"I think it's due sometime next month"
A caller has just bought a used car and wants to know when the MOT is due. They do not have the paperwork. The desk looks it up on the public MOT history page, reads out the date, and asks if they would like to book. The caller says they will think about it and call back. They do not.
Online it is similar. Someone lands on your website, sees an MOT price, is not sure when theirs is due, and leaves to find out. They find out on a government page, which has no link back to you, and book wherever they see next.
The due date is the missing link
People who do not know their MOT date are some of your best prospects: new car owners, people new to the area, people whose previous garage closed. They have no loyalty to anyone yet. But the question they need answered is not "how much" but "when", and most MOT websites do not answer it.
When they have to go elsewhere to find out, the thread is broken. When the desk answers it by phone, there is no follow-up if the caller is not ready to book that minute.
The information itself is public. Anyone can look up a vehicle's MOT history and expiry by registration. What is missing is putting that answer next to your booking button and remembering the person who asked.
What the unanswered question costs
| Enquiry type | What usually happens |
|---|---|
| New car owner, unsure of date | Looks it up elsewhere, books elsewhere |
| Moved to the area | Picks the first centre with an obvious booking button |
| Date months away | Says they will call back, forgets |
| Date already passed | Needs a test urgently, no clear way to book |
| Business with several vehicles | Sends a list by email, reply takes days |
Each of these is a customer who could become a regular for years. Losing them at the first question is expensive over time.
How we build a due date check that books
- A registration box on your website and on the desk screen looks up the vehicle's make, model and current MOT expiry from the public MOT history service.
- The result shows the expiry date clearly, with a plain message, such as due in the next few weeks, or not due for several months.
- If it is due soon, the booking page opens with slots before the expiry date, in the right class of bay.
- If it is not due yet, the customer can ask for a reminder, which is stored with their permission and sent ahead of the date.
- If the date has already passed, the page says so plainly and shows the earliest slots, without offering advice about driving the vehicle.
- The desk sees every lookup that did not turn into a booking or reminder request, so a quick follow-up is possible where the customer left contact details.
The lookup uses the public MOT history service in the way it is intended to be used. We handle the technical access and keep within its terms.
The same caller, the next time
A new car owner types their registration on your website. The page shows the MOT expires in five weeks and offers slots in the fortnight before. They pick a Saturday. The whole thing takes a minute, and they never needed to ring.
Someone else finds their MOT is not due for eight months. They ask for a reminder. Seven months later, it arrives from your centre, not from a government page with no link back.
- MOT expiry shown from a registration
- Slots offered before the due date
- Reminders for people not ready to book
- Every lookup visible to the desk
Are you losing people at the first question?
- Callers often ask when their MOT is due.
- Your website shows a price but not the customer's due date.
- People say they will call back and do not.
- You have no way to remind people who are not due yet.
- New car owners and new residents are a large share of enquiries.