By Robert Barry - Editor | AutoTalk
Australian-based tech innovator Contact Harald has launched ‘Ask Harry,’ an AI-powered voice assistant that will transform franchise car dealership operations.
Ask Harry offers a solution for automating service bookings and customer interactions while integrating with existing DMS (Dealership Management Systems).
Eight engineers and two years were spent building Ask Harry, which handles incoming and outgoing phone calls to support admin teams and reduce the time customers spend on hold, which can lead to customer dissatisfaction.
With real-time analytics and detailed reporting, dealerships can gain actionable insights into customer behaviour, service bookings, and sales calls, allowing senior management to make data-driven decisions that improve customer satisfaction and drive business growth.
“At its core, Ask Harry is a virtual assistant for car dealerships. Customers can use voice commands to book a service, ask about their vehicle, or get help with common queries—day or night,” Contact Harald’s co-founder and director, Nick O’Halloran, says.
“For dealership staff, it takes over time-consuming admin tasks like scheduling, follow-ups, and call handling, freeing them up to focus on providing better in-person service. And because it syncs directly with the DMS, there is no duplication or errors,” he says.
Behind the scenes, Ask Harry gathers valuable data to help dealerships better understand their customers. This includes identifying trends in service bookings and improving call management.
Developed by a dedicated team of engineers over two years, Ask Harry helps dealerships reduce call wait times, ease the workload for admin teams, and provide a more efficient service and sales experience for customers.
“With features like real-time analytics and detailed reporting, Ask Harry empowers dealership principals with valuable insights into customer preferences, service activity, and sales calls to enable smarter decisions that boost customer satisfaction and business growth”, O’Halloran says.
To assist dealerships across the country in measuring the cost of missed calls, Ask Harry has also created a free Missed Calls Calculator where dealership owners and staff can punch in their daily calls to calculate the average monthly sales and service loss to their business.
Hey Suzi
In its first national rollout and commercial partnership, Contact Harald has partnered with Suzuki Australia to introduce Hey Suzi.
Powered by Ask Harry, Hey Suzi will roll out across all 92 Suzuki dealerships. A dedicated Hey Suzi phone number will be available for all Suzuki customers. The service aims to provide a convenient way for customers to book a service, make an enquiry, or be transferred to roadside assistance.
Once the customer places the call, Hey Suzi is smart enough to recognise the customer’s phone number and link it with their car and the dealership they are affiliated with.
Depending on the customer’s intent, Hey Suzi will intelligently respond to their request (e.g., Book a Service), route the call to roadside assistance, or transfer to their preferred dealership based on the customer’s service history or requested change.
“As we introduce Hey Suzi to Suzuki dealerships, we’re enhancing our service efficiency and redefining how we engage with our customers. This voice assistant technology aligns perfectly with our commitment to innovation and customer care, making service bookings, inquiries, and support more seamless. We’re thrilled to see how Hey Suzi will elevate the Suzuki experience”, Suzuki Australia general manager Michael Pachota says.
Feature 1 – Call-in Service
Hey, Suzi is available 24/7, which makes it easy for Suzuki vehicle owners to book service appointments. Suzuki owners need to call the dedicated phone number, and like a normal conversation, Suzi will pull up their details and vehicle history and create the service booking. The appointments are then automatically entered into the dealer’s DMS.
“By automating service bookings and streamlining customer inquiries, Hey Suzi will reduce the administrative load, allowing our teams to focus on delivering an exceptional customer experience. This technology relieves our staff and creates a more efficient, responsive service environment for Suzuki,” Pachota says.
Feature 2 – Customer Engagement and Promotions
In addition to enhancing service, the Ask Harry tech supports dealerships in driving sales through personalised outreach, including proactive calls for test drives and event promotions. The technology’s capability to integrate with all major DMS providers ensures a smooth and efficient transition for dealerships looking to adopt this cutting-edge solution.
The promotion feature will be rolled out in the future and will enhance customer engagement through targeted marketing campaigns using the Hey Suzi voice AI capability.
This feature enables us to contact existing customers with personalised offers and promotions, such as “Test Drive the New Model,” “End of Financial Year Promotion,” or “End of Finance Upgrade.”
Through natural language conversations, Hey Suzi places an outbound call and conveys a personal and engaging sales message. Hey, Suzi then schedules appointments with interested customers, helping to strengthen customer relationships and drive sales. The promotion feature can also be used to re-engage with customers who may not have interacted with Suzuki in the recent past.
These touchpoints drive sales, enhance brand awareness, and deliver exceptional offers and experiences to existing and potential customers.
“We wanted this AI assistant to provide dealerships with the ability to connect with customers in new, personalised ways and streamline routine tasks like service bookings so they can focus their efforts on what truly matters—delivering an exceptional customer experience while driving sales and business growth”, O’Halloran says.
Feature 3 – Call-In Transfer
The Call-In Transfer feature seamlessly directs any incoming call to Suzuki to the appropriate destination based on the caller’s needs. Using a pre-approved and regularly updated list of numbers, calls can be transferred to various locations, including dealerships (excluding Queensland), Suzuki Customer Service, or Roadside Assist. This feature streamlines customer interactions, ensuring they are quickly connected to the right team for assistance.
13 Feb 2025 - Article by AutoTalk