Social, WhatsApp & Retention

Few people follow a repair shop for fun. They look for you when a warning light comes on, and they come back when you remind them. Social media shows strangers that your team is skilled and honest. WhatsApp is where the real conversation happens: the price question, the photo of a worn brake disc, the "your car is ready" message. A reminder at the right time brings the customer back for the next job.

This guide covers all three jobs (showing your work, talking to customers, keeping them) and the Türkiye rules that apply to each one.

Where people in Türkiye spend their screen time

TÜİK, the Turkish statistics office, asks every year which apps internet users aged 16–74 use. Its 2026 survey was published on 5 August 2026. Internet use reached 92.3% of people in that age group DHA, Aug 2026.

Sources: TÜİK 2025 as reported by Nefes, Aug 2025; TÜİK 2026 as reported by DHA, Aug 2026; ad reach from DataReportal, Nov 2025. Between October 2024 and October 2025 ad reach grew 10.3% on Instagram and 14.8% on TikTok, but only 0.7% on YouTube and 1.0% on Facebook DataReportal, Nov 2025.

The 2024 lesson: rented channels and owned channels

On 2 August 2024, BTK (the Turkish internet and telecom authority) blocked Instagram across Türkiye. Access came back on 10 August, after 9 days The National, Aug 2024. Businesses that sold or took bookings only through Instagram lost that channel for those 9 days. An e-commerce association (ETİD) estimated losses of ₺17.1 billion; these numbers were reported in the press and were not checked against the original statements Türkiye Today, Aug 2024.

Social platforms are rented space. The platform owns the rules, the reach and the access. What you own is your list of customers, the proof that they agreed to hear from you, your website and your phone number. Every post and every chat should move people, with their permission, from the rented side to the owned side.

How to move people to your owned channels

• Put a WhatsApp click-to-chat link (a wa.me link that opens a chat with your shop's number; section 06 shows how to build it) in every profile bio and on the Google Business Profile.
• Print a WhatsApp QR code for the reception desk, the invoice and the car-key tag.
• Ask every new customer "Bizi nereden duydunuz?" (Where did you hear about us?) and write the answer down.
• Save each customer in your own list with phone, plate and the date you gave them the privacy notice (section 08).
• Ask for marketing consent separately, with a box the customer ticks (section 09).

Each app has a recommendation system, often called "the algorithm". It is software that guesses, for each viewer, which video that person will enjoy next. You cannot pay it in organic posts and you cannot trick it for long. You can make videos that give it the right signals. This is good news for a small shop. The platforms say they rank videos by how viewers react to them, so a small account can still reach strangers with one useful video.

What the platforms say they measure

Formats changed in 2024–2025

• Reels can be up to 3 minutes long (January 2025). Mosseri added: "We still are focused on short form video over long form" Mosseri on Threads, Jan 2025. This is known from a search summary of the post.
• YouTube Shorts can be up to 3 minutes long for square or vertical videos uploaded from 15 October 2024 YouTube, Oct 2024.
• Trial Reels (December 2024) let you show a Reel to non-followers first. Results arrive after about 24 hours. If it performs well within 72 hours, it can be shared to your followers automatically Meta, Dec 2024. Third-party sites say only professional accounts with 1,000+ followers can use it; this was not verified, so check whether the option appears in your app.
• Instagram counts at most 5 hashtags per post or Reel, and extra tags are ignored (announced around 19 December 2025) Digital Trends, Dec 2025. This is reported by a news site; no official Instagram page confirming it was found (Oct 2026).

What this means for a small shop

• Make videos people watch to the end. Start with the problem (section 04), keep it short, and cut the dead time.
• Make videos people send to a friend. A line like "Bu videoyu arabası ses yapan arkadaşına gönder" (Send this to a friend whose car makes this noise) asks for the strongest signal in plain words.
• Avoid the "less visible" list. No TikTok or CapCut watermark, no muted audio, no borders, no slides that are mostly text, no re-uploading the same clip.
• Tell the app what the video is about. Say the topic and the district in the caption and on screen ("Ümraniye'de fren balatası değişimi").
• Use Trial Reels for experiments (if your account has it), so your followers do not see the flops.

Three numbers to check for every Reel

Open each Reel's insights (statistics) in the app once a month. These are the numbers Mosseri advised creators to watch Buffer, 2025. Reach means the number of different accounts that saw the Reel.

The hardest part of social media for a busy shop is deciding what to post. Content pillars solve this. Once you have them, each week you only fill slots that already exist. They also teach the app, and your customers, what your shop is known for.

Five pillars for a repair shop

27 post ideas with example captions

The captions are example Turkish texts. Change the details so every claim is true for your shop. Blur licence plates and faces unless the person agreed in writing.

Idea 27 links to the tyre hotel (lastik oteli: the shop stores customers' off-season tyres) in section 08. The 1,250 TL price in idea 23 is an example number. A "carousel" is a post with several swipeable photos.

Hashtags and location tags

• Use at most 5 hashtags on Instagram. The cap has applied since December 2025 (as reported), and extra tags are ignored Digital Trends, Dec 2025. Pick specific local and topic tags, not generic ones like #car or #love.
• Hashtags mainly help search. Mosseri says a few specific tags work better than a long list, and that hashtags do not necessarily increase reach (same source). Put the keywords in the caption and in the on-screen text as well.
• Add a location tag to every post and Reel (your shop's exact location), and write the district name in the caption.
• On TikTok and YouTube Shorts, put the main keyword in the first line of the caption or title.

