> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getsmartalex.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# AI voice agents for automotive dealerships

> SmartAlex is an AI receptionist for car dealerships and service centers that answers every call, books test drives and service appointments, and routes callers to sales or service. See how the automotive AI phone agent works.

# AI voice agents for automotive dealerships

SmartAlex gives automotive dealerships and service centers an AI voice agent that answers every call, books test drives and service appointments, and routes each caller to sales or service, so no enquiry rings out after hours or during a busy Saturday. It works as an AI receptionist for your car dealership and an automotive AI phone agent for your service department, on the phone and on your website, around the clock.

Most dealership calls land when the showroom is busiest or already closed. A ringing phone at 8pm, a voicemail on Sunday, or a hold queue on Saturday morning is a buyer deciding whether to call the next dealer instead. Front desk staff cannot answer three lines at once, and a business development center rarely covers every evening and weekend. Every unanswered call is a test drive, a service booking, or a parts sale that quietly leaks away.

## Why dealerships choose SmartAlex

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Answers every call, day and night" icon="phone">
    Picks up on the first ring, 24/7, including after hours, weekends, and while your team is with a customer in the showroom.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Books straight into your calendar" icon="calendar-check">
    Checks live availability and books test drives and service appointments into your connected calendar, no callback required.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Routes sales and service correctly" icon="arrows-split-up-and-left">
    Understands what the caller needs and warm transfers to the right team or extension, or takes a callback if nobody is free.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Captures every lead" icon="user-plus">
    Logs the caller, the vehicle of interest, and the request into your CRM so nothing slips through the cracks.
  </Card>
</Columns>

## Example call flow

Here is how a single inbound call moves from greeting to a booked appointment or a clean handoff.

```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart TD
    A[Caller dials the dealership] --> B[AI voice agent answers, 24/7]
    B --> C{What does the caller need?}
    C -->|New or used vehicle| D[Sales path]
    C -->|Service or repair| E[Service path]
    C -->|Parts question| F[Parts path]
    D --> D1[Answer model and availability questions from the knowledge base]
    D1 --> D2[Book a test drive into the sales calendar]
    D2 --> D3[Create a lead in your CRM and send an SMS confirmation]
    E --> E1[Check service availability]
    E1 --> E2[Book the appointment and note the vehicle details]
    E2 --> E3[Send a confirmation and a reminder]
    F --> F1[Look up the part or price via the knowledge base or a custom tool]
    D3 --> G{Needs a person?}
    E3 --> G
    F1 --> G
    G -->|Yes| H[Warm transfer to sales or service, or take a callback]
    G -->|No| I[Wrap up and log the call]
```

## Key use cases

### 1. Capture sales enquiries after hours

The agent picks up when the showroom is closed and turns a late-night enquiry into a qualified lead instead of a lost one.

* Answers questions about models, trims, and general availability from your [knowledge base](/essentials/knowledge-base).
* Qualifies the caller: budget range, trade-in, new or used, timeline.
* Creates a lead in your CRM and can send a follow-up SMS or email so a salesperson can pick it up first thing.

<Note>
  Connect the agent to your CRM with one-click [connectors](/integrations) (for example HubSpot), or push leads into your dealer management system (DMS) with [Custom HTTP Tools](/guides/http-tools/overview) or the [MCP server](/mcp/overview).
</Note>

### 2. Book test drives

The agent checks real availability and books the slot on the call, then confirms it in writing.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Confirm the vehicle and caller">
    The agent gathers the model of interest, the caller's name, and their contact number.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check availability">
    It reads open slots from your connected calendar and offers the caller a few times.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Book and confirm">
    It writes the test drive into the sales calendar and sends an SMS or email confirmation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Log the lead">
    It creates a lead in your CRM with the vehicle and appointment attached, ready for the salesperson.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### 3. Book and manage service appointments

Your service department is a booking engine, and phone tag kills it. The agent keeps the bays full.

* Books service and repair appointments into the service calendar based on live availability.
* Captures the vehicle (make, model, year, mileage) and the reason for the visit.
* Sends confirmations and reminders to cut no-shows, and can offer to reschedule if plans change.
* Reserves a deposit or takes a booking payment by sending a secure link through your connected payment provider.

<Info>
  Taking card payments on a call (deposits, service bookings) and connecting the agent to your own systems with Custom HTTP Tools are part of the Power Tools add-on (\$29/month on Professional, included on Enterprise). See [add-ons](/essentials/add-ons).
</Info>

### 4. Answer parts and pricing questions

Parts and service pricing questions are high volume and repetitive, which makes them ideal for the agent to handle first.

* Answers common parts availability and pricing questions from your knowledge base.
* Uses a Custom HTTP Tool to look up live stock or a price against your parts or inventory system when you need real numbers.
* Falls back to a warm transfer to the parts desk, or a callback, for anything it cannot answer confidently.

<Warning>
  For live inventory and pricing, ground the agent in your own data. A [knowledge base](/essentials/knowledge-base) covers stable information, while [Custom HTTP Tools](/guides/http-tools/overview) pull real-time stock and prices from your systems mid-call.
</Warning>

### 5. Route callers to the right team

One number, many departments. The agent listens, decides, and hands off cleanly instead of blind transferring.

