A good service follow-up call asks the customer an open question about the visit, listens to the answer, and hands any problem to a named manager the same day. The scripts below are written for the advisors and service reps who make that call, word for word, ready to print.
Every script is readable on this page. The editable pack and the log sheet are in the download.
Before you dial
Have these open before the phone rings on the customer's end:
- The . What was done, who wrote it, warranty or , and whether the car had to stay overnight.
- The concern in the customer's words. Use the line on the RO as the customer said it, and leave the tech's correction aside. If they said "it clunks over bumps", you ask about the clunk.
- The advisor's notes. A loaner that wasn't ready, a promise-time that slipped, a part on back order.
- Whether the customer asked not to be called. Check the store's do-not-call list and the before every call.
- Your store's calling rules. Who you may call or text, at what times, and what is said at the start of the call are set by your store. Which customers your store may call, and how, is a question for your store's own counsel.
Call at a time your store sets, after the car is home and the customer has driven it.
Takeaway
Open the RO and the do-not-call check before anyone dials, and nobody who asked to stop gets a call.
Who should make the call: advisor or service BDC?
Both work, and they work differently. The advisor knows the customer and the job, so the call sounds like a person checking on their own work. The cost is time on a busy drive, and some customers won't tell the advisor who wrote the that something went wrong.
A service rep has the time and the routine, and a customer may speak plainly to someone who wasn't at the counter. The cost is that the customer has never heard of this person, so the rep has to say who they are and why they're calling before anything else.
The manager skips the routine call and takes the unhappy customer.
How to read it: find the situation, then read across to who calls.
| Situation | Advisor | Service BDC | Service manager |
|---|---|---|---|
| Routine check-in, customer the advisor knows well | Calls | Backs up if the advisor can't get to it | No |
| Routine check-in, everyone else | If time allows | Calls | No |
| (back for the same concern) | Calls, or BDC if the advisor is out | Calls if the advisor can't | Reads the log the same day |
| Customer is unhappy on any call | Hands off, doesn't fix it on the spot | Hands off | Calls back the same day |
| Customer asked not to be called | No call | No call | No call |
| Customer not answering the phone | Leaves the voicemail; sends the text if your store texts | Leaves the voicemail; sends the text if your store texts | No |
What it tells you: the manager's time goes to unhappy customers and comebacks.
Takeaway
Settle at the next drive meeting who covers routine check-ins, so each call has an owner.
Scripts 1 and 2: the check-in call
Script 1: Advisor check-in call
Who calls: the advisor who wrote the .
When: at a time your store sets, after the customer has driven the car.
"Hi [Customer], it's [Advisor] from [Store] service. You were in with the [Vehicle] on [visit day]. I'm just checking in. Is now an OK time?"
[If your store records calls:] "Just so you know, this call is recorded."
If yes: "How's it running since we had it?"
(Stop talking. Let them answer.)
If it's fine: "Good to hear. If anything changes, call me directly at [Callback number]. Thanks for coming in."
If they mention anything at all: "Tell me about that." (Listen to the end before you say anything.)
If not now: "No problem. When would be a good time for a quick call?" (Log it. If they don't want a callback, don't push.)
What to listen for: hesitation, "it's mostly fine", "I guess", a noise or warning light, anything about the wait, the price or the loaner. "Mostly fine" is a concern the customer hasn't decided to raise yet.
What to log: outcome, and any concern in the customer's own words.
Script 2: Service BDC check-in call
Who calls: a service rep the customer hasn't met.
When: at a time your store sets, after the customer has driven the car.
"Hi [Customer], this is [Your name]. I work with the service team at [Store]. [Advisor] took care of your [Vehicle] on [visit day], and I'm calling to see how it's running since the visit. Do you have a minute?"
[If your store records calls:] "Just so you know, this call is recorded."
If yes: "How's everything been with it?"
(Stop talking. Let them answer.)
If it's fine: "Glad to hear it. If anything comes up, [Advisor] is at [Callback number]. Thanks for your time."
If not now: "No problem. When would be a good time for a quick call?" (Log it. If they don't want a callback, don't push.)
What to listen for: the same as Script 1. Take every small complaint seriously.
