Devonshire Motors is currently testing a new artificial intelligence (AI) powered tool to help assist team members and improve efficiency within the business.
The business has been working with AutoChat as a customer facing AI assistant for its website, but AutoChat Pro puts the technology into the hands of dealership staff, including customer contact centre employees, receptionists and sales staff.
Devonshire Motors is the first business in the UK to test AutoChat Pro, while other groups in the Netherlands, like Van Mossel are already working with the business to test the technology too.
The first version of the new AI powered system enables the dealership to upload documents like brochures, price lists, manuals and technical documents into organised “buckets”.
Instead of manually searching for information, staff can use the AI assistant to quickly retrieve the required details from these documents.
If a customer asks a question about boot sizes, EV ranges or anything to do with the product at all, answers can be returned within a split second.
The technology is backed by Chat GPT, but has been tailored by AutoChat to integrate and be usable with automotive retailers and their systems.
Prompts from dealership staff can quickly create responses to customer emails and enquiries with the right information.
Tomlinson told AM (pictured): “We’re at the very early stages with the internal assistant.
“If you’ve ever used ChatGPT, had it do some analysis and build an email based on the results you’ll immediately understand why an internal AI assistant has almost unlimited productivity enhancement potential.
“We’re working closely with the team at AutoChat and also with Hyundai UK to ensure that we build a database of knowledge which our team can use practically.”
AutoChat, which is a market leader for AI chat technology for motor retail in Belgium and the Netherlands, is also working directly with Hyundai to integrate AutoChat Pro with Hyundai’s product information directly.
Tomlinson said the service team at Devonshire Motors has been using the AI assistant to query the process for phone pairing, or where to find things like ‘fuel flap release’, or how to advise customers on EV battery maintenance.
These are phone or digital customer queries which normally drain resources as they pass from the caller to service advisor, to workshop manager, often to technician and all the way back again.
A steer in the right direction and EV objection handling
He said: “All the team needs is a steer in the right direction, which AI provides instantly and during the initial call.
“This is a game-changer for productivity, not only for our service team, but it will mean less productivity erosion in the money earning department too, as the workshop does not have to deal with information gathering queries and can instead remain focused on turning spanners.”
The sales teams can reference product information and even the terms of quarterly sales campaigns.
Competitor analysis is also possible.
Tomlinson added: “We are having the most fun building objection handling for EV adoption, with particular success being enjoyed using the assistant to provide quick and nicely formatted tables comparing, for example, the cost of driving 50 miles in a Kona EV versus 50 miles in an equivalent petrol or diesel equivalent.
“The key benefit isn’t what AI can do that a human can’t, it’s how much more productive and professional a human can be by augmenting their skills with the AI assistant.”
Maarten Bekkers, AutoChat founder and chief executive, said the next steps are integrating vehicle inventory, workshop planning systems and dealer management system connections into AutoChat Pro.
He said: “We are currently entering a test phase, allowing dealers to use the tool and provide feedback.
“Step by step, we will add features that make the life of a dealership easier, aiming to help employees work smarter, not harder.”
AutoChat has its own stand at Automotive Management Live, which will be held on November 13 at the NEC, where the business will be showcasing its solutions and engaging with industry professionals at the show.
