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:
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Double bookings 3-4 times weekly | Zero double bookings since month 1 |
| 2 hours daily on phone reminders | Automated SMS saves 10+ hours weekly |
| 40% MOT customer return rate | 89% return rate with automated reminders |
| Paper diary lost customer history | Complete digital service records |
| No visibility of workshop capacity | Real-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
- Week 1 · Setup & Data Migration
Imported 2,400 customer records and configured 4 workshop bays. Staff training completed in 2 sessions. - Week 2-4 · Parallel Running
Ran SeSar alongside paper diary. Team adapted quickly to digital booking and SMS features. - Month 2 · Full Digital Transition
Retired paper systems completely. Automated MOT reminders activated for all customers. - Month 3-6 · Optimisation & Growth
Fine-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 Thompson, Owner, Midlands MOT Centre
Detailed Results
01
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
02
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
01
Automated MOT Reminders
DVLA-integrated reminders sent 6 weeks before expiry, then follow-ups at 2 weeks and 3 days.
02
Visual Bay Scheduling
Drag-and-drop calendar showing all 4 bays. Staff see availability instantly, eliminating double bookings.
03
Unlimited SMS
Booking confirmations, job updates, and collection reminders all automated. No per-message fees.
04
Online Booking Widget
Customers book 24/7 via the website. 35% of bookings now come through online, freeing phone lines.
05
Customer History
Complete service records for every vehicle. Staff know returning customers’ preferences and past work.
06
Reporting Dashboard
Weekly reports on bookings, revenue, and bay utilisation help identify opportunities for growth.
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