* Routes to sales, service, parts, or finance based on what the caller actually asks for.
* Warm transfers by announcing the caller to the person before connecting, so nobody repeats themselves.
* Transfers to a specific extension on your phone system when the caller asks for a named advisor.
* Takes a detailed callback when the right person is unavailable, rather than dropping the caller into voicemail.

See [phone numbers](/essentials/phone-numbers) and [telephony](/telephony/overview) for how calls reach the agent and how transfers work.

### 6. Follow up and reactivate

The same agent that answers calls can also reach out, turning your service book and lead list into repeat revenue.

* Runs outbound campaigns for service reminders, MOT or inspection due dates, and recall notices.
* Follows up on unsold test drives and aged leads with a call, SMS, or WhatsApp message.
* Keeps every touch (voice, SMS, WhatsApp, email, web chat) in one thread per customer.

<Note>
  Outbound reminder and follow-up campaigns use the Outbound Campaigns add-on (\$49/month on Professional). One thread per customer across every channel uses the Unified Inbox add-on (\$39/month). Both are included on Enterprise. See [add-ons](/essentials/add-ons) and [campaigns](/essentials/campaigns).
</Note>

## Sample agent prompt

A realistic system prompt for a dealership front desk agent. Build and refine yours by chatting with Alex in [Studio](/studio/overview).

```text theme={null}
You are the front desk voice agent for Northgate Motors, a new and used car
dealership with an on-site service center. You are warm, efficient, and never
pushy. Keep replies short and natural for a phone call.

Your job on every call:
1. Greet the caller and find out whether they need Sales, Service, or Parts.
2. SALES: answer model and availability questions from your knowledge base,
   qualify the caller (new or used, budget range, trade-in, timeline), and
   offer to book a test drive. Check the sales calendar for real availability
   before offering times. Always create a lead with the vehicle of interest.
3. SERVICE: capture the vehicle (make, model, year, mileage) and the reason
   for the visit, check the service calendar, and book the appointment. Send a
   confirmation. Offer a deposit link only if the caller asks to reserve a slot.
4. PARTS: answer from your knowledge base or a stock lookup tool. If you are
   not confident about availability or price, offer a warm transfer to the
   parts desk or take a callback.

Rules:
- If a caller asks for a specific person, offer a warm transfer to their
  extension, or take a detailed callback if they are unavailable.
- Never quote a firm price you are not sure of. Offer to confirm by SMS.
- Confirm the caller's phone number before ending any call that needs follow-up.
- If you cannot help, take a clear message and create a callback.
```

## ROI and results

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="No missed after-hours enquiry" icon="moon">
    Evening and weekend callers get answered and booked instead of going to voicemail or a competitor.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Fuller service bays" icon="wrench">
    Live-availability booking and reminders keep the service schedule tight and cut no-shows.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Every lead captured" icon="user-check">
    Each caller lands in your CRM with the vehicle and request attached, ready for follow-up.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Staff freed for the floor" icon="users">
    The agent absorbs repetitive and overflow calls so your team can focus on customers in the showroom.
  </Card>
</Columns>

Pricing starts free, with the Professional plan at \$99/month (250 minutes, one phone number, one agent, extra agents at \$99 each). Usage beyond included minutes runs from a prepaid wallet at a blended average of about \$0.05/min. Additional phone numbers start at \$2/month and extra concurrent call slots are \$15/month. See [pricing](/pricing) for the full breakdown.

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can it really answer calls after hours and on weekends?">
    Yes. The agent answers 24/7 on the first ring, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, and while your team is busy on the floor. That is often when the highest-intent calls arrive.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can it book into our existing calendar and DMS?">
    It books into connected calendars out of the box (Google Calendar, Outlook, and iCal-based tools). To read live availability, write appointments, or push leads into your dealer management system, use Custom HTTP Tools or the MCP server to connect your own endpoints.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How does it decide between sales and service?">
    It listens to what the caller wants and routes accordingly. It can warm transfer to the right team, transfer to a named advisor's extension on your phone system, or take a callback if nobody is available.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can it answer parts and pricing questions accurately?">
    It answers stable questions from your knowledge base and can call a live lookup tool against your parts or inventory system for real-time stock and prices. For anything it is unsure about, it transfers to the parts desk or takes a callback rather than guessing.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does it replace my team?">
    No. It handles overflow, after-hours, and repetitive calls, then hands the rest to your people with full context. Your advisors close deals and turn wrenches, the agent makes sure no call is missed.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How long does it take to set up?">
    You build and test the agent by chatting with Alex in Studio: point it at your website to seed a knowledge base, connect your calendar and CRM, and run a test call. See the [quickstart](/quickstart) to go live.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Get started

Give your dealership an AI voice agent that answers every call, books test drives and service appointments, and routes callers to the right team. Start free, connect your calendar and CRM, and run a live test call in minutes.

<Card title="Try SmartAlex free" icon="rocket" href="https://getsmartalex.com">
  Build your dealership agent, add your knowledge, and place a test call. No card required.
</Card>

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Get started in minutes" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
    Create your first agent, connect your tools, and run a test call.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Agent tools" icon="wrench" href="/essentials/agent-tools">
    Booking, transfers, payments, lookups, and Custom HTTP Tools your agent can use.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Small business use case" icon="store" href="/use-cases/small-business">
    How SmartAlex answers, books, and follows up for busy local businesses.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Real estate use case" icon="building" href="/use-cases/real-estate">
    A sibling vertical: capture leads, book showings, and route enquiries.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>