#ümraniyeotoservis #frenbalatası #periyodikbakım #istanbul #otoservis

How often to post

Buffer analysed 2.1 million posts from more than 102,000 Instagram accounts. Compared with 1–2 posts a week, accounts that posted more got more reach per post Buffer, Aug 2025.

For a repair shop, 3–5 feed posts or Reels a week plus Stories on most workdays is realistic. Consistency matters more than bursts. Posting 10 times in one week and then disappearing for a month is a common way to give up.

Set up the system (one afternoon)

1. Fix the profiles

   Same name and logo everywhere. Category such as "Oto Servis / Otomobil Tamircisi". Address, hours and phone. One link that opens WhatsApp with a ready message, or your booking page.

2. Choose your pillars and give each a weekday

   For example: Monday tip, Wednesday proof of work, Friday people, Saturday customer story or seasonal post.

3. Pick one person to film

   Usually the service advisor: 10–15 short clips a week during normal work (section 04).

4. Schedule a week at a time

   Meta Business Suite can create and schedule posts and Stories for Facebook and Instagram Meta, Oct 2026. Buffer's free plan covers 3 channels with 10 queued posts each Buffer, Oct 2026.

5. Review once a month

   Check the three Reel numbers from section 02, and count how many WhatsApp chats or calls came from Instagram.

https://wa.me/90XXXXXXXXXX?text=Merhaba%2C%20randevu%20almak%20istiyorum

Replace 90XXXXXXXXXX with the shop's WhatsApp number in international format (90 + number, no +, no leading zero, no spaces). The text after ?text= is the ready message ("Merhaba, randevu almak istiyorum": Hello, I would like to book). Section 06 explains this link.

A 4-week calendar for Örnek Oto Servis

Ready-to-edit captions

Gösterge panelinde bu sarı ışık yandıysa panik yok ama ihmal de yok. 30 saniyede ne anlama geldiğini anlattık. Aracınızda bu ışık yanıyorsa WhatsApp'tan fotoğrafını gönderin, ustamız yorumlasın. Konum: Ümraniye, İstanbul

Sol ön fren balatası metal metale sürtmüş. Diski de kurtaramadık. Balata ömrü sürüşe göre değişir; ses gelmeye başladıysa beklemeyin. Değişen parçaları her zaman müşterimize gösteriyoruz.

Atölyemizin elektrik-elektronik ustası [Ad] Hanım ile tanışın. [X] yıldır arıza tespiti yapıyor. Sizce en zor arıza hangisiydi? Cevabı videoda.

"Uzun yolda klima yakıtı çok artırır" doğru mu? Kısa cevap: duruma göre. Uzun cevap videoda. Siz hangi efsaneyi duydunuz? Yorumlara yazın, sıradaki videoyu ona çekelim.

Kış öncesi kontrol paketi: akü testi, antifriz ölçümü, silecek ve lastik kontrolü. Fiyat: 1.250 TL (KDV dahil). Geçerlilik: 15 Ekim – 30 Kasım 2026. Randevu: WhatsApp [link].

The price is an example number. In any offer, show the total price including VAT (KDV dahil), the dates and any conditions in the main text, and keep it the same as the price list on your wall and in your WhatsApp catalog.

Customer photos, staff and permission

Photos and videos made by customers are called UGC (user-generated content). You may repost them only with permission. Ask in writing, in the chat:

Merhaba [isim], aracınızın teslim fotoğrafını / hikâyenizi kendi hesabımızda paylaşmak isteriz. Plakayı ve yüzleri kapatacağız. Uygun görürseniz "Evet" yazmanız yeterli. İstediğiniz zaman kaldırırız.

• Blur plates and faces unless the person explicitly agrees. A plate can identify a person, so treat it as personal data. This is a cautious practice; no specific KVKK decision on plates was found (Oct 2026).
• Get written consent before featuring employees' names and faces.
• Staff may share the shop's posts, but must not pose as neutral customers or review their own shop. A simple rule: "Burada çalışıyorum" (I work here) in the bio or caption.

Your best content is the car on the lift. You do not need a studio, a camera or an agency. One phone and about 10 minutes a day of filming during normal work is enough. What matters is the structure: the first seconds decide whether people keep watching, and section 02 showed that watching to the end is one of the strongest signals.

The shape of a good workshop video

Length

Reels and Shorts can now be up to 3 minutes long, but Instagram says it is "still focused on short form video" Mosseri on Threads, Jan 2025. No official "best length" was found (Oct 2026). Practitioners suggest 15–45 seconds for videos meant to reach new people, and 60–180 seconds for real diagnostic stories that keep people watching. Test both and compare the average watch time.

Hooks that work for a workshop

Open with the problem or the result. Example hooks in Turkish:

• "Bu sesi duyuyorsanız…" (If you hear this sound…)
• "Bu araba 3 servisten döndü, sorun şuymuş:" (This car came back from 3 other shops; here was the problem:) — only if it is true.
• "50 TL'lik parça, 15.000 TL'lik hasar." (A 50 TL part, 15,000 TL of damage.) — only with the real numbers from that car.

Subtitles, sound and light

• Subtitles: burn Turkish subtitles into the video. Use the editor's auto-captions, then check technical words such as part names by hand. Many people scroll with the sound off. No fresh 2025–2026 statistic on this was found, and the often-quoted "85% watch without sound" comes from an old 2016 media report, so do not repeat it.
• Sound: use the workshop's natural sound or a voice-over. Muted videos are shown less on Instagram. Be careful with popular songs on a business account; use each app's licensed music library (licence terms were not verified for this guide).
• Light and frame: film where the work lights are strong, keep the main light in front of the subject, and wipe the phone lens before you start. Keep the workshop tidy in the background.
• Cover frame: put readable text on the first frame, such as "Fren balatası ne zaman değişir?" (When should brake pads be changed?).

