Why text instead of calling

An outbound call needs a free technician, a customer who picks up, and often a voicemail nobody listens to. A text gets read within the hour, at work or on the road, and the reply is one word.

For the shop, every notification that goes out on its own is one less inbound call at the counter. Kairos estimates up to 2 hours a day of customer communication saved, depending on shop volume.

The 5 notifications auto repair customers expect

  • Appointment confirmation: as soon as the booking is made, online or at the counter.
  • Reminder before the visit: the customer confirms, cancels or reschedules by text.
  • Repair status updates: progress and estimated finish time, including when a part is on order or extra work is found.
  • Vehicle ready: the most awaited message, sent the moment the shop marks the vehicle ready for pickup.
  • Review request: once the car is picked up, when satisfaction is highest.

The “vehicle ready” text, done right

This message should follow the shop floor, not the clock. In Kairos it is not scheduled in advance: it goes out the moment you actually mark the vehicle ready, in one click.

It respects an 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. sending window in the shop's local time: a vehicle marked ready at 9:30 p.m. triggers the text at 8 a.m. the next morning. And it goes out in the customer's language: English, French or Spanish.

Example. “Hi Mark, your Civic is ready at Lavoie Auto. You can pick it up until 6 p.m.”

Live repair status

For a vehicle dropped off for several days, for collision work or while waiting on a part, one text is not enough. The customer gets a link to a status page showing repair progress and the estimated finish time, live, without calling.

A customer who replies HELP or INFO also receives that status link.

Notifications customers can reply to

A one-way text informs. A two-way text saves time. The customer replies directly:

  • YES confirms the appointment.
  • NO cancels it and frees the slot.
  • RESCHEDULE sends a link to pick another slot themselves.

A free-form reply is attached to the customer's record automatically and flagged at the front counter. The same keywords work in French and Spanish.

Which tool should you use?

There are three options:

  • A personal phone: free, but no history, no automation, and the technician's number gets passed around.
  • A generic SMS platform: good for bulk sends, but nothing fires based on the vehicle's actual status.
  • Customer communication software for auto repair: messages go out based on the appointment and repair progress, and replies come back to the right record.

Kairos is in the third group. It does not replace your shop management system: it plugs into Shopmonkey or your ERP and syncs with Google Calendar and Outlook, with no double entry. Shops use it across Canada and the United States.

Consent and compliance

  • No text without recorded consent, including imported customers.
  • STOP handled immediately, as top priority.
  • At least 24 hours between two non-transactional messages to the same number.
  • 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. sending window, shop local time.

Cost

Texts are not billed per message. They are included in the price per processed appointment: $1.99 for the first 100 in the billing period, then $0.99. No payment at signup, 15-day trial, no commitment.

Frequently asked questions

How do I let a customer know their car is ready?

The most reliable way is a text sent the moment the shop marks the vehicle ready. With Kairos that message goes out automatically in one click, in the customer's language, within an 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. local sending window.

Can customers reply to the text?

Yes. YES confirms, NO cancels, RESCHEDULE sends a link to pick another slot. A free-form reply is attached to the customer's record and flagged at the front counter.

Do I need to replace my shop management software?

No. Kairos is a customer communication layer that plugs into your current system, Shopmonkey or another ERP, with no migration and no double entry.

How much do the texts cost?

Texts are not billed per message. They are included in the price per processed appointment: $1.99 for the first 100 in the billing period, then $0.99.