What to log: outcome, concern in the customer's words, and the time they asked you to call back, if any.
What not to say on either call: nothing about a survey, a score, a rating or a review. Nothing about coupons, declined work, upcoming maintenance or "while I have you". A check-in that turns into a pitch is a different kind of call, so keep it a check-in. Don't open with "We just want to make sure everything was perfect". It invites a polite "yes" and ends the conversation.
Takeaway
Have each rep read their script aloud at the morning huddle, and customers get room to say what's wrong.
Script 3: when the customer is unhappy
Script 3 is for the moment a customer says something went wrong. The person on the phone doesn't fix it, explain it or defend anyone. They listen, make sure they have it right, and hand it to a manager with a time.
Who calls: whoever is on the line when the problem comes up, advisor or .
When: the moment it comes up, on the same call.
"I'm sorry to hear that. Can you tell me what happened?"
(Let them finish. Don't interrupt, don't explain, don't defend the advisor or the tech.)
"Let me make sure I have this right. [Restate the concern in their words.] Is that it?"
"Thank you for telling me. I'd rather know than not."
"I'm going to have [Manager name], our service manager, call you [today / by a time you can keep]. What number and time work for you?"
"[Manager name] will have everything you just told me, so you won't have to start over."
What not to say: "That's not what the says." "The advisor told you..." "That's normal for that model." "There's nothing we can do." Any promise of a free repair or a refund the manager hasn't made.
What to log, and hand over now: the concern in the customer's words, what they want if they said, the number and time to call, and who took it. Walk it to the manager or put it in the manager's queue before the next dial.
What the manager says on that callback is a separate script: what the service manager says on the first call.
Takeaway
Agree where hand-offs go, and the unhappy customer gets the call back at the time you promised.
Scripts 4 to 8: comeback, voicemail, text, opt-out, recording
Script 4: Comeback or repeat-repair check
Who calls: the advisor who wrote the , or the if the advisor is out.
When: at a time your store sets, after the customer has driven the car on the repeat repair.
"Hi [Customer], it's [Advisor] from [Store] service. You were back in with the [Vehicle] for the [concern], and I wanted to check with you myself. Is it fixed this time?"
[If your store records calls:] "Just so you know, this call is recorded."
If yes: "Good. I'm sorry it took a second visit. If it comes back at all, call me at [Callback number] and I'll get you in."
If no or not sure: go straight to Script 3. Don't troubleshoot on the phone.
What to log: comeback, outcome, and the customer's words. A comeback that isn't fixed goes to the manager the same day.
Script 5: Voicemail
Many customers don't pick up a number they don't know. 84% of Americans say they reject or ignore calls from unknown numbers (Hiya State of the Call 2026). That's why the voicemail and the text exist: they tell the customer who called and why, so they can call back if they want to. For caller ID and calls showing as spam, see voicemail and caller ID.
"Hi [Customer], this is [Your name] from [Store] service, calling about your [Vehicle] visit on [visit day]. I just wanted to check how it's running. If anything isn't right, you can reach us at [Callback number]. Again, that's [Callback number]. Thanks."
Keep it short. Say the store name and the callback number clearly, then repeat the number. No "urgent", no "please call back right away", no offer. Leave a voicemail for the visit and skip it on any redial, unless your store sets a different rule.
Script 6: Text after a missed call
Use this if your store texts service customers, and only to numbers your store's records allow you to text.
"Hi [Customer], this is [Your name] at [Store] service. We tried to reach you about your [Vehicle] visit. How's it running? Reply here or call [Callback number]. Reply STOP to opt out."
The text says who the store is and who is writing, asks the customer about the car and nothing else, and carries an opt-out line. No links, no coupons, no survey.
Script 7: "Please don't call me again"
Everyone who makes or answers calls for the store should know this script.
"Understood. I'll take you off our call and text list today."
"Thank you for letting me know, and have a good day."
Don't ask why and don't offer anything. Don't ask "even about recalls?" or for anything else.
What to log: opt-out = yes for calls and texts, the date, and who took it, entered the same day where your store's do-not-call list lives (, , phone system or all of them), so every department that calls customers sees it. If the opt-out sits in a note nobody else reads, the next caller will dial them anyway.
