Website chat for auto workshops and car service centres
A workshop's chat should give drivers a published service price, a free slot and the pick-up options quickly, and leave every "what is this noise" question to a service advisor who will see the car. Diagnosing by chat produces wrong quotes and angry customers; booking by chat fills the bays. This guide covers the twelve questions drivers ask, the replies to keep for the advisor, and how the advisor and the workshop share one inbox.
The service menu comes first
Publish a short service menu before you switch the chat on. Each line needs a car type, what is included and a price you will honour:
| Service | What to publish |
|---|---|
| Minor service | Oil and filter, checks included, price by engine size |
| Major service | Full list of parts and checks, price by model group |
| AC check and regas | What is checked, starting price |
| Tyres | Brands you stock, fitting and balancing price |
| Battery | Testing free or paid, replacement from [price] |
| Pick-up and drop-off | Areas covered and the fee |
Store the menu as reviewed price records in StayReplied, so every advisor quotes from the same list (and, if you later add AI, it quotes only from those records).
Twelve questions drivers type
| Driver asks | Answer pattern you fill in | Advisor takes over? |
|---|---|---|
| How much is a service for my [model]? | "A [minor or major] service for [model group] is [published price], including [list]." | No |
| Can I book for tomorrow? | "Which time suits you? Send your car model and plate, and we'll confirm the slot." | Yes, to confirm |
| How long does a service take? | "A minor service takes about [hours]; we'll tell you when it's ready." | No |
| Do you pick up and drop off? | "Yes, in [areas] for [published fee]." | Yes, to arrange |
| My car makes a noise / a warning light is on | "Our service advisor needs to see the car. Shall we book an inspection at [published inspection price]?" | Yes |
| Do you use genuine parts? | "We use [genuine / approved equivalent] parts and tell you before fitting." | No |
| Will servicing here affect my warranty? | "Our advisor will explain how it applies to your car; please also check your warranty booklet." | Yes |
| Can I wait at the workshop? | "Yes, we have [waiting area details]." | No |
| Is my car ready? | "Send your plate number and I'll check with the workshop." | Yes |
| Do you do the annual test preparation? | "[What you offer, at what published price]." | No |
| The repair cost more than the quote | "I'm sorry. Our service manager will go through the invoice with you today." | Yes, always |
| The problem came back after the repair | "I'm sorry. Let's book the car in; our manager will reply here." | Yes, always |
Kept for the service advisor
- Diagnosis. No chat reply tells a driver what is wrong with the car, or that it is safe to drive.
- Repair quotes beyond the published menu: those need an inspection.
- Warranty and insurance questions, which depend on documents the chat cannot see.
- Invoice disputes, comebacks and refund demands. StayReplied hands complaints and refund demands to a person in every mode.
The answer mode is set per channel (off, drafts only, or answer), not per topic. Advisors send the published answers from the inbox.
Welcome lines
- "Need a service? Send your car model and we'll tell you the price and the next free slot."
- "Hi, ask about servicing, tyres, AC or pick-up. We reply in English and Arabic."
- "Car already with us? Send your plate number and we'll update you."
Starter questions: "Service prices", "Book a slot", "Pick-up and drop-off", "Is my car ready".
After the workshop closes
The widget sends no automatic closed message today. Put your reply hours and a roadside number in the welcome line, switch on "Ask for name and email before chatting", and let the morning advisor answer overnight bookings first: "Good morning, thanks for your message. We can take your [model] at [time] today for a [service] at [published price]. Shall I confirm?" More wording: out-of-hours chat messages.
Saturday morning at the service desk
The busiest hours are the first two after opening, when drivers drop cars and ask for updates at once. Divide the shared inbox:
- Advisor one owns unassigned chats: bookings and prices.
- Advisor two gets assigned "is my car ready" chats, with internal notes from the workshop ("bay 2, ready at 3").
- The service manager owns escalated chats: invoice questions and comebacks, as tickets with a due time.
- Mechanics never chat; they leave notes for the advisor.
Presence shows who has a chat open, and you are asked to review if the driver wrote again while you typed. A shared inbox or personal phones explains why updates should not come from an advisor's own number.
A week to set it up
- Day 1: workspace; invite advisors and the service manager.
- Day 2: publish the service menu and the twelve answers.
- Day 3: publish the widget on service and contact pages; add your site to the allowed origins.
- Day 4: welcome lines and the after-hours reply in English and Arabic.
- Day 5: test a price question, a booking and an invoice complaint.
- Day 6: agree the Saturday split.
- Day 7: read every chat; publish answers for questions typed twice.
When this is not for you
If you want the chat to book directly into your workshop software, StayReplied does not connect to it today; the advisor confirms. Web chat is the channel you connect today; WhatsApp is coming soon (see channels). Starter is AED 70 a month plus 5% VAT for 2 seats; see pricing.
Questions and answers
Can the chat diagnose a car problem?
No. It books an inspection, and the advisor answers after seeing the car.
Can it give a service price?
Yes, from the service menu you publish, by model group.
How do customers get "your car is ready" updates?
The advisor replies in the same chat, using the workshop's internal notes, or calls the number the driver left when booking.
Is AI required?
No. Advisors answer from the published menu. No plan includes AI today; AI drafts need your own Anthropic key.
Fill the bays from your website.
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