For specialty dealers, winterization season is one of the biggest service opportunities of the year. Customers rely on your dealership to keep their investments protected and performing, even through harsh winter conditions. At the same time, your dealership depends on winterization to keep service bays full, drive repeat visits, and build long-term loyalty.
But here’s the challenge: winterization campaigns often feel overwhelming. You’ve got hundreds of customers to contact, limited staff to make calls, and a very short window before the first freeze hits. That’s why it’s crucial to have a strategy that’s consistent, proactive, and scalable.
Here are 7 tips for running a successful winterization campaign—and how modern tools like AI for dealerships make the process easier than ever.
1. Start early and stay consistent
Don’t wait until the first cold snap to start reaching out. By the time frost hits, your service department will be slammed with last-minute calls. Begin outreach in late summer or early fall, and keep reminders consistent throughout the season. Customers need multiple touchpoints before they take action.
2. Educate customers on the risks of waiting
Many boat and RV owners don’t realize how much damage can happen if they skip winterization. Share the facts: cracked plumbing, frozen engine blocks, and thousands of dollars in preventable repairs. Position your dealership as their trusted advisor—not just a service provider.
3. Highlight the value of preventive service
Winterization isn’t just about surviving the season; it’s about protecting long-term performance. Customers may not always understand why it matters until it’s too late. By framing winterization as preventive care that avoids expensive breakdowns, you position your dealership as a trusted advisor who’s looking out for their best interest.
4. Use text messaging as your primary channel
Phone calls get ignored, and emails sit unopened. But text messages get read—98% of texts are opened within minutes. Texting allows you to quickly remind customers, send scheduling links, and even answer questions in real-time. For winterization campaigns, texting is your dealership’s secret weapon.
5. Offer easy scheduling options
The biggest reason customers delay booking? Inconvenience. Don’t force them to call during business hours or wait on hold. Instead, make scheduling quick, simple, and mobile-friendly. Whether it’s through text confirmations, automated reminders, or an easy-to-reach service team, the less effort it takes for customers to secure a spot, the faster your bays will fill up.
6. Promote bundled services
Winterization is the perfect time to upsell and cross-sell. Offer bundled services like storage, inspections, oil changes, or spring de-winterization. Customers are more likely to say yes when everything is packaged into one convenient visit.
7. Automate where you can
Manually calling, tracking, and following up with hundreds of customers is nearly impossible for most service teams. That’s where automation comes in. By automating reminders, follow-ups, and scheduling prompts, your team can focus on delivering great service instead of chasing down appointments.
How AI for Dealerships Makes Winterization Campaigns Effortless
Following these seven tips will set your dealership up for success—but the real game-changer is using AI for dealerships to handle the heavy lifting.
With Kenect Service AI, you can:
- Automate text reminders so every customer gets timely outreach.
- Trigger campaigns from your DMS based on service history and unit type.
- Send personalized scheduling links that fill your calendar without phone calls.
- Follow up automatically with thank-yous, upsells, or spring de-winterization reminders.
Instead of scrambling each season, Service AI creates a smooth, repeatable process that keeps your bays full and your customers loyal.
Making Winterization Easier, Smarter, Profitable
Winterization is one of the most important service opportunities for marine and RV dealerships. By starting early, educating customers, segmenting outreach, and leveraging texting, you can run a campaign that drives revenue and builds trust. And when you layer in Kenect Service AI, your dealership can automate the entire process—making winterization campaigns easier, more effective, and more profitable than ever.
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