AI receptionist for garages and mot centres

The receptionist who never leaves the front desk

The phone rings while you're under a car and the desk is empty. An AI receptionist on your Line number takes the registration, looks up the car, quotes the MOT and service, books the bay, reserves the courtesy car, and writes the job into your garage system. Start with Molly, the pre-built receptionist, or build your own agent for the way your workshop runs.

WMWestgate Motors0114 000 0777 · Incoming call
  1. Incoming call while every ramp is upWed 08:35
  2. Westgate Motors, how can I help?

    Molly, AI receptionist
  3. My car's due a service and the MOT runs out soon. Reg is KX19 HFT.

  4. Thanks. That's a 2019 Ford Focus, MOT due on the 24th. A service and MOT together is £189. I've got Monday at 8:30 in the MOT bay, or Tuesday at 10. Which suits?

    Molly, AI receptionist
  5. Monday. Any chance of a courtesy car?

  6. Yes, there's one free on Monday. Bring your licence and it's yours for the day. Shall I book both?

    Molly, AI receptionist
  7. Perfect, yes.

  8. Booked · Service and MOT · Bay 1 · Mon 08:30

    KX19 HFT, courtesy car reserved. Job created in the garage system, customer texted the confirmation and what to bring.

Everything a garage receptionist does, done by the agent

A good front desk in a garage keeps the bays full and the workshop uninterrupted. Each job below is a thing the agent does on the call, or straight after it.

What a receptionist doesHow the agent does it
Answers the phone in the garage's name, over the air toolsPicks up on the first ring, all day or only when the desk can't, with your greeting.
Takes the registration and looks up the carAsks for the reg, reads back the make, model, and MOT due date from a vehicle lookup, and attaches it to the booking.
Quotes the MOT, the service, and the common jobsReads your price list: MOT, interim and full service, brakes, tyres, diagnostics. Anything not on it, it says a technician will confirm.
Books into the bay diariesChecks the MOT bay, the ramps, and the technicians in Google Calendar or Microsoft 365, and books the slot that fits the job length.
Sorts the courtesy carChecks the courtesy car diary, reserves one for the day, and tells the customer what to bring.
Handles the 'is my car ready' callsFinds the open job by reg. If it's ready, says so and texts the collection time. If not, flags the question to the technician on the job, then texts the customer the answer.
Gets extra work approved by textSends the estimate for the brake pads or the tyre from the garage number, reads the reply, and records the approval on the job before the work starts.
Texts ready-for-collection and the invoice linkSends the collection time, the opening hours, and the payment link by SMS or WhatsApp when the job is closed.
Sends MOT-due reminders from the CRMRuns a workflow four weeks before expiry: text with a booking link, call if no booking, book the slot.

Workflows a garage builds in an afternoon

Each one is a trigger, a few conditions, and actions in the workflow builder. No code. Change a step and it's live.

MOT-due reminders
Trigger: MOT expiry date in the CRM, four weeks out
  1. 1Text the customer with the expiry date and a booking link
  2. 2If no booking in a week, the agent calls and offers the next three MOT bay slots
  3. 3Books the slot and reserves a courtesy car if they ask
  4. 4Texts the confirmation and updates the booking in the CRM

The MOT bay is booked a month ahead, without anyone at the desk ringing round.

Work approval by text
Trigger: An estimate for extra work is sent from the job
  1. 1The agent texts the itemised estimate from the garage number
  2. 2Reads the reply and records yes or no against the job
  3. 3If no reply in two hours, calls the customer and talks through the estimate
  4. 4If declined, records the reason and tells the workshop to finish the original job
  5. 5Posts the approval to the technician's channel so the car isn't sat on the ramp

A time-stamped approval on every job, and no ramp blocked waiting for a callback.

Is my car ready
Trigger: Inbound call from a customer with an open job
  1. 1The agent takes the reg and finds the open job
  2. 2If the status is ready, tells the customer and texts the collection time and invoice link
  3. 3If it's still on the ramp, flags the question to the technician on the job
  4. 4Texts the customer the technician's update as soon as it comes back

The workshop stops answering the phone. The customer gets one accurate answer.

Built in the workflow builder: a trigger, conditions, and actions. The agent is one of the actions.

Tools and integrations the agent works with

A receptionist is only useful if they can get into the diary and the CRM. Connect the tools and the agent uses them on the call.

Google Calendar and Microsoft 365
A diary per bay and per technician, plus the courtesy car diary. The agent books the slot that matches the job length.
Your CRM
Creates the customer and the vehicle, opens the job with the reg and the work requested, and updates the status after the visit.
SMS and WhatsApp
Booking confirmations, work approvals, ready-for-collection texts, MOT reminders, and the payment link.
Email
Sends the estimate, the invoice, and the service history. Reads replies so the agent knows work was approved.
Workflow builder
MOT reminders, approval chasing, ready-call routing, and out-of-hours booking, built visually.
Zapier, Make, n8n and the API
Creates and updates jobs in Autowork, Garage Hive, or any garage management system through Zapier, Make, n8n, or the API.
Custom tools
Give the agent your own tool: look up a car by reg, check the MOT history, check tyre stock, or read the job status from your system.

A Wednesday with the agent on the phones

What actually happens when the phone is covered all day.

  1. A driver calls before the desk opens. The agent takes the reg, books an MOT for Friday at 8:30, and texts the confirmation.

  2. Four calls in fifteen minutes while the desk is with a customer. All answered. Two services booked, one courtesy car reserved, one price for a cambelt.

  3. 'Is my car ready?' The agent finds the job, asks the technician, and texts the customer that it'll be done by 2.

  4. An estimate for front discs goes out by text. The customer approves it before the technician finishes lunch.

  5. The MOT-due workflow texts the customers expiring next month. Three book on the link.

  6. Closed for the day. A customer calls about a rattle. The agent books a diagnostic for Monday and notes what they described.

Where it hands over to a person
The agent does the receptionist's job, not the garages and MOT centres's.
  • A driver describing a noise, a warning light, or a brake problem. The agent uses your safety wording and puts them through to a technician, or books the callback. It doesn't diagnose faults over the phone.
  • A dispute about a bill or the work done. The agent takes the details and flags it to the service manager.
  • Anything you mark ask-first: extra work over your set value, a courtesy car for a new customer, or a job outside your price list. It never promises a repair or a price you haven't approved.
Molly, or an agent you build
Molly is the pre-built receptionist. Switch her on and she does everything on this page. Or build your own agent in the editor: name it, choose its voice, give it your knowledge, connect its tools, and set what it may do on its own and what it must ask you first. The same agent can take sales calls, customer service, and bookings.

Questions garages and MOT centres ask

Straight answers on setup, limits, and cost.

Put a receptionist on your number today

Pick a UK number or bring yours, switch the receptionist on, and tell it about the business. Included with Pro and Business, an add-on on Starter. No setup fee.