AI Receptionist for bodywork and dent repair specialists
Bodywork enquiries go to the first shop that picks up, takes the detail, and gives a clear next step.
Ava is the AI receptionist for bodywork and dent repair shops that captures panel location, damage type, and insurance status, then books the estimate.
A body shop typically misses three to five estimate calls a week when the manager is out on site. Each missed estimate is worth £300–£900 in repair work, and bodywork customers rarely ring back — they find the next number on Google.
The short answer
- 1. Bodywork callers have usually just had an incident and want a clear next step quickly — the bodyshop that answers, captures the detail, and books the estimate wins the job.
- 2. Ava captures the panel location, damage type (dent, scuff, crack, or scratch), paint matching requirement, and whether the caller is going through insurance or paying privately.
- 3. Insurance jobs via Solera or Audatex require different documentation than private-pay; Ava identifies the payment route and routes insurance callers appropriately.
- 4. A SMART repair runs £75–£350, a full panel respray £300–£900, and an insurance bodywork job can reach £5,000. Each missed estimate call is any one of those jobs going to a competitor.
- 5. Ava integrates with MAM Autoware, Garage Hive, and GarageSales, writing the damage description and appointment into your DMS before the call ends.
The problem
A driver has just reversed into a bollard. They have a dent on the rear quarter panel and they need a quote. They call three bodyshops from their drive. The first two go to voicemail. The third answers, asks the right questions, and books a visual estimate. You were one of the first two.
What Ava does
Ava answers every bodywork and dent repair enquiry, captures the panel location, damage type, and whether the vehicle is insured or private-pay, and books a visual estimate appointment — ensuring your estimator arrives prepared and the caller does not book elsewhere while waiting for your callback.
A SMART repair (small dents and scuffs) runs £75–£350. A full panel respray is £300–£900. Insurance bodywork jobs via Solera or Audatex can reach £1,500–£5,000. A missed estimate booking can be any of these.
How does Ava handle a bodywork enquiry from someone who has just had an incident?
Ava answers calmly, acknowledges the incident, and asks the structured questions your estimator needs: which panel is affected, the type of damage (dent, scuff, scratch, or crack), the vehicle colour and whether it is metallic or pearlescent, and whether the caller intends to go through their insurer. She then books the visual estimate with the damage summary attached.
Post-incident bodywork callers are often in a mild state of shock and want immediate reassurance that the problem is fixable and manageable. Ava's tone in these calls is calm and practical — she does not add urgency where none is needed, but she moves the caller toward a clear next step without delay.
The insurance-versus-private-pay distinction is one of the most commercially important pieces of information a bodyshop can capture early. Insurance jobs require a different paperwork trail — Audatex or Solera estimate systems, an insurer-approved labour rate, and potentially a courtesy car provision. Private-pay jobs are simpler but may need a deposit or an upfront quote confirmation. Ava identifies the payment route in the first two questions and routes accordingly.
PDR (paintless dent removal) is a specialist technique that is appropriate for dents without paint damage and on panels with sufficient access. Ava does not attempt to determine whether PDR is the right method — she captures the damage description and notes the caller's interest in PDR where mentioned, leaving the technical assessment to your specialist on the visual estimate.
Why do bodyshops lose insurance bodywork jobs to approved repairers?
Approved repairer networks capture insurance jobs because they answer quickly, speak the insurer's language, and confirm the estimate pathway on the first call. An independent bodyshop that misses the initial call loses the job to whoever the insurer's network directs the customer to instead. Ava puts independent bodyshops on the same responsiveness footing as network repairers.
An insurance bodywork job via Solera or Audatex can be worth £1,500–£5,000 on a typical family car with panel damage and associated structural repair. These jobs flow to whoever the customer contacts first and trusts enough to bring the vehicle to. An independent bodyshop that answers the post-incident call immediately and handles the Audatex pathway question confidently keeps the job rather than losing it to the insurer's preferred network.
Ava captures the insurer's name and the claim reference where the caller has it, and explains that the bodyshop will contact the insurer directly to authorise the estimate. This is the reassurance an insurance customer needs to not simply follow the insurer's 'approved repairer' recommendation.
For private-pay bodywork, Ava makes the estimate booking the clear next step. Callers who are unsure whether the damage is worth repairing are more likely to commit to a free or low-cost visual estimate than to a firm booking — and a visual estimate that goes well converts to a confirmed job at a high rate.
Does Ava capture enough detail for an accurate bodywork estimate?
Ava captures the affected panel, the damage type, the vehicle colour category, the model year, and the payment route. This gives your estimator a coherent pre-visit picture that reduces the visual estimate time and allows preliminary part sourcing. She does not attempt to price the repair over the phone — that judgement stays with your estimator.