Free tools and what they do

Film a week of content in one routine

1. Choose 3–4 jobs worth filming

   Look at the morning's job list. Pick jobs that match this week's pillars (section 03).

2. Ask permission

   Tell the customer you will film the car with the plate hidden. Ask staff before showing their faces.

3. Film 10–15 short clips

   Vertical, 5–20 seconds each: the problem, the test, the worn part next to the new one, the finished job. Hold the phone still for 2 seconds at the start and end of each clip.

4. Edit in one sitting

   Put the strongest shot first, cut pauses, add subtitles and one line of text on the first frame. Export without any watermark.

5. Upload the same clean file

   Instagram Reels first, then Facebook and YouTube Shorts (and TikTok if you use it). Add the location tag and up to 5 hashtags.

Filming checklist

• Phone held vertical (9:16), lens wiped
• Plates and faces hidden, or written permission saved
• First 1–3 seconds show the problem or the result
• Natural sound or clear voice-over; audio not muted
• Turkish subtitles added and technical words checked
• No watermark from TikTok, CapCut or another app; no borders
• One call to action at the end ("WhatsApp'tan yazın")
• Location tag, district in the caption, at most 5 hashtags
• Every claim in the video is true (prices, years of experience, certificates)

A reply is marketing too. Every person who reads a comment thread sees how you treat customers, especially when something went wrong. Fast, calm replies win jobs; silence and arguments lose them.

All three figures come from the Sprout Social Index 2025; the sample size and the countries surveyed were not checked. A DM (direct message) is a private message inside Instagram or Facebook.

Response targets

• Reply to every comment and DM on the same working day.
• Outside working hours, let the WhatsApp away message (section 06) and Instagram's automatic replies to frequent questions do the first reply.
• Use Meta Business Suite's single inbox so Facebook, Messenger and Instagram messages arrive in one place Meta, Oct 2026.
• Reply to Google reviews within 1–2 working days. In BrightLocal's 2026 US survey, 81% expected a reply within a week, and 50% were put off by generic, templated replies BrightLocal, Feb 2026. Use the templates below as a start and make each reply personal.

Handling a public complaint

Turkish reply templates

Çok teşekkür ederiz [isim] Bey/Hanım. Yolunuz açık olsun, tekrar bekleriz.

Merhaba, fiyat araç modeline göre değişiyor. Plaka ve modeli WhatsApp'tan iletirseniz KDV dahil net fiyatı hemen yazalım: [wa.me linki]

Merhaba [isim], yaşadığınız durum için üzgünüz. Konuyu hemen incelemek istiyoruz. Size DM'den yazdık / Servis müdürümüz [isim] sizi bugün arayacak.

Merhaba, ben [isim], servis müdürü. Servis fişinizi ve aracın plakasını paylaşır mısınız? Kayıtlarımızı kontrol edip bugün içinde size dönüş yapacağım.

Merhaba [isim], sorununuzun çözüldüğünü umuyoruz. Aracınızla ilgili başka bir sorun olursa bu numaradan bize her zaman yazabilirsiniz. Uygun görürseniz, yorumunuzu son durumu yansıtacak şekilde güncelleyebilirsiniz; tamamen sizin kararınız.

The step 4 text is deliberately neutral. Never offer money, a discount or a free service for changing or removing a review. Paying for favourable reviews has been banned in Türkiye since 1 August 2026, and Google forbids review incentives.

Google review replies

Merhaba [Ad] Bey/Hanım, güzel yorumunuz için çok teşekkür ederiz. [Periyodik bakım / fren değişimi] işleminizden memnun kalmanıza sevindik. Bir sonraki bakımınızda görüşmek dileğiyle, iyi yolculuklar. — [İsim], Örnek Oto Servis

Puanınız için teşekkür ederiz [Ad] Bey/Hanım. Sizi tekrar ağırlamaktan memnuniyet duyarız.

Merhaba [Ad] Bey/Hanım, yaşadığınız durum için üzgünüz ve geri bildiriminiz için teşekkür ederiz. Konuyu ayrıntılı incelemek ve çözmek istiyoruz. Servis sorumlumuz [İsim] ile 0216 XXX XX XX numarasından doğrudan iletişime geçebilir misiniz? Sizi dinlemek ve sorunu gidermek için elimizden geleni yapacağız. — Örnek Oto Servis

Merhaba, kayıtlarımızda bu isimle veya belirtilen tarihte yapılmış bir servis işlemi bulamadık. Bir karışıklık olmuş olabilir. Bizimle bir deneyiminiz olduysa lütfen 0216 XXX XX XX numarasından bize ulaşın, memnuniyetle yardımcı oluruz. — Örnek Oto Servis

After replying to a review that looks fake, report it to Google through the review management tool. Google removes only reviews that break its policies, not reviews you disagree with Google Help, Oct 2026. The SEO & Local Search deep dive covers reviews in detail.

House rules for everyone who replies

• Never delete honest negative comments. Hiding spam and insults is fine.
• Never argue in public, even when the customer is wrong.
• Never reveal a customer's data in a public reply: no plate, invoice amount or phone number.
• Write down every recurring complaint. It is free feedback on your process.

WhatsApp has two business products with similar names. The WhatsApp Business app is a free phone app. The WhatsApp Business Platform (often called "the API") is a set of tools for software developers, used through a paid provider. For a 12-person repair shop the app is almost always enough. This section explains why, and how to set it up properly.

