If you need to reschedule: reply with a new time.' 60% fewer no-shows.

3. Flow 3 — 'Vehicle ready' after workshop service

Trigger from workshop system → SMS: 'Hi Peter, your Skoda is ready. Price €332. Pay by phone here: [link] and collect whenever you're ready.' Frees up the reception.

4. Flow 4 — Service reminder 30 days prior

SMS: 'Your Skoda is due for service soon. We have openings 14-18 Apr. Book here: [link].' 40-60% book within 7 days.

5. Flow 5 — Seasonal tyre change

April + October → customer list with winter tyre agreement → SMS: 'Time for summer tyres. We have 23 Apr at 9:00 AM available. Book: [link].' 50-70% conversion.

6. Flow 6 — Reactivation 6/12/24 months

Closed leads → SMS: 'Hi Peter, we just got a 2022 Skoda Octavia in, same as the one you looked at last year. Would you like a test drive?' 10-20% convert.

7. Flow 7 — Post-visit NPS survey

7 days after workshop visit → SMS: '0-10 how likely are you to recommend Bilhuset to a friend?' Detractor → call within 24h; Promoter → Google review link.

8. Flow 8 — Service contract renewal 60 days prior

SMS: 'Your service contract renews 1 July at €60/month (unchanged). Reply 'YES' here to renew. Or read what's new: [link].' 65-75% renewal rate.

What you get

95-98% open rate

Compared to 18-22% on email. SMS reaches customers where they actually are.

Receptionen frigjort

'Car is ready' and day-before reminders run automatically.

Reaktivering uden manuel

6/12/24-month SMS wins back 10-20% of 'lost' leads.

NPS + Google-anmeldelser

Automated flow converts Promoters into reviews.

Sales rep focuses on calls

SMS flows running in the background, sales rep on the phone.

GDPR + STOP-regler

Built-in opt-out, audit log, Danish consent compliance.

Manual SMS vs. CRM with SMS flows

Area	Manuelle SMS	CRM with SMS (CARRUSLiNK)
Antal SMS/md	20-80 (receptionisten)	500-2,000 (automated + sales rep)
Auto-reply to lead	No	< 5 min
Day-before reminder	Rarely	Auto
'Bilen er klar'	Receptionisten	Automated from workshop status
Service reminder	Postkort	Automated SMS 30 days prior
Reaktivering	Does not happen	Auto 6/12/24 mdr
NPS	Does not exist	Automated 7 days after
Templates	Ad-hoc	8 tested + editable

Frequently asked questions — automotive CRM with customer SMS

See the 8 SMS flows live

30-minute demo. We show all 8 SMS flows live using your own customers, templates and timing, and calculate how much time the front desk saves and how many extra service bookings you get.