Everyone wants their tires on the same week.
Come late October, half your customers call about the same thing, and most of them call while you're torquing lug nuts. AlloPlace answers in English or French, books the change into your calendar, and sends the customer a confirmation text.
The calls you get
Mostly it's the swap: "Can you put my winters on?" In Quebec, winter tires are mandatory from December 1 to March 15, so that call comes in waves every fall, then again in spring when the winters come off.
Then there are the calls that need a number. Do you have 225/65R17? What's a set of four going to cost? Do you store tires? Can I just show up? Add a flat on a Saturday morning and a fleet manager who wants six vans done before the first snow.
What it does for you
Books changes by the slot. A tire change is a fixed-length job, which is exactly what calendar booking handles well. It offers open times from your Google Calendar and books the one the caller picks.
Asks before it books. On rims or not, which vehicle, and whether their tires are already in storage with you. Your tech knows what's pulling in.
Quotes the prices you give it. Changes, storage, balancing: if it's on your list, it answers. A specific tire in a specific size becomes a message for the counter, unless you've written it in.
Takes the overflow. Several people can call at the same time, and nobody lands in voicemail during the busiest weeks of the year.
Answers calls from Google's AI. In the US, Google has been testing "Ask for me", where its AI calls tire and auto shops to ask about prices and availability for someone searching. Businesses can opt out. If you don't, AlloPlace answers those calls like any other, from the prices you've given it. More on AI agent calls
A typical call
It's a Tuesday evening in early November in Sherbrooke. A customer calls to get her winter tires put on. AlloPlace answers in French with your shop's name, says it's an AI assistant, and asks whether her winters are stored with you. They are. It offers Thursday at 8:40, she takes it, and she agrees to a reminder the day before. The booking is in your calendar when you open in the morning.
TBD: replace with a real call once a customer agrees.
Rules you might write
- "If someone asks about a specific tire size, take a message for the counter with the size and the vehicle."
- "No walk-ins from October 15 to December 1. Offer the next open slot."
- "If a fleet customer calls, put them through to Martin."
- "If someone has a flat and needs to come in today, transfer to the shop."
Good to know
- Calendar or software: books into Google Calendar only. If your bookings or stock live in shop software, there's no direct connection yet. Talk to us before you sign up.
- Your number: forward the shop's existing number, so the one on your sign and your Google listing keeps working.
- French: it speaks French and English and switches when the caller does. More on that
What it costs
Starter is US$30 a month (about CA$43) for 150 minutes. If the fall rush runs long, extra minutes are US$0.20 each, and you can set a spending cap. Full pricing