The two options side by side

How the Platform is priced (as of October 2026)

Set up the WhatsApp Business app

Menu names below are the English names from WhatsApp Help (October 2026). The Turkish app may show different words, and WhatsApp changes menus often.

1. Install it on a dedicated shop phone

   Use the shop's own number. Do not use a mechanic's personal number: when that person leaves, the customer history leaves too.

2. Fill in the business profile

   Name, category, address and map pin, working hours, e-mail, website and Instagram link, and a short description. Example: "Her marka binek araç bakım ve onarım. Yetkili servis değildir." (Maintenance and repair for passenger cars of every make. Not an authorized service.) Section 09 explains why that last sentence matters.

3. Build the catalog

   List standard services with prices including VAT: periodic maintenance packages, diagnostics fee, tyre change, A/C service. Keep every price identical to the price list on your wall.

4. Write the greeting message

   It goes to people who write to you for the first time (secondary sources say also after 14 days without messages). Include a link to your privacy notice.

5. Write the away message

   Sent outside working hours. Say when you will answer, and give a towing contact for people stuck on the road.

6. Save quick replies

   Up to 50. Typing "/" shows them. Suggested set: /randevu, /adres, /fiyat, /hazir, /yorum, /odeme, /teslimbelgesi.

7. Create labels (or lists)

   New lead, Appointment set, In workshop, Waiting approval, Ready, Delivered, Fleet, Reminder-due. Some app versions are moving from "labels" to customizable "lists"; check your app.

8. Print the QR code

   Path: Tools › Short link › QR code WhatsApp Help, Oct 2026. Put it at the reception desk, on invoices and on the car-key tag: "Aracınızın durumu için bize WhatsApp'tan yazın" (Message us on WhatsApp for your car's status). You can reset the code to switch off old printed copies WhatsApp Help, Oct 2026.

9. Share the short link

   Put the wa.me link in your Instagram bio, Google Business Profile and website button. Then check the WhatsApp field on your Google Business Profile: in June 2026 Google added WhatsApp numbers to many profiles on its own, and some were wrong Optimixed, Jun 2026. The SEO & Local Search deep dive covers this.

10. Link a desktop at reception

    Connect WhatsApp Web so the service advisor can type quickly on a keyboard.

Ready texts for the app

Merhaba, Örnek Oto Servis'e hoş geldiniz. Randevu veya fiyat bilgisi için lütfen plakanızı, aracınızın marka/model/yılını ve şikâyetinizi kısaca yazın; ustalarımız en kısa sürede dönüş yapacak. Çalışma saatlerimiz: Pzt–Cmt 08:00–19:00, Pazar kapalı. Kişisel verilerinize ilişkin aydınlatma metni: [link]

Şu anda mesai saatlerimiz dışındayız. Mesajınızı aldık; ilk iş gününde saat 08:00'den itibaren size dönüş yapacağız. Yolda kaldıysanız çekici için: [çekici numarası].

Kesin fiyat için plakanızı, aracınızın modelini ve şikâyetinizi yazmanız yeterli. Ön inceleme ücretimiz [X] TL (KDV dahil); onarımı bizde yaptırırsanız bu tutar toplamdan düşülür.

Adresimiz: [adres], Ümraniye / İstanbul. Haritada açmak için: [harita linki]. Gelmeden önce yazarsanız sizi kapıda karşılarız.

Hours, phone and address are example values for the fictional shop (website: ornekotoservis.com.tr). In the /fiyat text, promise only what you really do: if the inspection fee is deducted only when the repair is done at your shop, say so in the main text, as here.

When may you send a marketing message?

Three sets of rules apply at the same time. All three must be met.

The safe path: send promotions on WhatsApp only to customers who ticked a marketing-consent box that names WhatsApp, and record that consent in İYS as well. Section 09 has the consent text.

Customers' biggest worries at a repair shop are surprise costs and silence. A fixed WhatsApp routine answers both: the customer sees photos of the problem, approves the price in writing, and hears from you when the car is ready. It also creates a written record that protects the shop if there is a dispute.

The job journey

SSHY = Satış Sonrası Hizmetler Yönetmeliği (After-Sales Services Regulation) mevzuat.gov.tr. It covers both authorized services and independent shops (özel servis).

Message templates for each step

All templates below are Bilgilendirme (informational): they are about the job the customer asked for and contain no promotion. Template 7 asks for marketing consent; it does not promote anything itself.

Merhaba [Ad], [Tarih] [Saat] için [Plaka] plakalı aracınızın [işlem] randevusu oluşturuldu. Adres: [harita linki]. Lütfen ruhsatı yanınızda getirin. Değişiklik için bu mesaja yanıt verebilirsiniz.

Aracınızı teslim aldık. Teslim bilgileri: Teslim eden: [Ad Soyad] / Teslim alan: [Usta] / Şikâyet: [..] / Marka-Model: [..] / Tarih: [..]. Bu belgeyi aldığınızı onaylamak için "Onaylıyorum" yazar mısınız?

[Ad] Bey/Hanım, aracınızda yaptığımız kontrol sonucu: ön balatalar %10 seviyesinde, diskler sınırda (fotoğraflar ekte). Önerimiz: ön balata + disk değişimi. Toplam: [X] TL (parça [Y] TL + işçilik [Z] TL, KDV dahil). Tahmini süre: 3 saat. Onay verirseniz başlıyoruz. Sadece balata değişimi isterseniz: [W] TL.

