How much of your day or your employees day is spent playing phone tag?

You leave a voicemail about an MPI, they call back while you’re on another line, you try again, and the car just sits. It’s insane. Customers hate waiting on hold as much as we hate making them wait.

We’re in a world where people can order a new couch from their phone in a waiting room, but we’re still trying to get ahold of customers like it’s 1998. It’s a bottleneck that costs you time, CSI points, and straight-up cash.

This is where texting comes in. And I’m not talking about your advisors using their personal cells (huge liability, by the way). I’m talking about a real, integrated SMS solution.

Why SMS Works for Dealerships

I get the skepticism. Another piece of tech, another promise. But the numbers don’t lie, and they’re kind of nuts:

• 98% Open Rate: Think about that. Nearly every single text gets opened. Your last email marketing blast was probably closer to 20%, right? It’s not even a fair fight.
• 90% Read in 3 Minutes: This is the big one. You need approval on a $1,500 job. With a text, you get an answer in minutes, not hours. The bay turns faster, and the customer gets their car back sooner.
• 45% Response Rate: People actually text back. It’s easy for them, so they do it. It’s a conversation, not a voicemail screaming into the void.

At the end of the day, it’s about getting your message seen and acted on. Fast.

Real-Life Success Stories of Dealership Using SMS

Enough theory. Let’s talk about what this looks like on the ground.

Case Study #1: Honda & Toyota of Seattle

They were seeing a lot of traffic through their service lane every day. We’re talking 90 to 150 cars.

• The Problem: Customers were getting pissed off waiting on hold. Advisors were buried in phone calls, unable to actually advise or manage the shop floor. And the end-of-day cashier line was a nightmare.
• The Fix: They brought in a SMS solution (Kimoby). Suddenly, appointment reminders were automated. Service updates went out via text without an advisor touching the phone. And they started sending payment links directly to customers’ phones.
• The Results: They saved over 160 staff hours a month on just appointment reminders. More than 75% of customers switched to mobile payments, killing that 5 PM rush. They could handle more cars without hiring more people.

Don’t just take my word for it. Arvin Merino, the Service Manager, said:

“Prior to Kimoby, the customer experience was such a hassle… Kimoby has made a huge impact on our bottom line.”

Read the full Honda & Toyota of Seattle success story here.

Case Study #2: Martin Grove Volkswagen

Recalls are a necessary evil. For Jason Zommers, the Fixed Ops Manager at Martin Grove VW, they were a manual, painful process.

• The Problem: His team was spending hours, sometimes days, manually matching VINs to customer lists and then trying to reach them. It was slow, and a ton of customers fell through the cracks.
• The Fix: They used Kimoby to automate the whole thing. The system matched the VINs to customer data in their DMS instantly. They could blast out a targeted SMS campaign to every affected owner in minutes.
• The Results: What used to take days now takes minutes. Customers got the notice, clicked a link, and booked their appointment. Simple.

As Jason put it:

“Kimoby is more than just a communication tool; it has really changed the way we do business. I couldn’t imagine operating our service department without it.”

See how they did it in the Martin Grove Volkswagen case study.

When to Send SMS Messages to Your Dealerships’ Customers

So, how can you use this across the dealership? Think of it like this:

For the Service Lane

• Appointment Reminders: The no-brainer. Drastically cut your no-shows.
• Status Updates: “Hey, your car’s in the bay,” or “Your tech, Mike, has finished the inspection.” Keeps customers in the loop and off the phone lines.
• Video MPIs: This is a game-changer for trust. Send a video of the tech showing the worn brake pads. It’s transparent, and it sells the job for you.
• Digital Estimates & Approvals: Send the estimate right to their phone. They tap “Approve.” The tech gets the green light. No more waiting.
• Mobile Payments: Send the invoice with a payment link. They pay before they even leave their office to pick up the car. The checkout process becomes “Here are your keys.”
• Pre-CSI Surveys: A quick text: “Hey, on a scale of 1-5, how did we do today?” Catch any issues before the official survey goes out.
• Campaigns: Send marketing & recall campaigns to customers so increase your fixed ops revenues.

For the Sales Team

• Lead Follow-Up: A new internet lead comes in. A text goes out instantly. You just beat every other dealer to the punch.
• Test Drive Reminders: Make sure that hot prospect shows up.
• New Model Drops: “Hey Alex, the new GT3 RS just landed. You were asking about it. Want to be the first to see it?” That’s a text that gets a response.

For Parts & General Engagement

• Parts Arrival: “Your new summer tires are in!”
• Accessory Promos: “20% off all-weather floor mats this week.” Easy upsell.
• Holiday Greetings: A simple “Happy Holidays from the team at…” goes a long way.

Top SMS Solutions for Dealerships Right Now

Alright, so who are the players? There are a bunch, but here’s a quick-glance table to see how they stack up.

Here’s the detailed breakdown of each one:

1. Kimoby

Kimoby is our platform, and I’m biased, but for a reason. It was built from the ground up for the automotive industry. We live and breathe this stuff. It’s all about making the dealership customer experience as smooth as possible. Our goal is to redefined what customer engagement means for dealerships.

• Key Features: Automated reminders, two-way texting, video/photo messaging, mobile pay, estimates with approvals, DMS integration, and killer reporting.
• Who’s it for? Service departments that want to cut the chaos, be more efficient, and build serious trust with customers.
• What people are saying: "Love the ease of use. Makes customer contact much easier for scheduling appointments, reminders, and being able to connect with customers for upsells.”

