A 3-bay independent repair shop with 2 full-time mechanics and a part-time receptionist. They were losing customers to dealerships with 24/7 booking systems and dealing with constant phone interruptions during busy repair work.
Lost Revenue from Missed Calls
The shop missed 30-40% of incoming calls during busy periods, typically 10am to 3pm. Each missed call was a potential $200-800 service booking.
An estimated $2,500-5,000 in lost monthly revenue from calls that never reached the receptionist.
No-Show Appointments
20-25% of booked appointments resulted in no-shows, wasting valuable bay time.
Each no-show cost roughly $150-250 in lost revenue plus staff time.
After-Hours Inquiries
Customers calling after 5pm or on weekends went straight to voicemail. Most booked with competitors who answered first.
An estimated 30% of potential customers lost to faster-responding competitors.
Manual Scheduling Conflicts
The part-time receptionist juggled phone calls, walk-ins, and paperwork. Double-bookings and frustrated customers were common.
Customer satisfaction issues and inefficient use of receptionist time.
We built an AI voice and SMS system that runs 24/7, handling all incoming calls and bookings automatically.
Discovery & Setup
- Mapped the most common service types (WOF, oil change, brake service, diagnostics)
- Recorded typical customer questions and shop responses
- Set up bay availability rules (30 min for quick services, 2-4 hours for major work)
- Integrated with the existing calendar system
AI Training & Testing
- Trained the AI on shop-specific info: pricing, service times, mechanic specialties
- Set up intelligent routing so urgent repairs get flagged for immediate callback while routine services book automatically
- Configured SMS reminder sequences with easy confirm and reschedule options
- Created recall campaigns for regular customers (e.g. "Due for 6-month service")
Soft Launch
- Diverted 50% of calls to the AI system
- Monitored conversations for accuracy
- Made adjustments to improve natural conversation flow
Full Launch & Optimisation
- All after-hours and overflow calls handled by AI
- Receptionist focused on in-person service and complex inquiries
- Weekly performance reviews to optimise booking rates
After 90 Days
AI picked up the overflow during peak hours and after-hours, recovering most missed calls
Recovered bookings from calls that previously went to voicemail
SMS reminders with one-tap reschedule kept customers accountable
Receptionist freed from constant phone interruptions during repair work