Script 8: "Is this call recorded?" and the recording notice
For stores that record calls: say so at the start of the call.
At the start of the call: "Just so you know, this call is recorded."
If the customer asks "Is this call recorded?": "Yes, it is."
If the customer doesn't want to be recorded: "Understood. I'll end the call here. If you'd like to reach us, [Advisor] is at [Callback number]."
Answer the question honestly every time. Never tell a customer a call isn't recorded when it is.
Takeaway
Check this week that an opt-out taken at the desk shows up in the BDC's list.
What to log after every call
If it isn't logged, the manager can't act on it. Log every dial, including voicemails and no-answers.
How to read it: each row is a dial.
| RO # | Customer | Called by | Outcome | Concern in the customer's words | Handed to | Opt-out y/n |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine / Concern / Unhappy / Voicemail / Text / No answer / Opt-out |
What it tells you: the manager scans for "Unhappy" and "Concern" and sees who has each.
Write the concern the way the customer said it: "It still shakes at highway speed", not "vibration, ". The manager calling back needs the customer's words.
Takeaway
Have the service manager read the log before lunch, and you'll know who is waiting on a call back.
Get the pack
The download has everything on this page, ready to hand out:
- every script above as an editable
.docx, with the[Customer],[Vehicle],[Advisor]and[Store]fields ready to fill in - the call log sheet, printable
- the "who calls whom" table as a printable PDF
When the ROs outrun the hours
In many stores the calls slip on busy days, and a busy day is often when something goes wrong on the drive. Before buying anything, decide what gets called when there isn't time for everyone: and anything the advisor flagged, at minimum. Then look at whether the can carry the routine check-ins.
Some stores make their post-service follow-up calls with software. However the calls are made, the scripts, the hand-off and the log stay the same, and so do your store's own rules on who gets called.
Takeaway
Write down which calls happen even on a packed day, so comebacks still get their call.
Where Lokam fits
Next-day feedback that shows you exactly what to fix for customer satisfaction. Lokam is post-visit follow-up for US dealerships. The day after the repair order closes, your store calls customers using Lokam's AI assistant, which asks how the visit went and flags unhappy customers from what they say. The unhappy ones reach the people on your store's escalation list with a short summary and the main issue. Each issue on your store's dashboard has an owner, notes and a status, and if it stays open, the escalation list gets a reminder. To see how it would work in your service drive, book a demo.
FAQ
What is a customer follow-up?
It's the contact a store makes after a visit to check that the work solved the problem and the customer was treated well, usually a call or text from the advisor or service . Its job is to find a problem while the store can still fix it.
What is an automotive BDC representative?
BDC stands for business development center: the team in a dealership that handles phone, text and email contact with customers. A service BDC representative books appointments, answers service calls and, in many stores, makes the follow-up calls after a visit.
How many calls a day should a BDC agent make?
There's no right number to copy from another store. Set it from your own count, your BDC staffing and the other work the BDC carries, starting from yesterday's closed ROs minus opt-outs and same-day . Then check whether the customers who should get a follow-up got it.
What should I say in a follow-up call after service?
Who you are, which store, which visit, then an open question: "How's the [Vehicle] running since we had it?" Then listen. If anything comes up, use Script 3. No score, rating, review or pitch.
What do I say in a voicemail to a service customer?
Your name, the store, the vehicle and visit, that you're checking how it's running, and the callback number, repeated. Nothing urgent, no offer. Script 5 above has the words.
Can we text customers after service instead of calling?
Many stores do both: a call, and a text if the call isn't answered. Whether you may text a given customer is part of the counsel question under "Before you dial". Every text should say who the store is, who is writing, and how to opt out (Script 6).
Before you go
What you can do with this
- Give your reps the words for each call after a visit.
- Get an unhappy customer to a named manager the same day.
- Keep opt-outs visible to every department that calls.
Where Lokam helps
- Hear from unhappy customers while there's still time to fix it.
- Every open issue has an owner, and a reminder when it sits.
- See feedback and open issues by advisor, so coaching starts from facts.