Templates · 10 messages
iMessage templates for car dealership BDC teams
BDC texts that set appointments answer the lead's actual question first, usually availability or price. Internet leads cross-shop, so the fastest, most human answer wins the visit. Here are 10 templates.
Free to copy and adapt, no signup
Ground rules before you send
- The lead form is your consent basis for the models they asked about. Stay on that topic; pivoting a Corolla lead to a clearance blast is how numbers get blocked.
- Answer availability and price questions straight. Dodging the price question to force a visit is the single biggest reason internet leads go silent.
- First text to a cold database record, like a lease maturity or an equity mine from months back, carries a plain-language way out.
- Name the vehicle every time: year, model, trim. "The vehicle you inquired about" is CRM-speak, and customers can smell it.
- Send inside showroom hours. A 9pm BDC text reads like the robot it probably was.
1. The internet lead response
hey [first name], got your note on the [year] [model]. it's on the lot as of 10 minutes ago, I just checked. you looking to see it this week, or still comparing a couple options? both are fine, I can help either way.
When to send: Within five minutes of the lead hitting the CRM. Check the vehicle actually exists first.
Why it works: "I just checked" is proof of a human where every competitor sends an autoresponder. Acknowledging that comparing is fine lowers the pressure, and paradoxically that is what gets the appointment.
2. The straight price answer
fair question. out-the-door on the [model] is [price] including everything except tag transfer. if you're seeing a lower number somewhere, tell me what it is and I'll tell you honestly if I can meet it or not.
When to send: Any time a lead asks the price. Answer in the first reply, not the third.
Why it works: Every dealership dodges this question, so the store that answers it wins trust instantly. "I'll tell you honestly if I can meet it or not" pre-frames you as the straight shooter for the whole deal.
3. The appointment set
you're set for [day] at [time]. the [model] will be pulled up front with the AC running. bring your license and, if you're trading, the keys to the [trade vehicle] so we can get you a real number while you drive it.
When to send: Immediately after the appointment is agreed, in the same thread.
Why it works: "Pulled up front with the AC running" makes the visit concrete and signals they are expected, which is the strongest known predictor of show rate. The trade instruction saves 40 minutes of dead time and they know it.
4. The morning-of confirmation
morning [first name], the [model] is ready for your [time] today. if the day blew up, no stress, want me to move you to tonight or [next day]? the car's not going anywhere before we talk.
When to send: Morning of the appointment, before 10am local.
Why it works: Offering the reschedule before they no-show keeps the appointment alive instead of dead, and "the car's not going anywhere before we talk" is a hold promise that costs nothing and calms the pressure that causes ghosting.
5. The same-day no-show save
hey [first name], looks like [time] got away from you, happens to everyone. the [model] is still here. want tonight at [time] or is [day] better? I'll hold it either way until we talk.
When to send: Within 30 minutes of the missed appointment time.
Why it works: Zero guilt plus two concrete slots turns a no-show into a rebooking in one message. Speed matters: the customer who missed you at 2pm is at another store by Saturday.
6. The unsold showroom follow-up
[first name], thanks for coming in today. straight question: was it the numbers, the car, or just not the day to decide? whichever it is, I'd rather work on the real one than guess.
When to send: Same evening as an unsold showroom visit, from the person they actually met.
Why it works: The three-option question makes the real objection easy to name, and "I'd rather work on the real one than guess" is the most honest sentence a customer will hear from a dealership all week. You cannot fix an objection you never hear.
7. The equity mining text
hey [first name], it's [name] at [dealership]. the [year] [model] you bought from us is worth more than you probably think right now, used values on that trim are up. want the actual buyback number? takes me 10 minutes to run, no obligation attached. if you'd rather not hear from us between services, say so and I'll close the loop.
When to send: To past customers whose vehicle has real positive equity. Run the number before you text, so "10 minutes" is honest.
Why it works: An equity text is the rare dealership message that is plausibly good news for the customer. The opt-out line matters here because this is a first touch outside a live deal, and it costs you nothing with the customers who were happy to hear it.
8. The lease-end outreach
[first name], your [model] lease has [number] months left, which is exactly when the math gets interesting. between the buyout, a trade, or rolling into the new [model], one of those is clearly best for you and I can tell you which in one short call. want the numbers? if not, no more lease texts from me.
When to send: Four to six months before lease maturity, once, from the selling dealer.
Why it works: Lease-end customers know a decision is coming and mostly dread the process, so "one of those is clearly best and I can tell you which" offers to do the dreaded math for them. The no-more-texts promise makes ignoring it safe, which makes answering it likelier.
9. The service-lane conversion
[first name], while your [model] is in service: the estimate on today's work is [amount]. before you approve it, want me to run what the car's worth on trade? sometimes the repair math changes when you see that number next to it. either way the service team takes care of you.
When to send: When a service RO estimate crosses a meaningful threshold relative to vehicle value, while the customer is waiting.
Why it works: This catches the customer at the exact moment they are doing repair-versus-replace math in their head anyway. Framing it as information for their decision, not a pitch, is what keeps the service lane relationship intact.
10. The post-delivery check-in
[first name], week one with the [model]: anything confusing, rattling, or not synced to your phone yet? I fix all three. and if the experience was worth it, a Google review with [salesperson]'s name in it genuinely changes their month.
When to send: Seven days after delivery.
Why it works: Leading with three fixable problems makes this a service text, which earns the review ask that follows. Naming the salesperson turns a generic favor into helping a specific person, which is a much easier yes.
Questions
Why do BDC texts get ignored?
Because most are recognizable CRM blasts: generic vehicle name, no price, sent at odd hours. A text naming the car, answering the question, and asking one thing reads as a person. Customers answer salespeople they believe are straight.
Can dealerships text customers under TCPA?
Yes, with the same discipline as any business: a lead inquiry is your working basis for texting about that inquiry, database mining like lease-end outreach should be occasional and carry a way out, and any stop request gets honored immediately. A2P 10DLC is a carrier SMS burden and does not apply to iMessage.
How fast does the internet lead response need to be?
Under five minutes, and the data on this is old news in automotive: contact and appointment rates fall off a cliff within the first half hour because the lead is filling out the same form at two other stores. Automate the first availability-confirming text and have the BDC take the thread live.
Keep going
Want every internet lead answered in five minutes, in blue?
Book a demo and we'll text you the lead response from a live line while you're on the call, so you see exactly what your internet leads would see. $249 per line per month, unlimited messages, no A2P registration required.
Book a demo