AI Answering Service for Auto Body & Collision Repair Shops
Frontivo.io is a 24/7 AI receptionist and answering service for auto body and collision repair shops. It answers calls, chats and texts, books estimate appointments and drop-offs, captures vehicle, damage and insurance-claim details before the customer arrives, explains your towing, rental and insurance process in your own words, and takes "is my car ready?" messages for your team. Phone Only starts at $199/month; phone, website chat and text together are $299/month. Every plan starts with a 14-day free trial and no credit card.
14-day free trial · No credit card · 14-day money-back on your first payment · Keep your number by forwarding it
Hi, someone rear-ended me yesterday. I need an estimate.
I'm sorry to hear that — is everyone okay?
Yeah, just shaken up.
Glad you're okay. What's the year, make and model, and is the car still drivable?
What can an AI receptionist do for an auto body shop?
Estimate appointments
Books in-person estimates and drop-offs into the times you set, and tells customers what to bring — claim number, insurance details and their registration.
Vehicle and damage details
Collects year, make, model, where the damage is, whether the car is drivable and whether airbags deployed, so your estimator is ready.
Insurance claim intake
Records the insurer, claim number and adjuster contact if the customer has them, and explains how your shop works with insurers in your approved wording — never coverage or fault.
Tow-ins and non-drivable cars
Checks that everyone is safe, explains your towing partner or tow-in process and after-hours drop-off, and flags tow-ins for your team.
Repair status messages
Takes "is my car ready?" and "any news on parts?" messages with the customer's name, vehicle and claim number and alerts your team (live transfer to your shop's number is on every phone plan).
Rental and loaner questions
Explains your rental-car partner or loaner arrangements, and that rental coverage depends on the customer's claim, which their insurer confirms.
Reminders and reviews
Sends appointment reminders, and on Growth review requests after the repair.
Why auto body shops miss estimate calls
Collision customers call right after an accident, stressed and often working through a list of shops. Your estimators are writing estimates, talking to adjusters and walking customers around damaged cars, so the phone rings out. A missed estimate call can be a repair order that goes to another shop, and status calls from customers waiting on parts and supplements eat hours of the front desk's week.
How does Frontivo.io book an estimate after a fender bender?
A sample conversation. Prices and names are examples — Frontivo.io only quotes the prices and details you give it.
Caller
Hi, someone rear-ended me yesterday. I need an estimate.
Frontivo.io AI
I'm sorry to hear that — is everyone okay?
Caller
Yeah, just shaken up.
Frontivo.io AI
Glad you're okay. What's the year, make and model, and is the car still drivable?
Caller
2020 Honda Civic. It drives, but the bumper is hanging and the trunk won't close.
Frontivo.io AI
Thanks. Have you opened a claim yet? If so, which insurer, and do you have the claim number?
Caller
Yes, with the other driver's insurance. I have the claim number.
Frontivo.io AI
Great. Estimates are free and take about 30 minutes. I have tomorrow at 9:00 AM or 3:30 PM Pacific. Which works?
Caller
3:30.
Frontivo.io AI
Booked for tomorrow at 3:30 PM Pacific. I've texted you a confirmation with our address — please bring the claim number and your insurance details. Our estimator will walk you through the repair and next steps with the insurer when you arrive.
How do you set up an AI receptionist for an auto body shop?
- 1
Tell Frontivo.io about your auto body shop: services, prices, hours and service area — type them in or import an FAQ or services page from your website.
- 2
Set your rules — what counts as urgent, when to transfer to a person, and which times can be booked — then test every channel in the Channel Tester.
- 3
Forward your business line (or get a new Frontivo.io number: in seconds in the US and Canada, after a documents check in most other countries) and paste one line of code to add the chat and voice widget to your website.
What to add to your knowledge base
- Collision estimates (free or paid, appointment or walk-in)
- Working with insurance companies and claims
- Bumper, panel and frame repair
- Paint and color matching
- Paintless dent repair
- Towing partner and after-hours drop-off
- Rental cars and loaners
- Repair and paint warranty
Works with the tools you already use
- Your business phone number. Forward your existing line, or get a new number.
- Google & Outlook Calendar. Checks live availability before it books, so slots aren't double-booked.
- Website chat, text, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger & email. One AI receptionist answers on every channel with the same knowledge (WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and email are on Growth, or each on its own single-channel plan). WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger open soon, once Meta's approval is through: reserve WhatsApp Only, Instagram Only, Messenger Only or Growth at no charge.
