Openbay, the marketplace for automotive services and provider of SaaS solutions for the automotive aftermarket, announced the launch of Otis. Openbay Otis is an automated artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning application designed to serve as a virtual automotive service advisor. Otis supports the needs of vehicle owners interacting with automotive aftermarket businesses and automotive dealership service departments, delivering important intent-matching capabilities and information about a business. It also simulates the knowledge and natural language of an automotive service advisor, able to perform tasks central to an automotive services business or automotive service department business.
Openbay Otis is the first-of-its-kind application for the automotive service and aftermarket industry. Otis operates 24/7 and is integrated into the online presence of an automotive services business. Otis understands and responds in natural language via a messaging communication platform, engaging in conversations that are two-way, private and personalized. With its deep knowledge in automotive and an understanding of millions of mechanical services for a variety of import and domestic vehicle year-makemodels, Otis is positioned to uniquely answer questions and deliver information to consumers seeking to repair or service their vehicle.
The Challenge
According to Gartner, by 2020 85 percent of consumers will engage with a business without interacting with another human being. Furthermore, 60 percent of Millennials currently interact with businesses using virtual messaging platforms, with 70 percent reporting positive experiences. Today’s automotive service businesses remain unaligned with the buying behavior characteristics of younger Millennial and Generation Z consumers, who represent over 69 million drivers. These generations expect an instantaneous, personalized connection to their service provider and access to services, specific to their needs. Until now, there was no cost-effective way to improve online engagement with, and increase loyalty from, these powerful segments without adding significant resources and operational costs.
The Solution: AI-powered Openbay Otis
With Otis, vehicle owners have around the clock access to an intelligent virtual service assistant that can respond to their information needs and deliver it on their favorite messaging platform quicker than using other forms of communication or information platforms.
“Openbay Otis provides an amazing experience to our website visitors and customers,” said Barry Steinberg, CEO of Direct Tire and Auto Service. “It streamlines the process of directing client needs from start to finish. Whether it’s scheduling, tire pricing or mechanical repair, Otis handles it all.”
“After installing Otis customer appointments have increased across all four of our locations that we can attribute to Otis,” continued Bob Lane, VP Operations and General Manager of Direct Tire and Auto Service. “Additionally, Otis is working outside of business hours handling more than 20 percent of daily inquires reaching a customer segment we would not have otherwise been able to reach.”
Joe Panichella, Automotive Service Manager of Honda Village, a leading Honda dealership serving the greater Boston area, “Openbay Otis installed on our website resulted in material growth in the number of service appointments booked online and an increase in customers representing the millennial market segment. We attribute the customer growth to Otis’ ease of use and how it performs on mobile devices.”
Openbay Otis personifies an automotive service business. Otis can:
• Become the virtual assistant of online web presence, delivering information in real-time during and after business hours
• Deliver information on types of vehicles serviced and services offered
• Deliver price estimates for automotive service based on a vehicle year-makemodel
• Allow vehicle owners to book a service appointment at time slots dictated by the business
• Deliver automated vehicle recall information
• Capture vehicle owner information that can be used for demand generation campaigns
• Communicate with a consumer based on their platform preference (e.g. text, email, phone)
• Deliver multiple personalized simultaneous private conversations with consumers at scale
• Monitor and take action on Otis activity using Openbay ASP mobile app for automotive service professionals
"Recent results from a survey taken by more than 300 vehicle owners using Otis show that more than 90 percent had a positive reaction to having an online conversation with the automotive service business with Otis in production," said Rob Infantino, founder and CEO of Openbay. "Openbay Otis is industry-changing technology aimed to modernize the way automotive service businesses interact with the behavioral characteristics of the modern-day vehicle owner."
Pricing and availability
Openbay Otis is currently operating on leading automotive service websites and marketing solution providers such as Net Driven, TCS, MechanicNet, Kukui, and others. Openbay Otis is available as a subscription service having multiple tiered plans to meet the needs of a variety of businesses from single location, multi-location and enterprise. Each plan offers a full-access free trial period.
