UC-16 Auto repair
Phone system for auto repair shops that answers when the service writer is under a car
A phone system for auto repair shops puts the shop number on every service writer and owner phone, sends callers to the service desk, parts counter or owner by keypress, rolls an unanswered call to the next person, and turns missed calls into voicemail transcripts and text replies. Phoner is $9 per user per month on Starter and $17 on Team, billed yearly, with menus, routing and business texting on Team.
A shop phone rings while the service writer is at the counter and the techs have grease to the elbows. The caller who gets voicemail on a brake job calls the next shop on the list.
Where a repair shop loses jobs to the phone
Three ways the current setup quietly hands callers to somebody else.
Pain 01
Nobody can pick up during the morning drop-off rush
Between 7 and 9 AM the writer is checking in customers face to face. A caller asking for a brake quote gets a ring-out and books with whoever answers.
Pain 02
Vendors, parts calls and customers share one line
A parts supplier confirming a delivery ties up the same line a customer needs for an approval. Sorting by purpose keeps the customer call from waiting behind a routine one.
Pain 03
Estimates and status updates live on a personal cell
When the owner texts a customer from a personal phone, the history leaves with that phone. The shop has no record of what was quoted or approved.
One shop number and a path for every caller
Every outcome below is a setting you flip, not a project you scope.
Customers, parts and vendors to the right desk
An IVR phone menu lets a caller press 1 for service, 2 for parts or 3 for the owner, so a delivery driver never blocks a customer waiting on an approval.
Calls that roll to the next person
Set call routing so the service writer rings first, then the second writer, then the owner. After closing time a business hours schedule sends callers to voicemail with a text transcript.
Estimates, approvals and pickup texts
Send an estimate link or a ready-for-pickup message with business texting from the shop number, with replies in a shared inbox. Texting goes live on a number once carrier registration is approved, usually a few business days.
Work from the shop phone or your own
Writers and the owner sign into the mobile app and call as the shop number, so a customer never sees a personal cell and the owner can take a call from the parts store.
Shops that record calls to settle disputes over what was approved should check the rules. Our state-by-state guide to call recording laws shows which states need every party to agree.
How a real call plays out
Straight from the operator's call sheet, next to the math the decision maker actually runs.
At 7:20 on a Monday a customer calls to ask about a brake job. Both writers are checking in cars, so the first rings out and the call rolls to the second, who texts back a quote range within minutes. At noon a parts supplier presses 2 and goes to the counter. At 6:15 that evening a customer calls after closing, reaches voicemail, and the transcript is waiting in the shared inbox the next morning.
A shop with two service writers and an owner is three seats. On Team, which includes the menu, routing and business texting, that is $51 a month billed yearly, or $105 month to month. One extra job booked from a call that used to ring out covers it.
Recording and consent
Phoner is a business phone system. It does not hold callers in a queue, route by skill or longest idle time, integrate directly with shop management software, or offer a HIPAA BAA. A multi-location group that needs one queue across bays and a dispatch board should look at a contact center platform. A one to ten person shop that needs calls answered, sorted and texted back fits well.
See it answer for your team
Pick a number, build the menu, and run an incoming call through the switchboard. It takes about 20 seconds, right here.
01 · Pick your number
02 · Your phone menu
03 · Incoming call
Press a key to answer the menu yourself
Voicemail to text
transcribed · texted to you · 0:42
Call sheet
Today
Request this number today. It is usually assigned the same business day.
Recording consent laws vary by state and country. You are responsible for lawful use.
Questions auto repair shops ask first
Yes. Number porting is free and our team handles the carrier paperwork. Your existing number keeps ringing while the transfer completes, which usually takes one to two weeks, and a temporary number is assigned in the meantime.
No. Calls ring in the Phoner app on any phone or computer, so there is no hardware to buy. If you want a desk phone at the counter, standard SIP desk phones are supported, or you can keep using a cell.
The call rolls through your ring order, then goes to voicemail. The voicemail is transcribed and sent to the shared inbox as text, so a writer can reply by text in a minute instead of calling back blind.
What it costs, in plain numbers
Per user, month to month, unlimited US and Canada calling on every plan. Yearly billing saves 50 percent. Every plan starts at 3 users.
Starter
$9
per user / mo yearly · $19 monthly
Team · Most popular
$17
per user / mo yearly · $35 monthly
Business
$34
per user / mo yearly · $69 monthly
Enterprise
$59
per user / mo yearly · $118 monthly
Most teams like yours pick Team at $17 per user per month billed yearly for the phone menu, team routing, shared numbers, texting, and recording. The full business phone system cost breakdown lists every plan and add-on, including extra numbers at $5 per month.
Also on Phoner: Small business · Startups · Remote teams · Law firms · Real estate · Agencies · Contractors · Accounting firms · Insurance agencies · Property management · Restaurants · Car dealerships · Nonprofits · Financial advisors · Staffing agencies
UC-16 Auto repair · Your line is open
Answer the next call like a company
Pick a number, build your menu, and answer from the phone already in your pocket. Requested in minutes, assigned the same business day, from $9 per user per month billed yearly, no contracts.
No credit card to get started. Cancel any time.