Diagnostics, maintenance and inspections
Takes the vehicle, the symptom and the ride situation, books a real slot and texts the confirmation.
How the receptionist worksThe week
The calls that go unanswered today
Each one is a client, a claim or a job that went to whoever picked up.
- WED 10:40A driver with a check-engine light
Goes to the shop that picked up. Diagnostics turn into repairs.
- THU 15:20"Is my car ready yet?" for the fourth time
Every one pulls the service writer off the counter.
- FRI 12:00A customer approving a $1,400 repair by phone
Approved verbally, disputed at pickup.
- SAT 08:10A caller asking if you do inspections
A yes-or-no question nobody answered.
Setups by size
How auto repair shops run Ody, at every size
Pick the shape of your business. Every feature below links to its own page; every setup is one you can build in an afternoon.
The counter stops interrupting the bay
One shop number that books and answers status calls while you wrench.
The shop number rings the app on your phone; under a car, the receptionist books the appointment, answers status questions from the notes you keep and texts the confirmation. Estimates go out by text so the approval is in writing.
- AI receptionistThe receptionist while you're under a car and after close
Inside your hours the line rings your phone and the receptionist picks up if you don't. Outside them it answers first ring, books for the morning and texts back anyone who hung up.
- Business textingEstimates and approvals in writing
Text the estimate with a photo of the worn part; the customer replies "approved" on the same thread. MMS included; one-time 10DLC registration at onboarding.
- Caller IDYour shop's name when you call back
Register the shop name as outbound caller ID on your US local number so customers see "Ridgeline Auto" and pick up for the estimate call. 15 characters; propagates over a few days.
AI receptionist
The calls a shop gets, answered without leaving the bay.
You describe services, diagnostic fees, hours, loaner policy and how you post status notes. The receptionist books, answers status questions from your notes and takes messages for the rest.
"Is my car ready?"
Answers from the status notes your writer posts to the thread, or takes a message and tells the customer when to expect a text.
Shared inbox"How much for brakes?"
Quotes the diagnostic fee and the ranges you've written in, and books the visit for anything that needs eyes on the car.
How the receptionist worksRepair authorizations
Sends the estimate by text so approval is in writing, and logs the recorded call when the customer approves by phone.
Call recording & AI summaries"Did the part come in?"
Takes the message for the writer and posts it to the vehicle thread.
Business textingSaturday afternoons and evenings
Answers first ring, books for the next day, texts back anyone who hung up.
How the receptionist worksThe record
What the customer authorized, in writing and on tape.
Estimates go out by text so approvals are written. On Growth and above, recorded calls are transcribed with speaker labels and summarized into the vehicle, the work authorized and the price quoted. Voicemail transcripts are on every plan.
- Estimate approvals by text on the vehicle thread
- Recording, transcript and AI summary on every answered call on an enabled line
- Search by customer, vehicle or phrase
- Voicemail transcripts on every plan
Call summaryGenerated by Ody
- Caller
- New customer · +1 (512) 555-0771 · 2017 Honda CR-V
- Issue
- Check-engine light this morning, rough idle. Will wait.
- Told
- Diagnostic slot at 1:30 PM. Findings and estimate to be texted before work starts.
- Next action
- Marco to diagnose at 1:30 PM and text the estimate.
Your stack
Works alongside your shop management system
Native integrations are listed as such. Shop management platforms have no native connection yet, so Ody reaches them through Make, webhooks or the REST API.
- Tekmetric, Shop-Ware, Mitchell 1, ShopmonkeyMake, webhooks or APIAPI docs
Push appointment requests and call summaries via Make or the REST API webhooks
- CSV importNativeIntegration
import customers so callers show up by name
- StripeNativeIntegration
payment status on the customer thread
- SlackNativeIntegration
approvals and parts updates posted to the shop channel
- MakeNativeIntegration
connect QuickBooks and the rest
Browse all 43 integrations, or connect anything else through Make and the REST API.
Rollout
Live in an afternoon, not a quarter
No hardware, no consultant, no call-flow diagram. Four steps and the line is answered.
- 01
Port the shop number
The one on the sign and Google. Porting is free and the old line keeps working until cutover.
- 02
Describe the shop
Services, diagnostic fee, hours, loaner and ride policy, how you post status notes. Plain sentences.
- 03
Set the routing
Writer first, manager second, receptionist on overflow and after close; recording on for the shop line.
- 04
Read a week of transcripts
Tighten the ranges and status process, then let the receptionist take more of the counter's calls.
Resources
Guides for auto repair shops
The concepts behind this setup, explained without the jargon.
What compliance teams need to know about call recordingHow stereo and mixed recordings differ, when US one-party versus all-party consent applies, and why PCI requires a pause.Read guide What businesses need to know about CNAMWhy CNAM is a 15-character North American database lookup, why dips are optional, and why a phone’s address book still wins.Read guide What businesses need to know about MMSHow MMS relates to the 3GPP specs, why group threads use it, and why maximum attachment size is a per-carrier number.Read guide
FAQ
Auto repair shops: common questions
More industries
Also in local & hospitality, and nearby
Businesses whose busiest hour is when nobody can pick up.
Local & hospitalityRestaurantsReservation and takeout calls answered during the Friday rush, hours and menus by text.Local & hospitalitySalons & spasBooking calls answered mid-blowout, reminders texted, no-shows down.Local & hospitalityFitness studios & gymsTrial-class calls booked during the 6am rush, membership questions answered, front desk freed.Local & hospitalityHotels & vacation rentalsGuest calls answered at check-in time, lockout texts at midnight, international guests reached for $5/mo.Local & hospitalityRetail shops"Do you have it in stock?" answered, order status from Shopify, one number per store.Logistics & transportTowing & roadside24/7 answering, location by text, the on-call driver rung in order.
Comparing options? Ody vs Google Voice · Ody vs Grasshopper · Ody vs RingCentral
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