Why Amber and Advisory Work Has the Biggest Untapped Impact on the Bottom Line

Amber work, often referred to as vehicle advisories, represents work that has already been identified.

The inspection has been done. The issue has been found. The conversation has taken place.

And yet, a large proportion of this work is never booked.

Not because customers said no — but because they were never asked again.

**Identified work is not the same as booked work**

Across the automotive service industry, studies consistently show that only 30–50% of advisory work is ever converted.

That means:

• Half, or more, of identified work never returns
• Not because it was declined
• But because the process stopped too early

Garages often assume that once the advisory is noted, responsibility transfers to the customer.

In reality, without a clear follow-up step, most customers simply delay and forget.

**"You don't ask, you don't get" applies directly to advisories**

Customer behaviour research across service industries shows that follow-up alone can increase acceptance rates by 10–25%, even when no additional selling takes place.

The message does not need to change. The timing does.

Amber and advisory work already has context and trust attached to it. When no reminder is sent, that trust does not convert into action.

Not asking again is not neutral. It has a measurable cost.

**Hope is not a strategy**

Many garages rely on hope without realising it.

They hope the customer will:

• Remember the advisory
• Understand when it matters
• Come back at the right time

Behavioural research consistently shows that people rarely act on deferred decisions without a prompt, even when they fully understand the issue.

Silence does not equal a "no". It usually equals "not now" — which quietly becomes "not here".

**The myth of "they'll go elsewhere anyway"**

A common belief is that if a customer does not return for advisory work, they would have gone elsewhere regardless.

Retention data tells a different story.

Automotive customer studies show that customers who receive consistent follow-up are up to 2× more likely to return to the same garage for future work.

When follow-up does not happen, customers do not actively choose a different garage.

They default to convenience later — which often means whoever is closest when the problem becomes urgent.

**Advisory follow up has a disproportionate impact on revenue**

Advisory work is high-leverage work.

Why?

• The inspection cost has already been absorbed
• The issue is already diagnosed
• No new lead generation is required

Operational benchmarks show that a 10% improvement in advisory conversion can translate into a significantly larger increase in monthly revenue, because it fills existing capacity rather than creating new demand.

This is not upselling. It is recovering value that already exists.

**Most garages already do the hardest part**

Identifying advisory work requires skill, experience, and time.

Failing to follow it up means:

• Lost revenue
• Wasted inspection effort
• Underused workshop capacity

Garages that systemise advisory follow-up consistently outperform those that rely on memory or goodwill alone.

Not because they sell harder — but because they ask again, at the right time.

**A final thought**

Amber and advisory work is one of the most overlooked contributors to the bottom line.

The difference is rarely the quality of inspections.

It is whether the garage follows through.

"You don't ask, you don't get" is not a sales slogan in this context.

It is a statement of how workshops actually make — or lose — money.

Learn more about how [Amber Closer recovers untapped advisory revenue](/) and explore our [FAQ on revenue recovery strategies](/faq)."