How do I review a garage’s appointment booking system and no-show rate?

Start with the records. Ask for an export of booked appointments with the date made, the date of the visit and the outcome. A garage that logs a no-show as a deleted booking will look healthier than it is, so ask how a missed visit appears in the data and who is allowed to remove one.

Next, look at how the day is built. Walk-ins, drop-offs and booked jobs compete for the same bays and technicians. Ask how many bays are held back for walk-ins, how long a typical booking slot is, and what happens when a job runs long. Watch the shop for a morning if the seller allows it.

Finally, ask what the garage does about missed visits: reminder messages, deposits, a call list for cancellations. Check whether front-counter staff follow the routine or whether it lives in one person’s head. If the system is tied to a subscription, confirm it transfers to a new owner. Also compare the calendar with the technicians’ clocked hours. If bays look full on paper but labour hours are thin, bookings may be padded or jobs may be running far shorter than planned. Ask the service advisors what they would change about the system if it were theirs, and listen for repeated complaints.

Key takeaways

• Get raw booking exports with outcomes, then match them to opened work orders.
• Ask how a missed visit is logged and who can delete a booking.
• Confirm the booking tool and its customer data transfer to you at closing.