Making AI Work for you

Artificial intelligence has become a lightning rod for debate, discussion, and disdain in the automotive aftermarket. Depending on who you ask, it’s either the silver bullet that will solve every staffing and efficiency problem shops face, or it’s an overhyped threat poised to replace human workers and turn customer service into a cold, transactional experience.
The reality, though, sits somewhere in the middle.

For shop owners who are actually using AI today, the technology isn’t fixing cars or replacing service advisors. Instead, it’s quietly handling many of the tedious, time-consuming tasks that bog down daily operations, which is freeing employees to spend more time doing what customers still value most: talking to real people.

A Familiar Pattern of Change

Tonnika Haynes has seen this cycle before. As the second-generation owner of Brown’s Automotive in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a shop that has served its community for 45 years, she’s watched the industry evolve through multiple technological shifts.

“The first big leap for us was going from handwritten estimates to barcode scanners and parts books,” Haynes says. “That was over 20 years ago. It was exciting, but it didn’t replace anyone.”

She sees AI as a similar inflection point, just arriving faster and touching more areas of the business at once.

“In the last five to 10 years, everything moved so fast,” she says. “AI is, in my opinion, one of the biggest new things we’ve seen, even though people are fighting against it tooth and nail.”

At Brown’s Automotive, AI isn’t one massive system running the shop. It’s a collection of small tools used to eliminate friction, especially in administrative and communication-heavy tasks that traditionally fall on owners and service advisors.

Much of Haynes’ team uses AI behind the scenes, such as employing it to help respond to Google reviews with keyword-rich language, draft and update standard operating procedures, prepare talking points for weekly meetings, and speed up employee reviews by organizing feedback and statistics.

“It helps me get all of that stuff done much faster,” she says. “I still make the decisions. It just cleans up my language and keeps me from staring at a blank page.”

On the front end, Brown’s Automotive uses an AI-powered intake tool that prompts receptionists to ask the right questions when booking appointments. The result is more complete repair orders before vehicles ever hit the shop floor.

“Almost anyone can take an appointment,” Haynes says. “By the time the technician gets that RO, the who, what, when, and how have already been answered. They can just go attack the job without calling the customer back and forth.”

AI also plays a role in digital vehicle inspections, helping technicians turn shorthand notes into clear explanations customers can understand.

“We don’t want techs spending time writing paragraphs,” Haynes says. “AI helps clean that up so the message matches the customer.”

For Haynes, the technology isn’t meant to replace people. On the contrary, it’s actually protecting their most valuable resource: their time.

“AI is just your personal secretary,” she says.

Training Better Conversations at the Counter

Mike Allen, owner of Carfix, a three-location independent operation in the Raleigh, North Carolina area, is also focused on front-of-house efficiency. But his shop is using AI in a way that many operators haven’t considered yet: service advisor training.

Carfix uses generative AI to role-play customer conversations, teaching advisors how to handle objections and explain services more effectively. By feeding the system the shop’s preferred scripts and switching it into voice mode, advisors can practice both sides of the interaction.

“We’ll have it play the customer and give objections,” Allen says. “Then we’ll have it play the advisor and overcome our objections.”

The goal isn’t automation. It’s about giving every advisor tools to respond consistently to customers’ questions and demands.

“We also use it to create short, easy-to-understand explainer paragraphs with features, benefits, and risks if a service isn’t performed,” Allen says. “That way our repair orders are documented the same way every time.”

Customers don’t know AI is involved. Allen says that’s intentional.

“They’re just getting a repair order that’s well written, easy to understand, and doesn’t have jargon or bad grammar,” he says. “If the customer can tell the tool is being used, then it’s probably not being used effectively.”

Where Shops Draw the Line

Both Haynes and Allen are clear about one thing: AI should support human interaction, not replace it.

Haynes admits she doesn’t want to call a doctor’s office and be greeted by an AI bot, and she knows many customers feel the same way when calling a repair shop.

“People take it to extremes,” she says. “They think AI means no eye contact, no jobs, no community. That’s not what this is.”

Allen agrees, noting generational differences in how customers respond to AI-driven tools like virtual receptionists.

“In my experience, boomers think it’s neat and want to test it,” he says. “Younger people want a human immediately.”

For Allen, transparency is critical. AI assistants should identify themselves and offer customers the option to speak with a person.

“The goal is to make the customer experience better,” he says.

For shop owners who are skeptical or hesitant, Haynes recommends starting small. Social media and online reviews are a great place to start.

“If you have 50 Google reviews you haven’t responded to, that feels overwhelming,” she says. “You can copy and paste them into AI and say, ‘Respond with empathy,’ or ‘Respond professionally.’ Boom, you’re done in minutes.”

She also suggests using AI to generate social media posts based on existing reviews and strengths.

“You can have 30 days of marketing content in 15 seconds,” she says.

Allen, meanwhile, cautions that many shop owners have formed opinions based on outdated tools.

“A lot of people played with the free version of ChatGPT two years ago and decided it was useless,” he says. “That’s like judging today’s cars by driving a Model T.”

His advice: pay for a subscription, make sure you’re using the newest model, and practice prompting.

“One of the most valuable skills you can develop right now is learning how to ask the right questions,” Allen says. “The limit of this technology is your imagination.”

The Real Competitive Advantage

Neither Haynes nor Allen believes AI will magically fix broken shops. But both see it becoming a clear divider between businesses that can scale their efficiency and those that can’t.

“AI isn’t coming for your job if you’re good at your job,” Allen says. “But it’s going to make good players really strong players.”

For service advisors, that means spending less time building estimates and more time building relationships. For technicians, it could eventually mean more targeted training and support. For owners, it means fewer sticky notes and more mental space to lead.

“Don’t be the technician who didn’t believe fuel injection was coming,” Allen says. “Don’t be that guy.”

In the end, AI’s biggest promise for repair shops isn’t automation. It’s saving precious minutes every day. And for an industry built on trust, relationships, and problem-solving, that may be the most valuable resource of all.