Colour matching is one of the most underappreciated capture points in a bodywork booking call. A solid white vehicle from 2016 and a tricoat pearl white from 2022 may need entirely different paint mixing approaches, and the spray booth time differs accordingly. Ava captures the vehicle year and whether the colour appears metallic, pearlescent, or solid, which helps your estimator check paint codes before the appointment.
Panel location matters for access and cost. A dent on the rear quarter panel that extends to the door shut face requires both panels to be blended. A scuff confined to the bumper is a single-panel SMART job. Ava's structured location question — asking which panel and whether the edge or shut face is involved — helps your estimator triage the complexity before arriving at the estimate.
She never gives a price over the phone for bodywork, because body damage varies too much for a quoted figure to be reliable without a physical inspection. She explains this honestly to callers who push for a number, frames the visual estimate as where the accurate quote is produced, and books the appointment. This approach protects your margin and avoids the common problem of a quoted figure that cannot be honoured after inspection.
£75–£350
Typical SMART repair cost for a small dent or scuff without paint damage
UK motor trade estimate
£1,500–£5,000
Insurance bodywork job value via Audatex or Solera for a typical panel repair
UK motor trade estimate
3 calls
Average number of bodyshops a driver contacts after an incident — the first to answer usually books the estimate
UK motor trade estimate
The difference
Voicemail takes a message. Ava books the appointment.
What callers ring about
Every bodywork & dent repair call, handled.
- SMART repair estimate bookings
- Insurance claim bodywork enquiries
- Full panel respray quotations
- PDR paintless dent removal bookings
Hear it in action
This is what your callers hear.
- Good afternoon, PanelPerfect Bodyshop — how can I help?
- Hi, I've reversed into a bollard and put a dent on the rear bumper. I need a quote.
- Of course — we can sort that for you. Is the paint broken on the dent, and are you thinking of going through your insurance or paying privately?
- The paint looks fine and I'd prefer to pay privately — avoid losing the no-claims.
- Understood — that's probably the right call for a small dent. Let me book a free visual estimate. I have Thursday at 10am or Friday at 2pm.
Before you choose
What to look for in an AI receptionist for bodywork & dent repair.
Insurance versus private-pay identification
The most commercially important early question in a bodywork call. Insurance jobs require Audatex or Solera pathway handling; private-pay jobs need a deposit or quote confirmation approach. The AI must identify the route in the first call.
Panel location and damage type capture
Your estimator needs to know which panel is affected and whether the damage extends to an adjacent shut face or edge before arriving. This reduces estimate time and allows preliminary part sourcing.
Colour category capture for paint matching
Metallic, pearlescent, and solid colours need different paint mixing and booth time. The AI must capture the vehicle year and colour category so your estimator can check the paint code before the appointment.
No phone pricing
The AI should not attempt to price bodywork over the phone. Confirm it frames the visual estimate as where the accurate quote is produced — not that it gives a 'rough figure' that later causes a margin dispute.
Common questions
Everything you’re wondering.
Can Ava handle a post-incident bodywork call from a stressed driver?
Yes. Ava responds calmly, acknowledges the incident without adding urgency, and moves the caller toward a clear next step — capturing the damage detail and booking the visual estimate in a single, composed conversation.
Does Ava identify whether a caller is going through insurance?
Yes. Ava asks whether the caller intends to use their insurer early in the call. For insurance callers, she captures the insurer name and any claim reference, and explains that the bodyshop will contact the insurer to authorise the estimate.
What damage detail does Ava capture for a bodywork estimate booking?
Affected panel, damage type (dent, scuff, scratch, or crack), whether the paint is broken, vehicle colour and whether it is metallic or pearlescent, the model year, and whether the job is insurance or private-pay.
Does Ava give a price for bodywork over the phone?
No. Ava explains honestly that bodywork pricing requires a physical inspection and frames the visual estimate as where the accurate quote is produced. She books the estimate rather than offering a phone figure that may not be honoured.
Can Ava handle insurance jobs via Audatex or Solera?
Ava identifies insurance callers, captures the insurer and claim reference, and explains the estimate authorisation process. She books the visual estimate and flags the job as insurance in the DMS so your estimator prepares the correct documentation.
Does Ava integrate with bodyshop and garage management software?
Yes. Ava integrates with MAM Autoware, Garage Hive, GarageSales, and Motasoft, writing the damage description, vehicle detail, and estimate appointment into your DMS before the call ends.
Can Ava handle PDR enquiries as well as full respray calls?
Yes. Ava captures the caller's interest in PDR where mentioned and notes the damage description for your specialist to assess on inspection. She does not make the PDR-versus-respray determination — that is a technical judgement for your estimator.
Pricing
Ava pays for herself on call one.
A SMART repair (small dents and scuffs) runs £75–£350. A full panel respray is £300–£900. Insurance bodywork jobs via Solera or Audatex can reach £1,500–£5,000. A missed estimate booking can be any of these. Plans from £397/mo. One recovered job a month covers it — everything else is pure upside.
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