Answering Service for Auto Repair Shops: Answer the Phone Without Pulling a Tech Off the Lift
The phone rings while the service writer is with a customer and both techs are under cars. Emily, the AI receptionist from OnCrew, answers in your shop's name, takes the vehicle and the problem, and texts you the details.
Free for 14 daysNo card requiredCancel anytime
Quick answer
What is an answering service for auto repair shops?
- Answers your business line 24/7 in your business name.
- Takes the caller's name, number and need in their own words.
- Flags a call urgent on the caller's own word.
- Texts and emails you the details after every call.
- Plans start at $49/mo for 150 minutes.
A Missed Call Is the Next Shop on the List
A driver with a warning light calls one shop after another. When Emily answers, they hear your shop's name, describe the car and know you will call back.
- Callers hear your shop's name, not a beep
- Vehicle, problem and number arrive by text after the call
- Appointment requests wait with the details written down
From Warning Lights to Pickup Questions
She asks who is calling and a callback number, then the vehicle and the problem. Your notes can add questions, like mileage.
Appointment requests
Oil change, brakes, inspection. She notes the car, the work and when they would like to come in. With Google Calendar connected she can offer open slots.
Breakdowns and tow-ins
A car that will not start or is stuck on the roadside. She notes where it is and what happened, and flags the call urgent when the caller says it cannot wait.
Price questions
She does not quote repairs. She takes the car and the symptom and you call back with a price.
Status calls
A customer asks if their car is ready. She takes the name and number and passes it to the front desk.
Parts and vendor calls
A supplier calls for the owner. She takes the message, or puts the call through if you set up live transfer.
After-hours and weekends
A separate greeting can give your hours and say when calls are returned.
Emily does not diagnose a car, quote a repair or promise a pickup time. She takes the details and your shop answers them.
A Morning Call, as It Reaches You
8:12 AM, a driver with a warning light. Within seconds of the call ending, your phone shows this:
Example text · 8:12 AM
OnCrew new call: Tom H. +15085550129 - Brake noise, 2016 Honda CR-V. Grinding noise when braking for a week. Wants to bring it in Thursday. Full summary: https://oncrew.ai/c/Vn3Kd8Rq1Lw6Hz9Tb2Xm5Jc0Pg7Sy4Fa8Ue1Oi6Nh3Wr9Ck2Mt5Qb0Dv7Ls4Gx1Ye8Zp6J Reply STOP to stop texts.
Calls reach her from your existing number: forward all of them, or only the ones you do not answer. She can also put a caller through to a person you name, and takes a message if nobody picks up.
Plans for Auto Repair Shops, Nights and Weekends Included
A call at 9 PM costs the same as one at 9 AM. Overage is $0.49 per minute on Starter, $0.39 on Pro, $0.29 on Multi-Truck. Every plan has live call transfer, a separate after-hours greeting and a text and email after each call.
Starter
$49/mo
150 included minutes
extra at $0.49/min
A one- or two-bay shop where the owner works on cars.
Pro
$149/mo
500 included minutes
extra at $0.39/min
A busier shop, or a second number.
Multi-Truck
$349/mo
1,500 included minutes
extra at $0.29/min
Several bays or locations and heavy call volume.
Details for every plan are on the pricing page.
Two Ways to Try It
Start the 14-day free trial, no card needed, and call your own new line the way a customer would. Or hear her first: the demo line (213) 319-5075 asks what kind of business you run and answers as its front desk, so you hear how a call to one of the auto repair shops like yours would go. You can also ask her anything about OnCrew.
Answering Service for Auto Repair Shops, Answered
Can she tell a caller what a repair will cost?
No. She does not quote prices unless your notes give her a figure to share. She takes the car and the problem and your shop calls back.
Can she book appointments?
With Google Calendar connected and booking switched on, she offers open slots for the work you choose and the slot lands on your calendar.
Do we change our shop number?
No. You forward your existing number to OnCrew, all calls or only the ones nobody answers.
How much is an answering service for auto repair shops?
Plans start at $49 a month for 150 included minutes. Pro runs $149 with 500 minutes and a second number, Multi-Truck $349 with 1,500 minutes, and anything past that is $0.49 per minute on Starter, $0.39 on Pro, $0.29 on Multi-Truck. The 14-day free trial starts without a card.
Do we keep the phone number we already have?
Yes. You forward your existing number to OnCrew, either every call or only the ones nobody picks up, and your phone company can turn the forwarding off whenever you want. Callers keep dialing the number they know.
What do we get after each call?
A text and an email to the owner after every call: who called, the number, what they need, and in the email a recording and transcript. Urgent calls are marked as such.
Can she put a call through to a person?
Yes, on every plan. She announces the caller to the person you named, connects them, and takes a message if nobody picks up. You choose who she tries.
Is there a different greeting after hours?
Yes. You can set a separate after-hours greeting, and your notes decide what she says about what happens next.
Try her out first
Hear how she handles a call, then decide
During the free trial, phone your new line yourself and call it the way one of your customers would. Emily answers in your business's name.
Emily asks what kind of business you run and answers as its front desk. You can ask her anything about OnCrew, too.
14-day free trial·No credit card to start·30-day money-back guarantee
OnCrew answers for any business that takes calls. Other pages: law firms, property management companies, real estate offices, salons and spas, veterinary clinics, accounting and tax offices, insurance agencies, cleaning services, towing companies. See the AI receptionist overview.