Responding to Is This Still Available: Scripts That Book Appointments

"Is this still available?" It is the most common message a dealership gets from an online listing, and it is also the message most often answered badly. The usual reply is "Yes." The buyer says "ok," and the thread dies. A rep logs another lead that went nowhere, a manager blames lead quality and the car sits.

The failure is structural. The buyer asked a yes-or-no question because it costs nothing to ask. Answering only that question gives them nothing to do next. A buyer who is only mildly interested does not invent a next step; they wait for you to offer one.

This guide is about responding to "is this still available" messages in a way that confirms the vehicle, qualifies the buyer lightly and moves toward a specific appointment. It is written for floor reps, BDC staff, internet directors and managers who want a repeatable standard instead of improvisation. Nothing here guarantees a reply or a sale, but it removes the most common ways a first message gets wasted.

Why "Yes" Is the Wrong Way of Responding to Is This Still Available

The reply "Yes, it's available" is accurate and useless. It ends the conversation on your side while pretending to continue it on the buyer's.

What the buyer is really asking

Behind four words are several quiet questions:

• Is the car real and still on the lot?
• Is the seller a human who will respond?
• Is the price the real price?
• Is it worth my time to drive over?

Your first reply should address those, not just the literal question.

The anatomy of a strong first response

A good first reply has four parts, in this order:

1. Confirm availability, honestly and specifically.
2. Add value with one relevant detail about the vehicle.
3. Ask one easy question that moves the buyer forward.
4. Offer a next step with a concrete time frame.

Keep it short enough to read on a phone without scrolling.

Scripts for Responding to Is This Still Available Messages

Treat these as templates and rewrite them in your own voice. Copy-pasting the identical text to every buyer will feel mechanical and may look like spam, so vary the wording.

Script 1: Confirm, add value, ask

Hi, thanks for reaching out. Yes, the 2017 Escape SE is still here on the lot. It has 79,000 miles, a clean interior and new front tires. Are you looking to come see it today or later this week?

Script 2: Confirm and offer a time

Hi, this is Marcus at the dealership. The Tacoma is available. I can have it pulled up front for you. Would 5:30 today or 10:00 tomorrow work better?

Script 3: When the unit is sold or pending

Thanks for asking. That one just sold, but I have two similar crossovers in the same price range. Do you want me to send details on both?

Being honest about a sold unit builds more trust than hiding it, and it converts the inquiry into a conversation about alternatives.

Script 4: When the buyer asks about price first

The price listed is the asking price. I can walk you through the numbers in person, and I will have the car ready. Is there a time this week that suits you to look at it?

Keep anything about financing, fees or warranty factual, and confirm your wording with your finance manager and counsel; this article is not legal advice.

Script 5: When the buyer is out of town

Happy to help. Since you are traveling, I can send additional photos and a walkaround video, and we can set a time when you arrive. What day are you heading this way?

Qualify Without Interrogating

You need to know enough to help, not enough to fill a credit application in the thread.

Light qualification questions

Choose one, not all:

• When are you hoping to buy?
• Do you have a vehicle to trade in?
• Is this for commuting, family or work?
• What other models are you comparing?

Ask only one per message, and tie it to something that helps you serve the buyer. If the thread starts to feel like a form, the buyer disengages.

Avoid the common mistakes

• Pasting your full sales pitch in the first reply.
• Asking for a phone number before you have earned any trust.
• Pushing financing talk before the buyer has shown interest in the car.
• Going silent after a "let me check" with no follow-up.
• Sending the same copy to every inquiry.

For more on conduct in these threads, see Marketplace Messenger Etiquette for Dealership Reps.

Speed, Ownership and Follow-Up

Even the best script fails if the reply arrives two days later. Treat first-response time as an operational standard.

Set a clear response standard

• Decide who answers: the rep who owns the unit, or a designated person on a rotation.
• Define a target first-response window and a backup if the owner is with a customer.
• Handle after-hours messages with an acknowledgment, then a proper reply when you are open.

A simple follow-up cadence

If the buyer goes quiet after your reply, follow up once with value, not pressure:

1. Same day or next morning: a short check-in with an added detail or fresh photo.
2. Two to three days later: mention a relevant update, such as a service completed or a hold on the vehicle.
3. One last note: let the buyer know the car is still here if they would like to see it, and leave it there.

Stop after that. Persistent follow-up past this point tends to annoy rather than convert. For a more detailed approach, see A Follow-Up Cadence for Marketplace Leads That Do Not Reply.

Confirm every appointment in writing

Once a time is set, send a confirmation with the date, time, address, rep name and what to bring. If the buyer is trading in a vehicle, mention it. A confirmed appointment with details is much less likely to evaporate than one left vague.

A Rep Checklist for the First Reply

• Reply in a way that confirms the exact vehicle by year, model and trim.
• Verify the unit is actually still on the lot before saying yes.
• Add one specific detail not already in the listing.
• Ask one easy question.
• Offer two concrete times, not an open-ended "whenever."
• Use your own wording, not a pasted block.
• Log the lead and the next follow-up in your CRM.

How PostToMarket Automates This

PostToMarket is an independent tool, not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Meta. It does not write your replies or guarantee leads. Its role is to make the information in your replies accurate and your team's attention available to answer them.

Accurate answers start with accurate inventory

• Mark as sold and archive from inventory or the queue, so you are never confirming availability on a car that has gone.
• Inventory statuses (draft, posting, posted, sold, failed) so a rep can check a unit's true state before replying.
• AI-generated Facebook listing titles and descriptions from each vehicle's specs, editable before posting, so the details a rep adds in chat are consistent with the listing.

Ownership and response visibility

• Per-rep queues and manager assignment, so each unit has an owner who answers its inquiries.
• Leads inbox where managers can see inbound inquiries and review how quickly they are handled.
• Team analytics showing posting activity by rep and source.
• Mobile dashboard you can install on your phone's home screen, helpful for checking and reordering your queue between customers.

Time back for conversations

• Chrome extension that handles posting one vehicle at a time with human-like delays, so reps are not stuck at a keyboard when messages arrive.
• Server-enforced daily limits that keep pacing consistent without rep supervision.
• Bulk CSV and Excel import so inventory is ready without hours of retyping.

Turn Inquiries Into Appointments With a Free Trial

Responding to every "is this still available?" message well matters, because each one is a buyer who has already raised a hand. The cost of a weak reply is the whole value of that inquiry. A small change in how your team answers, plus accurate inventory behind it, changes what those four words are worth.

PostToMarket supports the posting side of that workflow with unlimited vehicles in inventory on every plan. Starter is $59 per month for a solo seller or independent lot with one login. Dealership is $299 per month for up to 13 team logins, including manager assignment and the leads inbox.

Start your 10-day free trial, check out through secure Stripe checkout, and test these scripts on the next batch of listings your team posts. Cancel anytime.