FlexText™ Text Marketing with Email

FlexText™ is Welcomemat's integrated SMS and email marketing platform designed specifically for car wash operators. It works by capturing customer contact data through an onsite or digital opt-in, then enrolling customers in an automated text and email communication system. From that point, the platform handles welcome messages, drip campaigns, promotional offers, and win-back programs automatically. Car wash owners can also send targeted texts manually through the GTX self-service dashboard whenever they want to reach their list directly.

FlexText™ captures data through a free wash offer opt-in. Customers fill out a form — either through onsite signage at the car wash or through a digital ad campaign — to claim their free wash. Once they submit, an automated text delivers a keyword they use to redeem the offer. That redemption completes the opt-in and adds the customer to the Text and Email club, creating a contact record the operator owns and can market to going forward.

FlexText™ supports several campaign types built for car wash customer lifecycles. Automated onboarding journeys welcome new members and guide them toward membership upgrades. Drip campaigns stay in touch with retail customers between visits. Win-back programs target lapsed members or customers who have not visited recently. Seasonal promotions go out at peak traffic periods. Payment reminder campaigns help reduce involuntary membership churn. Operators can also send one-time broadcast texts manually through the GTX dashboard for time-sensitive offers or announcements.

FlexText™ reduces churn through two primary mechanisms: proactive retention campaigns and win-back programs. Automated drip campaigns regularly remind members of their membership value and keep the relationship active between visits. Payment reminder campaigns catch at-risk members before their card declines and the membership lapses. Win-back campaigns identify members who have gone quiet or cancelled and send targeted offers to bring them back. Scenic Suds Car Wash Express credited Welcomemat's win-back programs with a significant drop in their churn rate, keeping more members active longer.

FlexText™ handles both in a single integrated platform. SMS and email are managed together, which means your customer communication strategy does not require two separate tools or two separate contact lists. Operators can use SMS for time-sensitive offers and immediate engagement, and email for longer-form content, newsletters, or membership value reminders. Both channels feed into the same GTX reporting dashboard so you can see combined performance in one view.

FlexText™ includes a self-service text dashboard through Welcomemat's GTX platform, giving operators direct access to send targeted texts, manage campaigns, and monitor performance without going through an account team for every send. Automated journeys run in the background once configured, handling onboarding, drip campaigns, and win-back programs without manual input. The GTX dashboard is where operators go when they want to send a one-time promotional text or check how a campaign is performing in real time.

FlexText™ is built as part of Welcomemat's broader marketing platform, not a standalone add-on. It shares a data and reporting infrastructure with Welcomemat's digital advertising, direct mail, and reputation management programs through the GTX dashboard. A customer who responds to a Perfect Match digital ad can be captured into FlexText™ and placed into an onboarding journey automatically. Operators running integrated direct mail campaigns can track both channels in the same dashboard and see which touchpoints are producing wash counts and membership conversions.

FlexText™ performance tracking through the GTX dashboard includes contact growth, campaign performance, number of texts and emails sent, Google reviews, and more. The GTX platform gives operators a unified view of their marketing activity so they can see what is working and make informed decisions about where to focus their campaigns. Attribution data connects campaign sends to customer engagement, giving operators a clear picture of how their text and email marketing is performing over time.

FlexText™ is designed primarily for car wash operators and is the strongest fit for express, full-service, and flex-serve car wash businesses running membership programs. Welcomemat also serves oil and lube and quick lube locations, and the SMS and email communication capabilities translate well to frequency-driven service businesses where mileage reminders and service follow-ups are important. Car wash is the primary use case and where the platform's membership conversion tools are most developed.

Getting started with FlexText™ begins with a conversation with Welcomemat's team about your current customer data situation, your membership goals, and which campaign types make the most sense for your location or locations. From there, Welcomemat handles the technical setup, including opt-in flow configuration, keyword assignment, and automated journey build-out. Most operators are collecting contacts and running their first campaigns within a short setup window. The fastest way to see the platform in action is to book a demo at welcomemat.com/book-your-demo.