Duty of Care and Advisory Follow Up: Where Responsibility Really Ends

Most service departments take duty of care seriously. Technicians flag safety related issues. Advisors explain them clearly. Customers are informed and given options. At the point of visit, responsibility feels clear. What becomes less clear is what happens afterwards, especially when work is deferred.

Duty of care does not end with the conversation

When a customer is told about an advisory, the dealership has done an important part of its job. But in many cases, that conversation includes an expectation of follow up. “Keep an eye on it.” “Come back to us in a couple of months.” “We will remind you.” Once those words are spoken, the duty of care extends beyond the day of the visit. Not indefinitely, but reasonably.

Why deferred work creates uncertainty

Amber advisories sit in an awkward middle ground. They are not urgent enough to stop the vehicle being driven. They are not routine enough to be handled by standard reminders. That makes responsibility less obvious. If the customer is never contacted again, it can feel unfinished. If the customer is contacted repeatedly, it can feel excessive. Finding the right balance is difficult without a clear process.

What reasonable follow up looks like

Reasonable follow up is not about chasing.

It is about:

• Reminding the customer at the agreed time
• Making the message specific to the advisory
• Allowing the customer to respond or decline
• Stopping after a sensible number of attempts

Most customers understand this approach. They do not expect unlimited reminders. They do expect the dealership to do what it said it would.

The importance of being able to evidence follow up

From an operational and compliance point of view, intention is not enough.

If a question is ever raised, the dealership needs to be able to show:

• What was identified
• When the customer was informed
• When follow up occurred
• What the outcome was

Relying on memory or informal notes makes this difficult. Clear records protect both the customer and the dealership.

Why inconsistency creates risk

When follow up is manual:

• Some customers are reminded
• Some are not
• Timing varies
• Outcomes are unclear

This inconsistency creates risk, even when everyone is acting in good faith. It is not about blame. It is about defensibility.

Responsibility should have a clear endpoint

One of the most important aspects of duty of care is knowing when responsibility reasonably ends.

After:

• The advisory has been explained
• The customer has been reminded
• A reasonable opportunity to respond has been given

There needs to be a clear closure. Without that, advisories linger in a grey area where no one is quite sure what should happen next.

Why automation helps, even for compliance

Automation is often thought of in terms of efficiency or revenue. But it also helps with responsibility.

When follow up is automated:

• Timing is consistent
• Messaging is controlled
• Records are complete
• Closure is explicit

This reduces ambiguity for everyone involved.

Advisors should not carry this burden alone

Expecting advisors to personally manage long term responsibility for deferred work is unrealistic. Their role is to advise, explain, and help customers make decisions. Systems should handle remembering, reminding, and recording. That separation is healthier for teams and safer for the business.

Customers benefit from clarity too

Clear follow up does not just protect the dealership.

It also helps customers:

• Remember what was discussed
• Make informed decisions
• Understand when responsibility passes back to them

When contact stops after reasonable reminders, customers are rarely surprised. They usually recognise that the opportunity was there.

A final thought

Duty of care is not about chasing customers or covering yourself endlessly. It is about doing what you said you would do, at the right time, and then stopping. Clear follow up, clear records, and clear closure protect everyone. And they are much easier to achieve when the process does not rely on memory.