İşlem sırasında [sorun] tespit ettik (video ekte). Ek maliyet: [X] TL (KDV dahil). Onayınız olmadan işlem yapmayacağız.

Aracınız hazır. Yapılan işlemler: [..]. Toplam: [X] TL (KDV dahil). Servis fişiniz ekte. Değişen parçalarınızı teslimde size gösterebiliriz. Teslim saatlerimiz: [..].

Merhaba [Ad] Bey/Hanım, aracınızın bakımı/onarımı için Örnek Oto Servis'i tercih ettiğiniz için teşekkür ederiz. Deneyiminizi Google'da kısaca paylaşırsanız çok seviniriz; yorumlarınız diğer araç sahiplerinin doğru servisi seçmesine yardımcı oluyor. Yorum bağlantısı: [link]
Aracınızla ilgili herhangi bir sorunuz olursa bu numaradan bize her zaman yazabilirsiniz. İyi yolculuklar dileriz.

Merhaba [Ad] Bey/Hanım, aracınızı sorunsuz kullanıyor musunuz? Vaktiniz olursa Google yorumunuz bizim için çok değerli: [link] Teşekkür ederiz.

İsterseniz kampanya ve duyurularımızı da WhatsApp üzerinden gönderebiliriz. Kabul ediyorsanız "EVET" yazmanız yeterli; onayınızı istediğiniz zaman ücretsiz olarak geri alabilirsiniz. Onayınız İleti Yönetim Sistemi'ne (İYS) kaydedilir. Kabul etmemeniz servis hizmetimizi hiçbir şekilde etkilemez.

Template 7 is a short WhatsApp version of the consent text in section 09. The percentages and times in template 3 are an example; write what you actually found.

Rules for review requests

• Ask every customer, the same way, after the job. Asking only happy customers ("review gating") is against Google's policy Google, Oct 2026. That is why template 6 does not say "memnun kaldıysanız" (if you were happy).
• No incentives of any kind: no discount, free wash, free check, gift or lottery (same source). In Türkiye, paying or contracting anyone for untrue reviews has been banned since 1 August 2026 (section 09).
• No staff quotas, and do not ask customers to name a staff member in the review; Google added this to its policy in April 2026 PPC Land, Apr 2026.
• Send it after the visit, not at the counter. Sterling Sky observed review-posting blocks linked to reviews posted from inside the business and bursts of 10+ reviews in a day Sterling Sky, Sep 2026. A steady flow by WhatsApp is safer.
• Get the review link in your Business Profile: Read Reviews › Get more reviews › Copy. The QR code version can be made only in a computer browser Google Help, Oct 2026. These are the English labels; the Turkish labels were not verified.

Every car needs periodic maintenance, an inspection (muayene) at fixed intervals and, for many drivers, a seasonal tyre change. A shop that remembers these dates for its customers gets the next job without paying for an ad. This is retention marketing: bringing existing customers back.

Why keeping customers pays

You will often read that winning a new customer costs "5 to 25 times more" than keeping one. Check where such numbers come from before you repeat them.

A fair summary is that keeping customers is usually much cheaper than finding new ones. Then measure your own numbers: the share of customers who come back, the average months between visits, and the revenue from returning customers.

These are the course's example numbers for the fictional Örnek Oto Servis, not market data. They show why a reminder that brings back one car is worth far more than the first job alone (main course module 03 explains lifetime value).

The reminder schedule

Some reminders count from the last service date, others from the calendar. Use only intervals you can check: for maintenance, the vehicle maker's schedule for that car; for the inspection, the date on the vehicle registration (ruhsat) or from TÜVTÜRK. Tyre reminders below are for tyre-hotel customers (lastik oteli): the shop stores their off-season tyres.

Reminder planner

Enter one customer's dates to see the next reminders and a ready Turkish message for each. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

Reminder and campaign templates

Merhaba [Ad], kayıtlarımıza göre [Plaka] plakalı aracınızın son periyodik bakımı [tarih]/[km] idi. Üretici bakım planına göre bir sonraki bakım zamanı yaklaşıyor olabilir. Randevu isterseniz bu mesaja yanıt verebilirsiniz. Bu tür hatırlatmaları almak istemiyorsanız "DUR" yazmanız yeterli.

Hatırlatma: [Plaka] plakalı aracınızın araç muayene tarihi [ay/yıl] olarak görünüyor. Muayene öncesi far, fren, lastik ve egzoz kontrolü isterseniz randevu için yazabilirsiniz.

Lastik otelimizde saklanan kış lastikleriniz hazır. Değişim için uygun gün/saat seçmek isterseniz yanıt verin.

Örnek Oto Servis: Kış öncesi kontrol paketi 1.250 TL (KDV dahil, önceki fiyat 1.500 TL). Geçerlilik: 15.10–30.11.2026. Randevu: [link]. Ret için "RET" yazın. Örnek Oto Servis, 0216 XXX XX XX

Keep reminders free of discounts and campaign words. If you add "%20 indirim" to a maintenance reminder, it becomes a marketing message that needs prior consent. The campaign prices are example numbers. A marketing message must name the sender with contact details (Law 6563 Art. 7) and give an easy, free way to refuse (Art. 8). A discount must show the previous price, the dates and any quantity limit; for services, the previous price is the price just before the discount (section 09).

Your customer list: what to store

A spreadsheet is enough to start. One row per car.

Weekly routine (15 minutes): filter the next 30 days for maintenance, muayene and tyre season, and send the reminders. Then filter "no visit for 12+ months" for a win-back message, but only to customers with marketing consent.

