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Comparisons/Phone answering

AI receptionists for auto repair & dealerships

100 calls/mo · 3 min/call · Book a vehicle service · $200 budget

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Our recommendations if you…

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Keep costs down

MarlieStandard

7 of 11 features documented

$99/mo

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Why this pick?

Lowest calculated service cost: Lowest upper monthly cost from published rates within your budget. Setup, tax and extras are separate. Quote-only prices and reported amounts are not comparable totals, so cannot win this price pick.

Most documented features: Largest documented checklist for the displayed plan. Features count equally; an unresearched feature is not treated as absent. The same eleven criteria were reviewed for all 69 providers. Unpublished or unclear plan inclusions stay unscored; this is not a call-quality test.

Best documented industry fit: Documented industry workflows qualify; named industry integrations rank first. Within the same fit group, confirmed in-budget service costs come before unconfirmed totals, then customer evidence breaks ties. Offers whose known cost exceeds your budget stay in the full list. Unknown prices can qualify with their limits shown. This is documented fit, not an independent integration test.

Message capture · Direct booking · Call transfer · Spam filtering · Rescheduling · Recording / transcripts · Call reports / analytics

Feature source 1 ↗

The industry-specific AI phone workflow includes intake, scheduling and staff handoff. Confirm the actual calendar / business-system connection and permissions.

Industry source ↗Plan details & all sources →

8 services with industry evidence

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Result filters

AgentZap

Starter

4.3/58 reviews on Trustpilot Voice platform · small sample

Tekmetric service scheduling and repair-status handling are documented; confirm shop capacity, permissions and connector charges.

Requirements & limitations →

$236.50/mo

Above your $200/mo budget

+ $499 setup · first month $735.50

Go to provider ↗Plan details & sources
Costs, compatibility & sources

$109 base + 150 extra minutes × $0.85. A separate $499 setup fee applies; first month $735.5 before excluded extras.

Tekmetric service scheduling and repair-status handling are documented; confirm shop capacity, permissions and connector charges.

Industry workflow source ↗
Customer evidence in Recommended

Software, task and industry fit come first. Within an equal-fit group, customer feedback is adjusted for sample size and product scope. A missing public price, market estimate, price report or editorial award does not change this order.

  • Trustpilot ↗ · 4.3/5 · 8 source reviews · Voice platform · checked 2026-10-23

See weighting and limitations →. Separate source signals guide order; we do not invent a combined customer star score.

5 of 11 checklist items documented: Message capture · Direct booking · Call transfer · Recording / transcripts · Custom data fields. 6 items unconfirmed, not confirmed absent. The same eleven criteria were reviewed for all 69 providers; plan inclusion must be explicit.

Feature source 1 ↗ · checked 2026-10-24.

Recurring voice estimate excludes the separately displayed $499 setup, additional integration work and paid human backup.

Original source ↗ · checked Oct 23, 2026.

All 5 plans →

Numa Voice AI

Inbound voice service

5.0/52 reviews on G2 Platform-wide · small sample · 2 sourcesTrustpilot unrated · 0 reviews

Names Xtime and DealerFX service booking.

Requirements & limitations →

$275–1,350/mo

Model estimate · low confidence

Voice service only

Go to provider ↗Plan details & sources
Costs, compatibility & sources

Published inbound voice product; current subscription, usage and implementation require a tailored quote.

Names Xtime and DealerFX service booking. CDK, Tekion and other DMS data connections are recorded separately from scheduler writes.

Industry workflow source ↗
Market estimate · low confidence

This is our illustrative budget range, not this provider’s pricing, a vendor quote or a statistical confidence interval. Managed-service references, not quotes for this vendor or proof of the same specialist connector. Enterprise implementation and underlying business software are excluded.

Same workload: 2 reference providers. 75% of the lowest reference to 150% of the highest, rounded outward to $25; a published plan base is a floor. These margins are editorial assumptions, not observed vendor discounts. Setup, underlying software and specialist integration fees are excluded; these can be material.

Reference prices do not establish connector compatibility or commercial terms for this offer. Not used for budget-only matches, lowest-price or best-value awards. Full estimation method →

Customer evidence in Recommended

Software, task and industry fit come first. Within an equal-fit group, customer feedback is adjusted for sample size and product scope. A missing public price, market estimate, price report or editorial award does not change this order.

  • G2 ↗ · 5/5 · 2 source reviews · Platform-wide · company/platform context, reduced influence · checked 2026-10-23

See weighting and limitations →. Separate source signals guide order; we do not invent a combined customer star score.

4 of 11 checklist items documented: Message capture · Direct booking · Call transfer · Managed onboarding. 7 items unconfirmed, not confirmed absent. The same eleven criteria were reviewed for all 69 providers; plan inclusion must be explicit.

