F.A.Q.- Frequently Asked Questions

General information and overview

Probefahrtenbutler is backed by Butler Solutions GmbH, based in Austria. Since 2017, we have been developing and operating the platform for manufacturers, importers, and dealer networks across Europe and North America, including brands in the premium, motorcycle, and powersports segments. Hundreds of thousands of bookings have been processed through the system since then.

We are intentionally a specialized provider rather than a generic all-in-one builder. The software is developed and operated by us in-house; when you contact support, you speak directly with people who know the product. Contracts, data processing agreements, and invoicing are handled by an Austrian company under European law, without intermediaries.

Probefahrtenbutler is a software solution for manufacturers, importers and dealers that lets you fully organize vehicle experiences: from online test drive bookings and events/campaign days through to managing the vehicles in use. Prospects book their appointment themselves via your website, you keep an eye on vehicles, appointments and locations in one system, and every booking creates a qualified lead. Instead of Excel lists, phone coordination and paperwork chaos, you get an end-to-end process.

For anyone who brings vehicles to prospects: manufacturers and importers who want to equip their dealer network with a standardized booking process, and dealers who organize test drives, demo fleets and events at one or more locations. Probefahrtenbutler is not limited to passenger cars and is also used for motorcycles, commercial vehicles and recreational vehicles. Small businesses start with the core functions; larger organizations map roles, locations and brands separately.

A scheduling calendar manages an employee’s time; the test drive butler manages vehicles. A vehicle must be available, insured, clean and at the right location; on top of that there are handover reports, mileage and documentation in the event of damage. For manufacturers, there’s also the standardized process across the entire dealer network: booking journeys in the brand design, permissions per location, clean data management. And a calendar ends with the appointment, while with us every booking creates a qualified lead.

Vehicle management is part of it, but not the whole answer. Probefahrtenbutler covers the complete journey a prospect takes with a vehicle: online test drive booking, events and campaign days, planning pickups and transports, handover and return, and passing the contact on to sales. On top of that, there’s the lead suite for classic lead generation, so you have inquiries from all channels in one place instead of spreading them across multiple tools. The system is designed to be multilingual and cross-country: it supports a global campaign across multiple markets just as well as a single dealer location. Vehicle management is the foundation everything runs on, because without a reliable vehicle inventory none of these bookings work. This turns individual tools into an end-to-end system for everything related to vehicle experiences.

You maintain your entire inventory of demo, test drive and event vehicles in one place, across locations and with permissions per employee. Each vehicle has its own calendar and can be enabled for bookings if desired; confirmed appointments automatically block the time slot. Using the calendar, you plan not only test drives but also pickups, transports and vehicle transfers, so it’s always clear where a vehicle is. At handover and return, you record mileage and fuel level; you store open tasks such as cleaning or service as a to-do. Per vehicle, you can see utilization, test drives and the leads generated from them. A fully comprehensive vehicle condition module with photo documentation and damage recording is currently in development.

For car dealers & dealerships

Usually 1-5 working days (depending on customization). There are ready-made embed codes or API integrations. Many retailers are live in under 48 hours.

No. The butler can usually be integrated using copy-paste code (similar to a Google Maps widget). However, we also offer customizing for perfect design matching.

Yes – integrated payment store (Stripe connection or other) for e.g. race track / track test drive, VIP events etc..

Test drives with high-priced vehicles can also be made optionally via “private links” and booking codes.

Very strongly reduced by:

  • Pre-upload driver’s license + ID
  • Digital contract acceptance
  • Reminder e-mails/SMS
  • Optional: deposit / booking fee

For manufacturers & importers

Usually 1-5 working days (depending on customization). There are ready-made embed codes or API integrations. Many retailers are live in under 48 hours.

Yes, you get a central dashboard with multi-level rights management:

  • Central campaign planning & approval
  • Automatic distribution to participating retailers
  • Real-time overview of all bookings, no-shows and vehicle availability in the network
  • Various roles
  • SSO option
  • Consistent brand experience and CI (no different styles)
  • Central management of campaigns (e.g. “30 days of e-mobility campaign”)
  • Standardized database → better reporting & lead scoring across all locations
  • Less support effort (only one platform instead of different tools)
  • Easier integration into national campaign websites / microsites
  • Always up-to-date vehicle databases with data and images for the network

Very good. The Test Drive Butler is currently used in many international markets for events and campaigns of all sizes. Thanks to the additional option of the integrated ticket store, the system can also be used for paid events, such as racetrack events.

The test drive butler is also an ideal tool for use at trade fairs, as it allows a combination of test drive hot leads and normal leads (for example at the IAA). The system also has a QR code booking function for quick on-site bookings, as well as customized trade fair campaign pages.

Yes – Fleet management with model groups, assignments (“Only certain models for this campaign”), cross-location availability display and prioritization of certain models depending on the marketing objective.

  • REST API for bidirectional connection
  • Webhooks for real-time lead transfer to your central CRM
  • Connection to national DMS / fleet systems possible
  • Export of reports (Excel, API) for central evaluation
  • Partially existing APIs for large CRM solutions.

Yes – multilingualism is one of the core features for international brand appearances, currencies, country-specific data protection & contract templates, time zone management. (naturally also for international campaigns, as well as entire dealer and sales networks)

No list price – this is a customized enterprise solution. The costs are scaled according to: Number of retailers, modules (ticketing, long-term rental, subscription, …), degree of customization and SLA level. → We always start with a workshop / proof of concept, after which you will receive a concrete offer.

Absolutely – this is the standard entry point for manufacturers:

  • 3-6 months pilot with 5-20 dealers
  • Defined KPIs (increase in bookings, lead quality, no-show reduction)
  • Rollout decision afterwards

Not every inquiry is a test drive. Through the Lead Suite, you can also capture all other contact channels: requests for information and quotes, brochure orders, callback requests, and event or newsletter registrations. You can integrate the forms into your website or campaign pages, matching your brand design and in the respective local language. Every inquiry is automatically assigned to the correct location and ends up in the same lead pool as the test drives, with the same analytics and forwarding to sales. This keeps all prospects in one place instead of spreading them across multiple tools and inboxes.

Technology & Integration

Yes – the Butler has a REST API interface.

  • DMS – Systems
  • GMS / CRM systems
  • Google Analytics / Tag Manager
  • Own lead databases via webhook / API

Yes – there is a web app (responsive) and a native Test Drive Butler event app (iOS) as well as a dealer app for daily business on the vehicle (Android). Most customers work with the web app & event app combination.

Yes, the system is multilingual in both the backend and frontend, as it is used in many international markets.

Data protection & legal matters

All data is stored on servers in Austria and Germany and thus within the EU. Processing is carried out in accordance with GDPR, Butler Solutions is the data processor, you remain the controller of your data. We provide a data processing agreement.

Transmission is fully encrypted, access is separated by roles and locations, so that each employee only sees the data they are authorized for. Personal data from bookings is deleted or anonymized after defined periods. As a customer, you can export your data at any time, and after the end of the contract it will be completely removed.

  • Yes – tried and tested in Austria/Germany/DACH region and implemented with appropriate data protection precautions.

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