How long to keep data: only as long as needed. The After-Sales Services Regulation requires keeping service records for 3 years (Art. 16), and İYS-related records are kept for 3 years under the 2020 amendment. Tax rules may require longer; this was not checked.

SMS and e-mail tools

Any bulk SMS or e-mail tool used for marketing must check İYS before sending. Turkish SMS providers advertise "İYS entegrasyonu" (İYS integration); providers were not compared for this guide. Before you choose one, ask:

• Does it check İYS automatically before each send?
• Does it handle the "RET" opt-out keyword?
• Does it upload the consents from your forms to İYS within 3 business days?
• Where is the data stored? (Storage abroad raises the KVKK transfer rules in section 09.)

With global e-mail tools (for example Mailchimp or Brevo) you must still handle İYS yourself. No tool's İYS integration was verified for this guide.

A referral program: "Arkadaşını getir"

A simple design: both people get a benefit after the friend's first paid service, for example "Getiren ve gelen kişiye bir sonraki periyodik bakımda [X] TL indirim (KDV dahil fiyattan)" (a discount of [X] TL on the next periodic service for both). Write these rules down before you announce it, and show them in the main message, not in small print:

• which services count as the friend's first job, and any minimum spend;
• start and end dates;
• whether it can be combined with other offers;
• how and when the reward is given;
• any limit on the number of rewards.

Track it with a "referred by" column or a personal code such as "AHMET25". A message that reminds customers about the program is marketing, so send it only to customers with consent.

Loyalty ideas

• Digital service card (bakım kartı): for example, the 5th maintenance includes a free check. "Free" must really be free.
• Car history on request: a digital record of all work on the car. It helps the customer at resale and keeps them with you.
• Priority slots for returning customers before the holidays.
• Tyre hotel (lastik oteli, tyre storage): it creates two planned visits a year.

Since 1 August 2026, ads for loyalty programmes that consumers can easily join fall under the discount-advertising rules (Ad Regulation Art. 14(6)).

Fleets and local businesses (B2B)

B2B (business to business) means selling to companies instead of private drivers. Good targets are local companies with 5–50 vehicles: couriers, pharmacies, construction firms, car-rental branches and taxi cooperatives. What they usually want from a shop:

• one monthly invoice and a fixed labour rate in the contract;
• a priority lane and, if possible, pickup and delivery;
• a digital history for each vehicle.

Four groups of rules touch everything in this guide: the personal data law (KVKK), the law on commercial electronic messages (Law 6563 and İYS), the advertising rules (Law 6502 and its regulation) and the rules on trademarks and service documents. Fines in the 2026 bulletins include 863,580 TL for small sellers, which is a serious amount for a local business.

1 · KVKK: your customer list is personal data

Two real KVKK Board decisions show what goes wrong. In 2022/229 an e-commerce site set non-essential cookies without opt-in consent and sent data abroad without Article 9 safeguards: 800,000 TL fine KVKK, Mar 2022. In 2024/1361 (8 August 2024) a business set website cookies without valid consent, bundled several purposes into one consent and made marketing consent a condition of the service, and gave no proper privacy notice: 250,000 TL + 15,000 TL (265,000 TL in total) KVKK, Aug 2024. On 21 July 2026 the Authority also warned businesses that a phone number or e-mail address obtained from someone else (a referral, a recommendation, a customer suggestion) gives no legal basis by itself to use it for marketing KVKK, Jul 2026; section 08 shows a referral design that avoids this. Cookie consent on your website is covered in the Tracking & Analytics deep dive.

Consent and notice texts (short versions)

Use them on the job card (iş emri), the website form or as a WhatsApp first message. Have a lawyer finalise them.

Veri sorumlusu [Unvan, adres]. Ad-soyad, telefon, plaka, araç ve servis bilgileriniz; servis hizmetinin sunulması, faturalama, yasal yükümlülükler ve sizinle iletişim amaçlarıyla, sözleşmenin ifası ve hukuki yükümlülük hukuki sebeplerine dayanarak, iş emri/WhatsApp/web formu aracılığıyla toplanmaktadır. Verileriniz yasal zorunluluklar kapsamında yetkili kurumlarla ve hizmet aldığımız tedarikçilerle (ör. muhasebe, yazılım) paylaşılabilir. KVKK m.11 kapsamındaki haklarınız için [e-posta/adres]. Detaylı aydınlatma metni: [link]

☐ [İşletme Adı]'nın kampanya, indirim ve duyurularını SMS / WhatsApp / e-posta / arama yoluyla almayı kabul ediyorum. Onayımı istediğim zaman ücretsiz olarak geri alabilirim. (Bu onay İleti Yönetim Sistemi'ne (İYS) kaydedilir.)

• Use a separate box for each channel if you can (İYS has call, message and e-mail channels).
• Never pre-tick the box, and never make consent a condition of the repair.
• Upload the consent to İYS within 3 business days.

2 · Marketing messages: Law 6563 and İYS

• Consent (Art. 6(1)): commercial messages need prior consent, given in writing or by any electronic means Law 6563. The 2015 regulation also exempts notices such as payment reminders and legally required information, provided they promote nothing RG, Jul 2015.
• Content (Art. 7): the message must match the consent, name the sender with accessible contact details, and state its subject.
• Opt-out (Art. 8): people can refuse at any time without a reason. Give an easy, free way to refuse in each message, and stop within 3 business days.
• İYS (2020 amendment): anyone who wants to send such messages registers in İYS; no consent in İYS, no message. Consents collected elsewhere (paper, website, WhatsApp) must be uploaded within 3 business days or they are invalid. Records are kept for 3 years RG, Jan 2020. No small-business size threshold appears in the 2020 text. A May 2026 law-firm article claims a 10-year retention period, which conflicts with the 3 years; this is unresolved Güneş Partners, May 2026.