Feature source 1 ↗ · checked 2026-10-24.

Original source ↗ · checked Oct 23, 2026.

View provider →
Lowest calculated price Best value Most documented features

Marlie

Standard

No verified public scoreReview sources checked · details →

The industry-specific AI phone workflow includes intake, scheduling and staff handoff.

Requirements & limitations →

$99/mo

Go to provider ↗Plan details & sources
Costs, compatibility & sources

300 minutes within the 500 allowance. Monthly base $99.

The industry-specific AI phone workflow includes intake, scheduling and staff handoff. Confirm the actual calendar / business-system connection and permissions.

Industry workflow source ↗
Customer evidence in Recommended

Software, task and industry fit come first. Within an equal-fit group, customer feedback is adjusted for sample size and product scope. A missing public price, market estimate, price report or editorial award does not change this order.

No usable scored profile: neutral ordering signal, not a zero-star rating.

See weighting and limitations →. Separate source signals guide order; we do not invent a combined customer star score.

7 of 11 checklist items documented: Message capture · Direct booking · Call transfer · Spam filtering · Rescheduling · Recording / transcripts · Call reports / analytics. 2 items unconfirmed, not confirmed absent. The same eleven criteria were reviewed for all 69 providers; plan inclusion must be explicit.

Feature source 1 ↗ · checked 2026-10-24.

Original source ↗ · checked Oct 23, 2026.

All 5 plans →

Podium AI Employee

AI Employee — custom package

4.0/5363 reviews on Trustpilot Platform-wide

AI call and lead handling within Podium, with industry-specific sales and intake workflows.

Task fit needs confirmation

Requirements & limitations →

Check task fit

Go to provider ↗Plan details & sources
Costs, compatibility & sources

AI, phone platform, implementation and usage terms require a written quote; no public all-in monthly rate is inferred. The selected task is not established for this plan in our checked sources.

The AI Employee is marketed for this sector. Confirm actual voice answering, required Podium package and direct booking; text follow-up alone does not meet the phone-answering task.

Industry workflow source ↗
Customer evidence in Recommended

Software, task and industry fit come first. Within an equal-fit group, customer feedback is adjusted for sample size and product scope. A missing public price, market estimate, price report or editorial award does not change this order.

  • Trustpilot ↗ · 4/5 · 363 source reviews · Platform-wide · company/platform context, reduced influence · checked 2026-10-23

See weighting and limitations →. Separate source signals guide order; we do not invent a combined customer star score.

2 of 11 checklist items documented: Message capture · Multiple locations. 9 items unconfirmed, not confirmed absent. The same eleven criteria were reviewed for all 69 providers; plan inclusion must be explicit.

Feature source 1 ↗ · checked 2026-10-24.

Original source ↗ · checked Oct 23, 2026.

View provider →

AIRA

Premium

No verified public scoreReview sources checked · details →

Per-handled-call AI answering with published allowances and additional-call rates.

Task fit needs confirmation

Requirements & limitations →

Check task fit

Go to provider ↗Plan details & sources
Costs, compatibility & sources

$59.95 base + 10 extra calls × $1. The selected industry booking workflow is not established: The provider markets AI call handling for this industry. Confirm the exact plan, booking action and software connection; this is not an independent test.

The provider markets AI call handling for this industry. Confirm the exact plan, booking action and software connection; this is not an independent test.

Industry workflow source ↗
Customer evidence in Recommended

Software, task and industry fit come first. Within an equal-fit group, customer feedback is adjusted for sample size and product scope. A missing public price, market estimate, price report or editorial award does not change this order.

No usable scored profile: neutral ordering signal, not a zero-star rating.

See weighting and limitations →. Separate source signals guide order; we do not invent a combined customer star score.

7 of 11 checklist items documented: Message capture · Direct booking · Call transfer · Spam filtering · Recording / transcripts · Managed onboarding · Call reports / analytics. 4 items unconfirmed, not confirmed absent. The same eleven criteria were reviewed for all 69 providers; plan inclusion must be explicit.

Feature source 1 ↗ · checked 2026-10-24.

Original source ↗ · checked Oct 23, 2026.

All 4 plans →

Avoca AI

Inbound voice service

Not yet rated0 reviews on G2 Company profile

Managed home-service phone intake with field-service scheduling connections.

Task fit needs confirmation

Requirements & limitations →

Check task fit

Go to provider ↗Plan details & sources
Costs, compatibility & sources

Published inbound voice product; current subscription, usage and implementation require a tailored quote. The selected industry booking workflow is not established: Auto-repair use is mentioned by the provider; a garage-door trade page is not automotive integration evidence. Confirm the actual shop workflow.

