Calls that come in while every bay is full
A customer calls while a technician is under a lift and the front desk is on another line. They want to know whether a brake job fits in on Thursday and whether to drop the car off before work starts. The call goes to voicemail, and the answer waits until someone has a free minute to call back.
An AI receptionist answers those calls, books drop-offs, takes estimate requests for your service advisors and sends status updates to customers who agreed to them. It is the auto repair version of our AI assistant. It does not replace your technicians or your service advisors. It handles the routine part of the call so the advisor starts with the vehicle and the symptoms already written down.
Drop-offs, booked with the details
- The caller says what the car is doing, in their own words.
- The assistant asks for the year, make and model, the mileage if you use it, and a call-back number.
- It offers the drop-off times you have open, and tells the caller what to bring, such as keys and a contact number.
- If you offer a shuttle or a loaner car, it tells the caller what is available, as you approved it.
- Your service desk gets a summary with the vehicle details and the symptoms written up.
If the car will not start or cannot be driven, the assistant says a service advisor will confirm whether a tow is needed and passes the request on. It does not arrange a tow unless you write that rule into the approved list.
Estimates: only the prices you approve
The assistant quotes only the prices you approve in writing, such as a diagnostic fee or a published service price. It does not say what is wrong with the car, what part is needed or what a repair will cost, because the technician inspects the car first. It takes the estimate request, writes down the symptoms in the customer’s words and passes the request to your service advisor.
Your team sends the estimate. The customer approves or declines the work through your normal process. The assistant does not take a repair authorization or accept a repair order for you. In Massachusetts, the Attorney General’s motor vehicle repair regulations (940 CMR 5.05) tie what a shop may charge to the customer’s authorization of the specific repairs and the total price, and require a new authorization before the cost goes more than $10 over it. Keeping authorization with your service advisors keeps that record where your shop already makes it. Your counsel can confirm how the rules apply to your shop. This is not legal advice.
Status calls and texts, with consent
The assistant can tell a customer that the car is ready for pickup, or that a repair is waiting on the advisor’s call. Your team decides when an update goes out. How it is triggered (a message from your service desk, or a status your shop software can send, where it can) is agreed in the written scope. Updates go only to customers who agreed to receive them. A call made with an AI voice to a mobile phone needs the customer’s prior consent under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (47 CFR 64.1200), so the setup calls only customers with consent on file. Texts follow the same rule, and we set up opt-in and STOP handling. A business texting number needs carrier registration (A2P 10DLC), which is extra.
The assistant says it is an AI assistant at the start of each call. The customer can reach your service desk or leave a message.
Here is a typical status call. A customer’s brake job is finished at 3pm. The assistant says the car is ready and gives the pickup hours you approved. If the customer asks about the bill, a different part or a change to the estimate, the assistant passes the question to the service advisor and does not answer it.
What the assistant does not do
It does not diagnose, promise a same-day repair, offer a discount or decide a warranty question. Insurance claims, complaints and payment disputes go to your service advisor or manager. The assistant gives none of those answers unless you write them into the approved list. If a customer asks for a second opinion on a diagnosis, the assistant passes the request to a technician.
What it costs and what is not included
Setup is from $900 and takes 2-3 weeks. Phone answering is from $299/month (about 300 minutes), and website chat and messaging is from $199/month. The first month is included in setup.
Not included in any price: domain and hosting, new photography, third-party software subscriptions such as your shop or job tool (billed at cost), SMS carrier registration (A2P 10DLC) and message fees, and AI usage above the plan allowance.
Who it fits, and who should keep a person on the phone
It fits shops that miss calls while technicians are working, get many questions about drop-offs and status, and want estimate requests written up before the advisor calls back. It is a weak fit if you run one bay and already answer every call yourself. Keep a person for warranty disputes, insurance claims, complaints and anything about safety.
How to start
Ask for a free demo: 30-minute call; demo shared within 3 business days. Or call 617-991-9912. Our AI assistant answers the phone and passes your request to the team.
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