More than half of UK car owners want car dealers and workshops to remind them about deferred aftersales work before their next service.
A survey of 1,000 UK car owners commissioned by TekCor4 found 51% wanted follow-up reminders, rising to 69% among those aged 25 to 34.
The overall figure was six percentage points higher than the 45% recorded in 2023.
The findings suggest opportunities for dealership aftersales teams to follow up on outstanding work and coordinate service and MOT bookings.
Some 83% of respondents said they would be more likely to book with a workshop that proactively helped them combine an MOT and service into a single visit.
Vehicle service alerts have also not removed demand for direct contact. Almost three-quarters (72%) said they would still welcome a reminder from their usual car dealer or workshop even if their vehicle alerted them that a service was due.
The same proportion expected their usual servicing provider to have access to manufacturer data to anticipate aftersales requirements, including mechanical work and technology updates.
That figure rose to 88% among car owners aged 18 to 24.
Jeremy Evans, director of sales and marketing at TekCor4, said: “There is clearly a strong appetite among car owners for service reminders based on comprehensive vehicle and OEM data, yet the sheer volume of communications this might require can be daunting for any service department.”
He added: “This is where automation can play a critical role, engaging with the right prospects at the right time, all with limited input required from employees.”
TekCor4 separately reported that customer-specific service emails sent through its VoiceBox marketing automation platform achieved an average open rate of 48% and a click-through rate of 16% in the third quarter of 2026.
The company also reported a 47% retention rate for combined service and MOT reminders across its dealer clients during the period.
Its VoiceBox Predictions product, previously known as CFA, combines dealer management system information, previous invoices and manufacturer data to forecast potential vehicle work.
VoiceBox Intelligence, launched earlier this year, uses AI to identify potential aftersales jobs based on likely profitability and the likelihood of customers agreeing to the work. It can also automate customer messages using their contact preferences.
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