2. TEXT2DRIVE

Text2Drive is a well-known player in the space. They offer a solid web-based tool focused heavily on service department communications.

• Key Features: Automated reminders, two-way texting, mobile pay, some recall and inventory features.
• Who’s it for? Dealerships looking for a lease expiration feature. (See how Kimoby stacks up in our Kimoby vs TEXT2DRIVE comparison).
• What people are saying: “We have seen substantial increases in revenue and customer satisfaction since bringing Text to Drive to our service department.”

3. VinSolutions

VinSolutions is a full-blown dealership CRM. Its texting capabilities are a feature within that massive ecosystem.

• Key Features: Full lead management, inventory, sales tracking, and yes, texting.
• Who’s it for? Dealerships that want an all-in-one CRM to run their entire sales and BDC operation. Texting is part of the package, not the main thing.
• What people are saying: “VinSolutions CRM transformed our lead management process. It’s a game-changer for how we interact with customers.”

4. Matador.ai

Matador leans heavily into the AI and automation side of things, especially for sales and lead nurturing.

• Key Features: AI-driven chats, scheduled campaigns, and a focus on personalized marketing.
• Who’s it for? Sales-focused dealerships looking to automate their lead follow-up with a conversational, AI-powered approach.
• What people are saying: “Matador.ai is the only software so far that allows our business development team to contact a lead in less than 5 minutes…”

5. Podium

Podium started with online reviews and expanded from there. Their big play is consolidating all your communications, text, webchat, reviews, into one inbox. It’s not built specifically for dealerships.

• Key Features: Centralized inbox for customer messages, review generation, and mobile payments.
• Who’s it for? Businesses (not just auto) that want to manage their online reputation and centralize all incoming messages.
• What people are saying: “Podium has streamlined our customer communication and significantly improved our online presence.”

6. SimpleTexting

This is an all-purpose SMS platform. It wasn’t built specifically for dealerships, but it’s straightforward and gets the job done for basic marketing and 1-on-1 chats.

• Key Features: Mass texting, 1-on-1 conversations, message scheduling, and link tracking to see who’s clicking.
• Who’s it for? A dealership that wants a simple, user-friendly tool to get started with SMS marketing without getting buried in auto-specific features.
• What people are saying: “SimpleTexting made it easy for our dealership to reach out to customers promptly. The platform is straightforward and effective.”

7. Textedly

Think of Textedly as the budget-friendly, bulk-messaging option. It’s built for sending a lot of messages without breaking the bank.

• Key Features: Unlimited keywords for opt-ins, easy message scheduling, and very competitive pricing plans.
• Who’s it for? Dealerships focused on running mass SMS promotions on a tight budget. If you just need to blast out a “Tire Sale This Weekend!” message, this is a cost-effective way to do it.
• What people are saying: “Textedly has been a budget-friendly option for our promotional campaigns. It’s easy to use, though we wish it had more integration options.”

8. DealerSocket

Like VinSolutions, DealerSocket is another one of the big, all-in-one CRM platforms. It’s an entire ecosystem for running your dealership, and texting is one of the tools in its massive toolbox.

• Key Features: Deep sales and service automation, powerful customer data segmentation, and multi-channel communication (including SMS).
• Who’s it for? Larger dealerships or dealer groups looking for a comprehensive CRM to manage everything. You’re buying the whole system, not just a texting tool.
• What people are saying: “DealerSocket has transformed our customer engagement, but it took some time to get everyone up to speed with the system.”

9. Kenect

Kenect’s big focus is on lead capture. Their whole game is about making it easy for you to turn website visitors and ad clicks into active text conversations.

• Key Features: Gives you a text-enabled business line, lets you send payment/appointment links, and integrates with your Google and Facebook ads.
• Who’s it for? The dealership that’s spending money on digital ads and wants to stop leads from slipping through the cracks. It’s designed to grab that online traffic and pull it into your sales funnel.
• What people are saying: “Kenect has significantly increased our lead conversion rates. It’s a valuable tool for our online marketing efforts.”

10. MessageDesk

The main idea here is the shared team inbox. It’s designed so your whole team, whether it’s the BDC or a couple of service advisors, can see and manage customer conversations together.

• Key Features: A shared inbox view, scheduled messages, auto-responders, and picture messaging.
• Who’s it for? A team that needs a collaborative tool to make sure no customer text gets ignored. It keeps everyone on the same page, but just know it’s a general business tool, not an auto-specific platform with deep DMS hooks.
• What people are saying: “MessageDesk has streamlined our team’s communication with customers. It’s user-friendly and keeps everyone on the same page.”

What’s the Bottom Line?

Look, we’ve gone through a lot of options here. You’ve got the all-in-one CRMs like VinSolutions and DealerSocket, the lead-capture specialists like Kenect, the budget-friendly blasters like Textedly, and the auto-focused workhorses like Kimoby.

At the end of the day, this isn’t about just getting a texting tool. It’s about finding the right one that plugs into your process and solves your biggest headaches. It’s about making three things happen:

1. Make life easier for your staff.
2. Make the experience better for your customers.
3. Make more money by being more efficient.

Incorporating a solid SMS platform isn’t just about adding another monthly bill. It’s about fundamentally changing how you communicate. It unclogs your service drive, frees up your advisors to actually sell, and gives customers the fast, modern experience they expect.

We’ve seen it work with our partners at BMW, and in hundreds of stores across North America. We’re a hungry company, we’re super flexible, and we know our stuff shines when you see it in action.

If you ever want to see a no-pressure demo of how we can make this work for your specific store, just let us know. We’ll go at your pace.