Auto repair shops · CRM
Know exactly when every car you have ever serviced is due again.
A CRM for an auto repair shop is a simple record of every customer, vehicle and service date. It is used to send a timely reminder instead of hoping a customer remembers on their own. GullySales sets this up so repeat business does not depend on memory.
Scope, fee, reporting and term are agreed in writing after we have read your brief and spoken to you.
What CRM means
A CRM is the record where every enquiry, call and quote is kept against a customer, replacing separate notebooks, spreadsheets and memory. GullySales sets up or cleans an existing CRM and reports from it by enquiry outcome rather than by activity logged.
Last updated 5 Oct 2026.
For auto repair shops
Where it usually goes wrong, and what we would do.
“A service date is a marketing trigger, not just a record”
Knowing a customer's oil was last changed four months ago means you can message them before the next change is due, not just record it after the fact.
“Fleet accounts need a different record entirely”
A business with ten vehicles needs a shared history across the whole fleet, so a service pattern or a recurring issue on one vehicle can be caught early.
“A simple spreadsheet works before a proper system is needed”
A small garage does not need expensive software to start, a well-kept, consistently used sheet is enough until volume genuinely outgrows it.
What we do
What we deliver for auto repair shops.
Every deliverable, what it covers for you, and the result it is there to produce. Nothing here is an extra.
Vehicle and service history record
A record of every customer, vehicle and service date, used to trigger a reminder rather than just log the past.
Result: Repeat business stops depending on a customer's own memory.
Fleet account shared history
A combined service record across every vehicle in a fleet account, so a recurring issue is visible early.
Result: A pattern across a fleet's vehicles gets caught instead of missed.
Counter-close routine for updating records
A short, consistent routine for whoever closes out a job to update the record in a minute or less.
Result: The record stays current without adding real work to a busy counter.
Simple starter system before paid software
A well-structured shared sheet used consistently, before recommending paid software once volume actually justifies it.
Result: You get organised without paying for more than you currently need.
Reminder trigger for the next due service
A rule that flags a customer for a reminder message a set time before their next service is likely due.
Result: A customer gets reminded before they think to call someone else.
How the result is measured
- Enquiries logged in the CRM
- Data completeness
- Reports generated from CRM data
Recorded as a baseline before work starts, so every later report has an honest comparison.
What to record, and when
What a garage should record about every vehicle that comes in, and whether it needs software yet.
- Registration number and make and model
- Take the registration number first and use it as the record's name. Add make, model and fuel type. A customer who owns two vehicles is two records under one phone number, and the service dates differ.
- Odometer reading at each visit
- Write the kilometre reading from the dashboard at check-in. The next-service reminder works from it, and so does the argument when a customer says the last service was recent.
- What was done and what was declined
- Record the work done, and also the jobs you advised that the customer refused, such as worn brake pads or a tyre near its limit. Next visit, that note is a reason to call, and your protection if the problem returns.
- Next service due
- Enter a date and a reading, whichever the brand's schedule gives sooner. One cell holding that date is what lets the counter send a reminder instead of waiting for the customer to remember.
- Insurance claim and fleet jobs
- Mark jobs from an insurer or a fleet owner separately, with the claim or PO number, the surveyor and the approval status. These customers pay late and ask for history, and mixing them with walk-ins hides both.
- Do you need software yet?
- A sheet with one row per vehicle is enough while one person closes the job card each evening. Look at garage management software once several bays run at once and job cards pile up unrecorded. Reminders from a number should follow the customer's consent.
Who it is for
This is written for these auto repair shops.
- Multi-brand service garages
- Authorised brand service centres
- Denting and painting specialists
- Two-wheeler service centres
- Fleet and commercial vehicle service providers
- Insurance-claim repair specialists
Not for
It is not the right fit if.
- Job cards are written on paper and the registration number is missing from some, so a register would start with gaps that cannot be filled later.
- Nobody at the counter will enter the odometer reading at handover, so the reminder fields would stay empty.
How it works
How the CRM work runs
The work itself, in order. How an engagement starts, from your brief to a written scope, is set out on our method page.
- 1
Map the sales process
We sit with the people who sell and write down how a deal moves from enquiry to payment, including where it stalls.
- 2
Agree stages, fields and owners
Each stage gets a name your team already uses and a proof that the deal has left it. We agree which fields are required at which stage, and who may change what.
- 3
Build on a copy
Pipeline, fields and views are built on a trial copy where the CRM offers one, or in a separate pipeline where the plan allows. Live work stays untouched.
- 4
Connect channels, then switch on automations
Channels are connected first. Each automation is then switched on separately, so a misfiring rule is easy to find.
- 5
Test with real deals
The people who will use the CRM run open deals through it. Gaps are fixed before the whole team switches over.
- 6
Switch over and trim
Once real use shows which fields stay empty and which stages nobody uses, those are cut and the handover record is updated.
Where this fits
Three pieces of sales work, in this order.
This work sits inside sales management. A target, a review routine and someone who owns the number.
Step 1
Sales audit
Find where deals are being lost and what to fix first.
Start here if you cannot say where orders are lost.
Step 2
Sales process design
One written way to sell, from first enquiry to repeat order.
Start here if every salesperson sells differently.
Step 3 · you are here
Sales management
A target, a review routine and someone who owns the number.
Start here if the team has targets and no routine.
FAQ
Questions owners ask before they call.
Not here? More answers, or ask on WhatsApp.
Do we need special software?
Who updates this after every job?
We have years of job cards in a register. Is it worth typing them in?
Customers WhatsApp us a photo of the fault and the registration number. Where does it go?
How much does it cost?
How long is the contract?
How soon will we see results?
Who will actually do the work?
What do you need from us?
What if we are not happy with the work?
From the blog
Further reading for auto repair shops.
6 min read · 17 Jun 2026Garage management software: what to check, and how to bring more cars inWhat garage management software must do, from job cards to service reminders, the questions to ask vendors, and the auto repair shop marketing that fills the bays.
5 min read · 11 Oct 2026Using due dates to bring vehicle owners back: service, insurance and pollution checksHow a workshop or dealer can record each vehicle's next service, insurance and pollution-check dates, then call owners with a real reason instead of a generic offer.
6 min read · 6 Oct 2026How buyers choose a showroom, workshop or parts counterCar, bike, repair and parts buyers send one enquiry to several sellers and pick the first clear answer. This post lists what each buyer checks, and where a dealer or workshop quietly loses them.
More for auto repair shops
Everything else we would do for you.
Closest to this: leads and follow-up
Also for auto repair shops
Or start from the overview: sales and marketing for auto repair shops.
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