Converting a Car Spot enquiry into a test drive appointment is the most critical step in the Chinese dealership sales process. Once a buyer commits to visiting your premises, your close rate is typically above 40%. The problem most dealers face is the friction between an initial enquiry message and a confirmed appointment time. Car Spot's appointment scheduling tools remove that friction by allowing buyers to book test drive slots directly from the platform — reducing the back-and-forth that loses deals.
Setting Up Your Availability on Car Spot
To enable appointment scheduling, navigate to Appointments > Availability in your Car Spot dealer dashboard. Set your available days and time slots for test drives. Chinese buyers most commonly book test drives on weekends — Saturday and Sunday slots fill fastest. Ensure you have adequate staff coverage during your listed availability. Do not publish availability for times when your team cannot support a test drive properly.
How Buyers Book a Test Drive Through Car Spot
On your Car Spot vehicle listing page, buyers see a 'Book a Test Drive' button that opens your availability calendar. They select a date and time, confirm their contact details, and receive an instant booking confirmation by email. You receive a simultaneous notification through the Car Spot dashboard and by email. The appointment is logged automatically in your Car Spot appointments calendar — no manual data entry required.
Managing Appointments: Confirmations and Reminders
No-shows are a significant cost for any dealership. Car Spot's automated reminder system sends appointment confirmation emails to buyers immediately on booking, and a reminder email 24 hours before their scheduled test drive. This two-touch reminder sequence significantly reduces no-show rates compared to manual processes or appointments booked through external platforms without automated follow-up.
Preparing for a Car Spot Appointment
- Review the buyer's enquiry messages in the Car Spot Inbox before their arrival so you understand their priorities.
- Ensure the vehicle is clean, fuelled (or charged for EVs), and mechanically ready for a test drive.
- Have the vehicle documentation — including service records — ready to show.
- Assign a specific staff member to each Car Spot appointment so buyers receive undivided attention.
- Update the appointment status to "Confirmed" in Car Spot after you have personally verified the booking.
Rescheduling and Cancellations
When a buyer needs to reschedule, they can do so directly through Car Spot — their existing time slot is released and they can select a new one from your updated availability. If you need to cancel an appointment, do so through the Car Spot dashboard as early as possible. Car Spot will notify the buyer automatically. Avoid cancelling Car Spot appointments less than 24 hours before the scheduled time — it damages trust and is visible in buyer reviews.