Auto-repair use is mentioned by the provider; a garage-door trade page is not automotive integration evidence. Confirm the actual shop workflow.

Industry workflow source ↗
Customer evidence in Recommended

Software, task and industry fit come first. Within an equal-fit group, customer feedback is adjusted for sample size and product scope. A missing public price, market estimate, price report or editorial award does not change this order.

No usable scored profile: neutral ordering signal, not a zero-star rating.

See weighting and limitations →. Separate source signals guide order; we do not invent a combined customer star score.

4 of 11 checklist items documented: Message capture · Direct booking · Call transfer · Multiple locations. 7 items unconfirmed, not confirmed absent. The same eleven criteria were reviewed for all 69 providers; plan inclusion must be explicit.

Feature source 1 ↗ · checked 2026-10-24.

Original source ↗ · checked Oct 23, 2026.

View provider →

Kordless

AI Agent + Smart Booking

No verified public scoreReview sources checked · details →

A modular customer-intake service with a paid voice/chat agent and separate booking product.

Task fit needs confirmation

Requirements & limitations →

Check task fit

Go to provider ↗Plan details & sources
Costs, compatibility & sources

Published $249 voice/chat plus $149 Smart Booking bases; on-call booking permissions and usage need confirmation. The selected task is not established for this plan in our checked sources.

The provider markets AI call handling for this industry. Confirm the exact plan, booking action and software connection; this is not an independent test.

Industry workflow source ↗
Customer evidence in Recommended

Software, task and industry fit come first. Within an equal-fit group, customer feedback is adjusted for sample size and product scope. A missing public price, market estimate, price report or editorial award does not change this order.

No usable scored profile: neutral ordering signal, not a zero-star rating.

See weighting and limitations →. Separate source signals guide order; we do not invent a combined customer star score.

2 of 11 checklist items documented: Message capture · Call transfer. 9 items unconfirmed, not confirmed absent. The same eleven criteria were reviewed for all 69 providers; plan inclusion must be explicit.

Feature source 1 ↗ · checked 2026-10-24.

Public product bases are not guaranteed unlimited voice totals.

Original source ↗ · checked Oct 23, 2026.

All 2 plans →

Frontdesk

Business-in-a-Box

3.4/517 reviews on Trustpilot Product profile · small sample

Voice answering bundled with chat, SMS, CRM and automations.

Task fit needs confirmation

Requirements & limitations →

Check task fit

Go to provider ↗Plan details & sources
Costs, compatibility & sources

$99 base + top-ups for 100 extra minutes. 0–1,000 shared credits available; purchases in $10 blocks. No purchased-credit carryover assumed. The selected industry booking workflow is not established: The provider markets AI call handling for this industry. Confirm the exact plan, booking action and software connection; this is not an independent test.

The provider markets AI call handling for this industry. Confirm the exact plan, booking action and software connection; this is not an independent test.

Industry workflow source ↗
Customer evidence in Recommended

Software, task and industry fit come first. Within an equal-fit group, customer feedback is adjusted for sample size and product scope. A missing public price, market estimate, price report or editorial award does not change this order.

  • Trustpilot ↗ · 3.4/5 · 17 source reviews · Product profile · checked 2026-10-23

See weighting and limitations →. Separate source signals guide order; we do not invent a combined customer star score.

5 of 11 checklist items documented: Message capture · Direct booking · Call transfer · Rescheduling · Call reports / analytics. 6 items unconfirmed, not confirmed absent. The same eleven criteria were reviewed for all 69 providers; plan inclusion must be explicit.

Feature source 1 ↗ · checked 2026-10-24.

Original source ↗ · checked Oct 23, 2026.

All 2 plans →
Every listed rate and your calculation

Minutes = calls × average call length. Different callers = calls minus the estimated repeat calls. Use your phone log to replace these assumptions. Only count calls you would send to the service.

Costs exclude taxes, carrier fees, optional tools and human escalation. Calendar integration, staff permissions and your contract may require a different plan. Unknown overage prices remain open.

Choosing for Auto repair & dealerships

What matters in your workflow

Service capacity

Test the requested job, technician skills, bay availability, drop-off time and the actual booking system.

Vehicle and customer context

Check whether the agent can identify a vehicle and read approved repair-order or DMS information.

Status and safety-sensitive calls

Set boundaries for repair estimates, warranty questions and urgent vehicle concerns that need your team.

Industry sources behind this order

Questions for Auto repair & dealerships

Does a general appointment calendar understand a workshop?

Not by itself. An open slot may lack the right technician, bay, part or service duration. We distinguish general intake from documented automotive workflows.

Do dealership products fit an independent garage?

