# AI Receptionist for Auto Body & Collision Shops Source: https://insertchat.com/industries/auto-body > Book collision estimates, collect claim details, and send photos and status calls to your estimators. An AI receptionist for auto body and collision shops answers calls and texts while your estimators are walking cars and your techs are in the booth. InsertChat’s assistant explains your estimate and claims process, lists the insurers you work with, collects the claim number, vehicle, and damage, books estimate appointments, and routes photos, supplements, and repair status calls to your team. ## Turn a parking-lot fender bender into a booked estimate Example workflow: Phone call. Illustrative scenario. Answers depend on your sources; actions depend on your connected tools and permissions. This is not a customer testimonial or measured result. A driver calls at 11:30 a.m. while both estimators are writing up cars in the lot. > Someone backed into me at the grocery store. The rear bumper’s hanging and a taillight is cracked. My insurance says I can pick the shop. Can you look at it? ## Explain how claims work here Say which insurers you work with directly, that the driver chooses the shop, and how your estimate and rental process runs. ## Take the claim details Collect the claim number and insurer, the year, make, and model, where the damage is, and whether the car is safe to drive. ## Book the estimate Offer estimate times this week, book one, and note that the driver will text photos for the estimator to see first. ## Your team sets the boundaries A driver who is hurt or still at the scene hears your 911 instruction. Cars that are leaking fluid or won’t steer get your towing steps, and supplement and total-loss questions go to an estimator. ## What it handles for auto body and collision shops Handled by your assistant: - Estimate appointments and drop-offs booked into open times - Which insurers you work with and how claims run at your shop - Rental car, towing, and drop-off questions answered from your policies - Dent, paint, bumper, and glass questions about services you list - Hours, directions, and after-hours key drop steps Sent straight to your team: - Drivers hurt or still at an accident scene, told to call 911 - Vehicles that are leaking fluids, won’t steer, or aren’t safe to drive - “When will my car be done?” status checks - Supplements, total-loss questions, and adjuster calls - Complaints about a repair, a color match, or a bill ## What it asks and what it needs to know Details it collects: - Driver’s name, mobile number, and email - Insurance company and claim number, or self-pay - Year, make, model, color, and VIN if they have it - Where the damage is and how it happened - Whether the car is drivable and safe - Whether they need a rental or a tow - Whether they’ll text damage photos before the visit What to add to its knowledge: - Insurers you work with directly and how claims run at your shop - Your estimate process, hours, and whether you take walk-ins - Rental car partners and how rentals are arranged - Towing partners and steps for cars that can’t be driven - Your repair warranty terms - Services you offer, such as paintless dent repair, frame work, and glass ## Can an AI receptionist explain insurance claims to drivers? It explains your process, in the words you write. Add the insurers you work with directly, what happens at an estimate, how supplements and rentals work, and what drivers should tell their adjuster. The assistant answers from that, collects the claim number and insurer, and leaves coverage decisions and total-loss questions to your estimators and the insurer. ## Can customers send damage photos? Yes. Customers can text photos to your InsertChat number, and picture messages go straight to a person on your team instead of an automatic reply. Your estimator sees them in the shared inbox on the customer’s contact, next to the call summary. InsertChat doesn’t write estimates from photos; your estimator does. ## How much does an AI receptionist for a collision shop cost? Start on Pro for $98 a month: one phone number, monthly credits, three seats for your estimators and front office, and three AI assistants. Calls round up to whole minutes of credits, and texts can carry their own charges. A shop with a second location can give it its own assistant and number, at $10 a month for the extra number. ## Can it tell customers when their car will be ready? Not by itself. InsertChat doesn’t connect to estimating or shop management software, so it can’t see repair status. It takes the customer’s name, vehicle, and question, marks it for your team, and sends the customer a text or email confirming the callback request. Your estimator answers with the real date. ## What happens when someone calls right after an accident? The assistant asks whether anyone is hurt or still in danger and gives your 911 instruction first. Once the driver is safe, it shares your towing steps for a car that can’t be driven, collects the claim and vehicle details, and marks the call urgent so your team follows up. ## Can the assistant answer only when the front counter is busy? Yes. Calls ring your front counter first for 5 to 60 seconds, and the assistant answers when nobody picks up. A call that rolls to staff voicemail returns to the assistant too. Use after-hours mode instead if your team covers the phone all day. ## Does it book estimates into my calendar? Yes. Connect Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Cal.com, or InsertChat’s built-in calendar, set the estimate length and buffers, and the assistant offers open times. It can reschedule or cancel estimates it booked, and drivers get a reminder by text or email 72 and 24 hours before. ## Related features - [AI receptionist](https://insertchat.com/product/phone) - [AI text messaging](https://insertchat.com/product/sms) - [Shared inbox](https://insertchat.com/product/inbox) ## Broader industry - [Automotive](https://insertchat.com/industries/automotive): Book service, catch sales leads, and triage breakdowns while your bays stay busy.