Case Study

How Midlands MOT Centre Saved 12 Hours Weekly and Grew Revenue by 34%

A family-run garage’s journey from paper diaries and missed appointments to a streamlined, profitable operation using SeSar’s garage management system.

Results After 6 Months

12 hrs Admin Time Saved per week
34% Revenue Increase year-on-year
89% Customer Retention return rate
52% MOT Rebookings increase

The Challenge

Midlands MOT Centre had been serving the Birmingham community for over 15 years. Owner Mike Thompson ran a successful operation, but growth had stalled. The workshop was busy, but profitability wasn’t improving.

“We were drowning in admin,” Mike explains. “My wife Sarah spent half her day on the phone chasing MOT customers, confirming bookings, and trying to prevent no-shows. Meanwhile, I was dealing with double bookings almost every week because our paper diary couldn’t keep up.”

The garage faced several critical issues:

BeforeDouble bookings 3-4 times weekly
AfterZero double bookings since month 1
Before2 hours daily on phone reminders
AfterAutomated SMS saves 10+ hours weekly
Before40% MOT customer return rate
After89% return rate with automated reminders
BeforePaper diary lost customer history
AfterComplete digital service records
BeforeNo visibility of workshop capacity
AfterReal-time bay scheduling dashboard

The Solution

After researching options, Mike chose SeSar’s garage management system for three key reasons: no long-term contracts, unlimited SMS included in the price, and UK-specific features like DVLA integration.

“Other systems either locked us into 12-month contracts or charged per SMS. With the volume of reminders we send, those costs would have eaten our savings. SeSar’s pricing was transparent and predictable.”

Implementation Timeline

  1. Setup & Data MigrationImported 2,400 customer records and configured 4 workshop bays. Staff training completed in 2 sessions.
  2. Parallel RunningRan SeSar alongside paper diary. Team adapted quickly to digital booking and SMS features.
  3. Full Digital TransitionRetired paper systems completely. Automated MOT reminders activated for all customers.
  4. Optimisation & GrowthFine-tuned SMS templates, enabled online booking. Saw consistent 15% month-on-month booking increase.
The ROI was obvious within the first month. Sarah now handles twice the bookings in half the time. Our customers love the SMS updates, and we’ve virtually eliminated no-shows. I wish we’d made the switch years ago.
Mike ThompsonOwner, Midlands MOT Centre

Detailed Results

Time Savings Breakdown

  • Automated SMS reminders 5 hrs/week
  • Digital bay scheduling 3 hrs/week
  • VRM auto-lookup 2 hrs/week
  • Online booking 2 hrs/week
  • Total weekly savings 12 hours

Revenue Impact

  • Reduced no-shows +£800/month
  • Increased MOT returns +£1,200/month
  • Higher capacity utilisation +£600/month
  • Labour cost savings +£400/month
  • Monthly benefit £3,000+

Key Features That Made the Difference

Automated MOT Reminders

DVLA-integrated reminders sent 6 weeks before expiry, then follow-ups at 2 weeks and 3 days.

Visual Bay Scheduling

Drag-and-drop calendar showing all 4 bays. Staff see availability instantly, eliminating double bookings.

Unlimited SMS

Booking confirmations, job updates, and collection reminders all automated. No per-message fees.

Online Booking Widget

Customers book 24/7 via the website. 35% of bookings now come through online, freeing phone lines.

Learn more

Customer History

Complete service records for every vehicle. Staff know returning customers’ preferences and past work.

Reporting Dashboard

Weekly reports on bookings, revenue, and bay utilisation help identify opportunities for growth.

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