- Zapier, webhooks and API. Send every new lead and booking to the other software your auto body shop runs on through Zapier, Make, signed webhooks or the API (on Growth; opens soon, reserve it at no charge). Google Sheets and Slack or Teams alerts work on every plan.
What are missed calls costing your auto body shop?
Adjust the sliders to your own numbers.
Estimated extra revenue if those callers book
$38,970/month
- Phone Only plan
- -$199
- Net per month
- $38,771
Pays for itself after 1 job a month.
An estimate from your own numbers, not a promise. Prices in US dollars.
Start free trialFrontivo.io vs voicemail vs an answering service for auto body shops
Voicemail
- Cost
- Free
- Hours
- 24/7
- Books on your calendar
- No
- Knows your urgent calls
- No
- Channels
- Phone only
Human answering service (Ruby, Smith.ai)
- Cost
- Ruby from $250/mo for 50 minutes; Smith.ai from $300/mo for 30 calls
- Hours
- 24/7
- Books on your calendar
- Often (Calendly or Google Calendar)
- Knows your urgent calls
- Follows your script
- Channels
- Phone; live chat or texts with some providers
In-house receptionist
- Cost
- About $4,500/mo in the US (median pay $38,010/yr plus benefits)
- Hours
- Business hours
- Books on your calendar
- Yes
- Knows your urgent calls
- Yes
- Channels
- One call at a time
Frontivo.io
- Cost
- From $199/mo for phone; $299/mo for phone, chat and text; usage included
- Hours
- 24/7
- Books on your calendar
- Yes
- Knows your urgent calls
- Yes
- Channels
- Phone, chat, text, email (WhatsApp, Instagram & Messenger open soon)
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
| Option | Cost | Hours | Books on your calendar | Knows your urgent calls | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voicemail | Free | 24/7 | Phone only | ||
| Human answering service (Ruby, Smith.ai) | Ruby from $250/mo for 50 minutes; Smith.ai from $300/mo for 30 calls | 24/7 | Often (Calendly or Google Calendar) | Follows your script | Phone; live chat or texts with some providers |
| In-house receptionist | About $4,500/mo in the US (median pay $38,010/yr plus benefits) | Business hours | One call at a time | ||
| Frontivo.io | From $199/mo for phone; $299/mo for phone, chat and text; usage included | 24/7 | Phone, chat, text, email (WhatsApp, Instagram & Messenger open soon) |
Sources: Ruby and Smith.ai pricing pages (checked September 28, 2026); US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Receptionists (2025 median pay) and Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (June 2026, benefits 30% of compensation). US prices from the sources above; other providers and countries vary. Frontivo.io prices are in US dollars.
For body shops the key difference is complete intake on the first call: Frontivo.io captures the vehicle, damage, drivability and claim details your estimator needs, and books the estimate while the customer is still deciding which shop to use.
How much does an AI receptionist for auto body shops cost?
Phone Only is $199/month: 300 AI voice minutes (about 100 calls), live call transfer to your shop's number, missed-call text-back and appointment reminders. Auto body shops who also want website chat and texting choose Starter ($299/month): 300 AI voice minutes (about 100 calls), 300 website chats and 300 AI text replies, plus the Leads and Customers pages. Teams that also want WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and email choose Growth ($549/month; opens soon, reserve it at no charge) for all 7 channels, with 450 minutes (about 150 calls), 600 conversations and 500 text replies, plus review requests, follow-up texts and analytics. Calls and website chat work from day one; texting switches on after carrier approval for your number. Annual plans save 15%, extra usage is billed per unit or can be set to pause at your allowance, and every plan starts with a 14-day free trial with no card and no setup fee (your phone number is connected when you subscribe, and WhatsApp comes with WhatsApp Only or Growth, which open soon). Other single-channel plans start at $99/month. Several locations or 1,500+ minutes a month? Talk to us about a custom plan. Prices in US dollars.
Compare all plansFAQ
Auto Body Shops: FAQ
Straight answers about how Frontivo.io works for auto body shops.
- Yes. It books in-person estimates and drop-offs into the times you set in Frontivo.io or your connected Google or Outlook Calendar, and texts the customer what to bring.
Still have questions?
Pick whatever's easiest. We're happy to help.
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Related industries
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- Insurance agency answering service
Answer calls 24/7.
Website chat can be live in about 15 minutes, and your phone number is connected when you subscribe. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
- 14-day free trial
- No credit card
- Cancel anytime
Several locations, a team, or a custom setup? Talk to sales