SMS for auto service centres and garages

Bulk SMS for auto service centres and garages

Tell owners when the car is in, what the estimate is, when it is ready and when the next service falls due, without the service advisor dialling every number.

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Multi-brand garagesAuthorised workshopsTwo-wheeler service centresBody and paint shopsTyre and battery outlets

SMS from a car service centre header showing a job card opened for MH12 KT 4471 and a later vehicle-ready message with bill amount

How do garages and service centres use SMS?

Garages and authorised service centres use SMS to confirm job cards with the registration number, send estimates for approval, announce that a vehicle is ready with the bill amount, share pickup-and-drop driver details and remind owners about the next periodic service by date or kilometres. These go on DLT-registered service implicit templates from a six-letter header.

Updated 15 Nov 2026

Key facts: SMS for auto service centres and garages

Channel: Bulk SMS
Best for: Job card opened; Estimate and extra-work approval; Ready for pickup with bill
SMS categories: Service implicit, OTP, Promotional
Who it suits: Multi-brand garages, Authorised workshops, Two-wheeler service centres, Body and paint shops, Tyre and battery outlets
Rules: TRAI DLT: registered entity, header and content template for every SMS; promotional SMS only 10 am to 9 pm and not to DND numbers
Pricing model: Prepaid credits quoted by volume, GST extra. How pricing works
Integration: REST API and webhooks (message.delivered, message.failed, message.clicked) into your own software. SMS API

What problems does SMS solve for auto service centres and garages?

Advisors stuck on the phoneEach evening the service advisor calls 30 owners to say their vehicle is ready, and half of them do not pick up while driving or at work.

Extra work waits for a yesA worn brake pad or leaking shock absorber is found mid-job. The car sits on the ramp until the owner can be reached to approve the extra cost.

Customers drift to roadside mechanicsAfter the free services end, owners forget the 10,000 km or yearly service and get it done wherever is nearest, often without genuine parts.

Which SMS should auto service centres and garages send?

Service implicit

Job card openedSent when the vehicle is checked in: registration number, job card number, advisor name and the promised delivery time.→ Fewer 'is my car done?' calls

Service implicit

Estimate and extra-work approvalShares the revised estimate amount with a link to the itemised list, so the owner can approve without a phone call.→ Vehicles leave the ramp sooner

Service implicit

Ready for pickup with billConfirms the work is complete, gives the final bill amount, a UPI payment link and the counter closing time.→ Same-day pickups

OTP

Pickup-and-drop handover codeA one-time code the owner gives the driver at handover, so the car is released only to your staff and returned only to the owner.→ Safe doorstep handovers

Service implicit

Periodic service and PUC dueReminds owners of the next service by date or estimated kilometres, and of PUC certificate expiry, from your workshop records.→ Repeat visits

Promotional

Monsoon and pre-summer check campsInvites past customers to a free 20-point check or AC gas top-up offer, sent from a numeric header between 10 am and 9 pm.→ Workshop load in slow weeks

Ready-to-use SMS templates for auto service centres and garages

Copy, edit and use these as a starting point.

Vehicle readyService implicit

Dear {#var#}, your vehicle {#var#} is ready for delivery. Bill amount Rs {#var#}. Pay online: {#var#} or at the counter before {#var#}. -Torque Auto Care

Extra work approvalService implicit

Dear {#var#}, during service of {#var#} we found {#var#}. Revised estimate Rs {#var#}. View and approve: {#var#} or call your advisor {#var#}. -Torque Auto Care

Next service dueService implicit

Dear {#var#}, your {#var#} ({#var#}) is due for its periodic service on or around {#var#}. Book a slot: {#var#} -Torque Auto Care

How does SMS work for auto service centres and garages?

Advisor updates the job cardCheck-in, revised estimate and job closed are status changes in your workshop software or DMS.
Each status triggers an SMSMsgClub picks the matching DLT template, fills the registration number and amount, and sends from your service header.
The owner acts from the messageThey open the estimate or payment link, or call the advisor number given in the text.
Reports and clicks come backDelivery status and link clicks are posted to your software, so the advisor sees who has not seen the bill yet.

Connect your softwareMost workshop management and dealer DMS software can call the MsgClub SMS API on a job card status change; billing in Tally or BUSY can use the existing plugins for invoice and outstanding messages. SMS API · API and webhooks · Pricing

ComplianceJob, estimate, bill and service-due messages to your own customers fit service implicit templates. Insurance renewal or accessory offers are promotional and need a numeric header and the 10 am to 9 pm window, or recorded consent for service explicit.

Which other channels suit auto service centres and garages?

Use them together from one account, with shared contacts, reports and webhooks.

WhatsApp for auto service centres and garagesHow do garages use WhatsApp Business API?See WhatsApp

RCS for auto service centres and garagesHow do car service centres use RCS messaging?See RCS

IVR for auto service centres and garagesHow can a car or bike workshop use an IVR?See IVR

Voice broadcast for auto service centres and garagesHow do garages use voice broadcast calls?See Voice broadcast

Missed call for auto service centres and garagesHow do garages and service centres use a missed call number?See Missed call

AI calling for auto service centres and garagesTwo-way AI agents that talk to callers in Hindi, English and other Indian languages, unlike a recorded message.See AI Voice

Compare every channel for auto service centres and garages

Questions about bulk SMS for auto service centres and garages

Can a garage send service reminders to customers on DND?

Yes, if the reminder is about the customer's own vehicle and relationship with you. A periodic service or PUC due message registered as service implicit reaches DND numbers at any hour. Adding a discount to the same text makes it promotional, which DND numbers will not receive.

How do we remind owners by kilometres when we don't know their reading?

Estimate it. Your software can project the next due date from the odometer at the last visit and the average running between visits, then send the reminder a week before. The template says 'on or around' a date, so the message stays accurate even when the projection is a little off.

Should estimate photos go by SMS or WhatsApp?

WhatsApp is better when you want to show the worn part. SMS cannot carry images, so the SMS version gives the amount and a link to the itemised estimate. Many workshops send the SMS to everyone and add WhatsApp photos for owners who have opted in.

Can we send SMS from our DMS or workshop software?

Yes, if the software can make an HTTP request or export events. The MsgClub REST API accepts the number, template text and header, and returns a delivery report you can store against the job card. If your billing runs in Tally, BUSY or Marg, the ready-made plugins cover invoice and dues messages.

Which sender ID should a multi-brand garage register?

Register one six-letter header close to your workshop name, such as TORQAU for Torque Auto Care, for all service messages. Use a separate numeric header for camp and offer messages. Chains often add one header per city or brand so customers recognise the outlet they visited.

Is an OTP needed for pickup and drop?

It is optional but useful. Sending a one-time code to the owner, which the driver must enter at handover, proves the car was collected from and returned to the right person. Register it in the OTP category so it is delivered instantly, including to DND numbers.