Some require a dealership DMS and managed rollout. Compare implementation and underlying software requirements before comparing the headline AI cost.

Should I select my DMS or my service scheduler?

For booking, choose the service scheduler when you can. Numa documents Xtime and DealerFX appointments separately from DMS customer/history context. AgentZap names Tekmetric booking. A CDK or Tekion data connection alone does not prove a confirmed service slot.

Before you move your calls.

1

Start with missed calls

Use forwarding for overflow or after-hours coverage. Keep your existing process available.

2

Try your real scenarios

Test a booking, a corrected address, an out-of-area request and an urgent handoff.

3

Check the outcome

Look for the actual calendar entry, message or connection to your team.

Questions worth asking

Can I keep my existing phone number?

Often the practical starting point is call forwarding: your carrier sends missed or after-hours calls to the service’s number. This differs from porting your number to another provider. Ask your carrier about conditional forwarding, fees and a quick way to turn it off. Goodcall documents forwarding on its workflow page; confirm the exact process for any service you choose.

Will it work with my calendar or dispatch software?

Ask for your exact software and workflow to be demonstrated. Sending a scheduling link differs from creating a real appointment. Check travel buffers, service areas, technician availability and duplicate bookings. Goodcall names Google Calendar; Smith.ai names Calendly; Rosie and Frontdesk advertise booking. That does not establish compatibility with your particular dispatch setup.

Who answers when a caller needs a person?

A transfer to your team still requires your staff to pick up. External staffed backup is a separate service and can carry extra charges. Our estimates cover AI answering; they do not include a paid human escalation service. Test what happens when your team is busy, offline or unable to accept the transfer.

What will extra calls actually cost?

Rosie publishes minute allowances but we did not establish an extra-minute rate. Frontdesk publishes usage credits and top-ups. Goodcall charges for different caller numbers. Smith.ai charges for calls. Open the rate calculation above, then ask the provider for a written example using your volume, optional tools and expected busy month.

How hard is setup and cancellation?

Someone needs to own the setup: business hours, job types, boundaries on quotes, calendar access and who receives an urgent call. Paid Smith.ai Pro lists onboarding support; Rosie Growth lists assisted setup. Time-to-launch claims are provider claims until tested. Smith.ai’s AI pricing FAQ states 30 days’ cancellation notice. For any plan, record the renewal date and verify cancellation terms before paying.

What changes when several staff or locations need access?

Distinguish dashboard editors from people receiving calls. Goodcall lists 1, 5 or 10 dashboard team members by tier. Frontdesk lists two editors on Business. Your dispatch team may need a higher plan, separate numbers or a custom setup. The lowest voice estimate does not guarantee enough team access.

How is this comparison selected and funded?

Our comparison uses documented plans, industry and software compatibility, and public customer feedback with its original source and scope. Recommended is the default; missing public prices do not lower an offer’s position. We have not performed independent call tests.

We may earn a commission through Rosie, NextPhone, AI-Receptionist.com and Maple affiliate links. Editorial rankings, awards and customer ratings are unaffected. No paid ranking placements are active. Any future paid first position will be labelled Promoted and kept separate from editorial awards and customer ratings. Read the comparison methodology →

Provider and pricing sources

Industry workflow sources appear above. Original pricing, plan conditions and review profiles are linked on each provider page.

Customer rating sources

Our order. Our funding.

What determines the order?

With existing software selected: documented task-compatible connections come first; offers requiring a different business platform are hidden. Unconfirmed connections are available through a separate opt-in. Recommended is the default: a labelled Promoted offer, when an eligible commercial contract is active, appears first. The highest confirmed commission in this filtered view determines that paid position. The editorial order follows documented software / industry fit, then customer feedback adjusted for sample size and product scope. Missing public pricing, amounts, price reports and price/value/feature awards do not change Recommended. Cost-only and name sorts do not pin paid offers. Customer feedback affects editorial ordering with explicit sample-size and product-scope adjustments; raw stars alone do not determine the order.

Named integration → industry workflow → industry mention → general candidate. These are source-evidence groups, not results of independent call tests.

Do we receive a commission?

We may earn a commission when you sign up through our Rosie, NextPhone, AI-Receptionist.com or Maple links. These affiliate relationships do not change editorial rankings, awards or customer ratings. No paid ranking placements are currently active. When commercial placements are activated, commission determines the clearly labelled Promoted position in Recommended, separately from editorial price/value/feature awards and review scores. Rates are compared as contract-confirmed USD payouts per qualified conversion over the first 12 months; unconfirmed percentages are not treated as dollar payouts.

Read the full methodology →

Your side-by-side comparison

Same workload. Different billing rules. Read the scope and task-fit row before comparing prices.

Planned comparison

Compare phone services

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