3 · Advertising law and the 2026 amendment

Law 6502 on consumer protection, Art. 61, sets the basics for every ad, including your own Instagram post, Google Business post or WhatsApp campaign Law 6502:

• ads must be true and honest (doğru ve dürüst) and must not deceive consumers or exploit their lack of knowledge;
• hidden advertising (örtülü reklam) is banned in all media;
• comparative ads are allowed only under strict conditions;
• the advertiser must be able to prove its claims;
• advertisers, agencies and media outlets are all responsible.

The details are in the Ticari Reklam ve Haksız Ticari Uygulamalar Yönetmeliği (Commercial Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices Regulation), RG 10/1/2015 No. 29232. It was amended on 1 July 2026 (RG No. 33297), in force from 1 August 2026 mevzuat.gov.tr RG, Jul 2026.

Sources: Ad Regulation, consolidated 2026 Ticaret Bakanlığı, Jul 2026 Alo Maliye, Jul 2026 Influencer guide, 2021.

Prices, "ücretsiz", giveaways and urgency

• Price (Art. 13): show the total price including all taxes, in TL. State the conditions if the price depends on something else, and state any validity period or stock limit. If something is free on conditions, put the conditions in the main message.
• "Ücretsiz / bedava": calling something free is banned if the customer must pay anything beyond unavoidable delivery costs (Annex A-16). "Ücretsiz arıza tespiti" (free diagnosis) is fine only if it is truly free; if it is free only when the repair is done at your shop, say so in the main text.
• Giveaways (Art. 15): prizes must match the promise, with dates and conditions stated. Whether a separate permit is needed for a draw was not verified.
• Fake urgency: falsely saying an offer is available "only for a very limited time" is a deceptive practice (Annex A-7).
• Legal rights are not perks (Art. 7(7)): service stations may not charge again if the same fault recurs within one year, and replaced parts carry at least 6 months' warranty (After-Sales Services Regulation Art. 10(6)–(7)). Do not advertise these as special benefits; you may say "yasal garanti haklarınız saklıdır" (your legal warranty rights are reserved) or offer something that truly goes beyond the law (interpretation).
• Price lists in the shop: the Price Label Regulation requires a visible, dated, VAT-inclusive list of all services offered at the workplace (Art. 5(7), Art. 8) Fiyat Etiketi Yönetmeliği, and service stations must show a spare-parts price list (After-Sales Services Regulation Art. 12(2)). Keep posts and the WhatsApp catalog consistent with the wall list. How inspectors treat repair prices that vary by car was not verified.

Superlatives and comparisons

• Claims such as "en ucuz" (cheapest), "en iyi" (best) or "en hızlı" (fastest) must be provable with documents (Reg. Art. 9). Prefer facts you can show: "2009'dan beri", "değişen parçayı gösteriyoruz", or your Google rating with its source, scale and date.
• Comparative ads may not use a competitor's name, brand, logo or trade name (Reg. Art. 8(1)(a)); numeric claims need tests or reports; disparagement is banned (Art. 10). So "Yetkili servisten %40 daha uygun" (40% cheaper than the authorized service) is risky twice when it points at a brand's authorized service: it names the rival, and the 40% needs proof.
• Mocking the other side is banned in both directions. An independent shop must not say "yetkili servis sizi soyar" (the authorized service will rob you), just as Tofaş was stopped for disparaging independent shops (case table below).

Staff, customers and reviews

• Staff must not pose as neutral customers or review their own shop; falsely presenting oneself as a consumer is deceptive (Annex A-17).
• Customer testimonials need the customer's written consent, and since 1 August 2026 a testimonial used in an ad should come from a customer you can match to an invoice or servis fişi.
• Never buy reviews, use review-exchange groups, or let an agency "boost" reviews.

4 · Car brand names and the warranty question

The Industrial Property Law (SMK, No. 6769) Art. 7(5)(b)–(c) lets others use a trademark honestly, in the normal course of trade, to show the intended purpose of a product or service, especially for accessories and spare parts SMK 6769. The owner can stop use in ads, as a business name, as a domain or keyword without a legitimate connection, and in unlawful comparisons (Art. 7(3)). Separately, the ad regulation bans misleading claims about your status and authorisation (Reg. Art. 7(5)(c)) and misuse of others' logos (Reg. Art. 11).

5 · Real 2026 cases from the Advertising Board

The Reklam Kurulu (Advertising Board of the Ministry of Trade) publishes its decisions in bulletins. These are from meetings 371 (16 July 2026) and 372 (13 August 2026) Bulletin 371 Bulletin 372.

