A driver notices a grinding noise when braking. They message their local garage: "How much to fix my brakes?" The garage cannot answer. Which car? Which brakes? How long has it been happening? Is a warning light on? The garage replies with questions, the driver answers the next day, and the quote takes three days to arrive.
Garages get quote requests like this constantly. Capturing the right details the first time saves time on both sides.
Step 1: know what you need
For most repair quotes, a garage needs:
- The registration, or make, model and year
- Mileage
- A description of the problem in the driver's words
- When it happens, such as when braking, turning or starting
- Any warning lights
- Whether the car is still driveable
Servicing enquiries need different details, as covered in AI receptionist for garages and servicing.
Step 2: ask in plain language
Drivers are not mechanics. Ask "what does the noise sound like and when do you hear it?" rather than "describe the symptoms". Plain questions get more useful answers.
Step 3: never diagnose
A website assistant should not suggest what the fault is. The same symptom can have several causes, and a wrong guess can mislead the driver or set the wrong price expectation. The assistant's role is to capture, not to diagnose.
Step 4: flag safety concerns
Some symptoms suggest the car may not be safe to drive, such as brake failure, steering problems or smoke. The website should say clearly that drivers should not drive a car they think is unsafe, and explain how to arrange recovery. The assistant should share this information rather than assess the risk.
Step 5: capture it automatically
SpideyChat for automotive dealers and repair shops can gather these details in conversation at any hour and create a request for the workshop team. It answers from your own pages, such as services, opening hours and how quotes work, and does not diagnose or promise prices.
Driver: How much to fix my brakes? Assistant: So the workshop can give you an accurate quote, could you share your car's registration or make and model, the mileage, and what you've noticed? For example, a noise, a warning light or a change in how the brakes feel. If you think the car might not be safe to drive, please don't drive it; the page explains how to arrange recovery.
Home service businesses follow the same capture process, as described in quote requests captured with everything you need.
Step 6: reply with an estimate or inspection
With complete details, the workshop can often give a rough estimate or suggest an inspection. Say clearly which, and how long the quote is valid.
Step 7: offer a booking
Once the driver has an estimate, offer to book the work. Capture preferred days and whether they need a courtesy car.
Step 8: separate sales and workshop enquiries
Dealers with workshops should keep repair enquiries separate from sales leads, so each team gets the right requests. Sales buyer behaviour is covered in car buyers asking questions on the forecourt website, and the cost of missing sales enquiries in what a missed car sales enquiry costs a dealer.
Setting it up
Train the assistant on your services and repair pages and set up the questions you want it to ask. The guides to installing the widget and training your bot explain how.
Complete details at first contact turn a three-day quote into a same-day one.