Compliance checklist

• Privacy notice (aydınlatma metni) ready and linked in the WhatsApp greeting, website form and job card
• Separate, unticked marketing-consent boxes per channel; consent is never a condition of the repair
• Business registered in İYS; consents uploaded within 3 business days; proof kept
• Reminders contain no discount or campaign; promotions go only to consented customers
• Every marketing message names the sender with contact details and a free "RET" opt-out; opt-outs stop within 3 business days
• No customer lists uploaded to ad platforms without legal advice on consent and transfer abroad
• Prices in posts and the WhatsApp catalog include VAT and match the dated price list on the wall
• Discounts show the previous price, the dates and any limit; "ücretsiz" only when truly free
• No "en ucuz / en iyi" without documents; no competitor names; no mocking of authorized services
• Car brands in plain text only, no logos, no "yetkili"; "Bağımsız servisiz, yetkili servis değildir" in profiles
• No promise that servicing with us keeps the manufacturer's warranty
• Influencer or gifted content labelled "Reklam" or "Tanıtım" plus the shop's name
• No bought reviews, no staff or family reviews, no incentives; review quotes in ads only from verified customers
• Plates and faces hidden unless written consent; employees' consent saved
• Giveaways drawn exactly as announced; AI-generated people disclosed

This section uses documented examples only. No individual independent Turkish repair shop with strong organic social media could be verified, so none is named here. The examples below were checked on official sites on 5 October 2026; the regulator's cases are in section 09.

Türkiye: service networks

Global: what successful mechanic channels have in common

Scotty Kilmer (section 04) shows that the "you asked, we answer" format can build a very large audience Wikipedia, Feb 2026. Successful repair-shop channels tend to share the same habits:

• they show the real diagnostic process, from problem to fix;
• they show the mechanic's face and voice;
• they explain costs openly;
• they publish regularly.

14 common beginner mistakes

Do the work in this order: first the foundations that cost nothing (profiles, WhatsApp, price list), then the legal basics (privacy notice, consent, İYS), then content, then reminders. Tick the boxes as you go; your progress is saved in this browser.

Week 1 · Foundations

• Clean up every profile: same name and logo, bio, wa.me link, location, and "yetkili servis değildir" if you service many brands
• Set up WhatsApp Business: profile, catalog, greeting, away message, quick replies, labels (section 06)
• Print the WhatsApp QR code for the desk, invoices and key tags
• Hang a dated, VAT-inclusive price list and copy the same prices into the catalog

Week 2 · Legal basics and the customer list

• Draft the privacy notice and the marketing-consent form; have a lawyer check them
• Register the business in İYS (iys.org.tr) or through an SMS provider that integrates with it
• Start the customer spreadsheet with the columns from section 08
• Ask every customer for the next maintenance date or km, the muayene month and "Bizi nereden duydunuz?"

Week 3 · Content and reviews

• Film 15 clips and publish 4 Reels from your pillars (sections 03–04)
• Start the review request after every delivery, to every customer, with no incentive
• Train two staff on the reply templates and the "no fake reviews, no staff reviews" rule

Week 4 · Reminders and measurement

• Send the first batch of plain maintenance and tyre reminders (no promotion)
• Count WhatsApp chats, bookings and new reviews for the month
• Decide whether the free WhatsApp Business app is enough (usually yes; the Platform makes sense only with several agents or automated reminders at volume)

What to measure every month

The Tracking & Analytics deep dive shows how to tag links and build a simple dashboard for these numbers.

Glossary

Organic social

Posts, videos and replies you publish for free; paid social means ads.

Reel / Short

A short vertical video on Instagram and Facebook (Reel) or YouTube (Short); up to 3 minutes on both since 2024–2025.

Connected / unconnected reach

Views from followers / views from people the app recommends your video to.

Recommendation system

The software ("algorithm") that predicts which video each viewer will enjoy next.

Sends per reach

Shares in private messages divided by accounts reached; a key signal for reaching non-followers.

Trial Reels

An Instagram option that shows a Reel to non-followers first (December 2024).

Hook

The first 1–3 seconds of a video, which decide whether people keep watching.

CTA

Call to action: the one next step you ask for, such as "WhatsApp'tan yazın".

Content pillar

One of 3–5 recurring themes for your posts.

UGC

User-generated content: customers' own photos, videos and reviews. Repost only with permission.

WhatsApp Business app

The free phone app for one business number, with profile, catalog, quick replies, labels and QR code.

WhatsApp Business Platform (API)

Paid, per-message tools for many agents, chatbots and CRM connections, used through a provider (BSP).

24-hour window

On the Platform: after a customer writes, you may reply freely for 24 hours; after that only approved templates.

wa.me link

A click-to-chat link that opens a WhatsApp chat with your number, optionally with a ready message.

Retention marketing

Bringing existing customers back: reminders, follow-ups, referrals, loyalty.

Win-back

A message to a customer who has not visited for a long time (here, 12 months). Marketing: consent only.

Lastik oteli

Tyre hotel: the shop stores the customer's off-season tyres.

Muayene / ruhsat

The periodic vehicle inspection (done by TÜVTÜRK) / the vehicle registration document.

KVKK

Türkiye's Personal Data Protection Law, No. 6698.

Aydınlatma metni

The privacy notice you give when you collect personal data.

Açık rıza

Explicit consent: specific, informed and freely given.

VERBİS

The register of data controllers; small businesses may be exempt (thresholds unverified).

İYS

İleti Yönetim Sistemi: the national register of consents and refusals for commercial messages.

Ticari elektronik ileti

A commercial electronic message (SMS, e-mail, call and similar).

Ret

A refusal (opt-out) of commercial messages; honour it within 3 business days.

Esnaf / tacir

Tradespeople / merchants; B2B recipients who need no prior consent but can opt out.

Reklam Kurulu

The Advertising Board of the Ministry of Trade, which fines and stops misleading ads.

Örtülü reklam

Hidden advertising, banned in all media; the reason influencer posts need a "Reklam" label.

Karşılaştırmalı reklam

Comparative advertising; allowed only without naming the competitor and with proof.

Servis fişi

The service slip given at delivery, showing the fault, the work done and the fee.

Yetkili servis / özel servis

Authorized (franchised) service / independent service.