LONG BEACH, Calif. -

myKaarma announced Tuesday the launch of – SmartAssist — a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool for its platform that acts as a personal assistant for automotive service departments by performing research and providing answers to customer questions.

The AI powered tool is designed to speed up myKaarma user’s communication with customers, improve overall customer experience and boost service department profitability.

The myKaarma platform facilitates service customer communication and payment and runs on mobile phones, desktops and tablet computers.

Along with helping service departments save time answering questions for the customer, the new SmartAssist tool also provides information on previous recalls and assists in setting appointments.

“Wouldn’t it be great if your service advisors never had to click on ten links to find a simple answer?,” myKaarma chairman and chief executive officer Ujj Nath said in a news release. “With SmartAssist they can simply concentrate on taking care of the unique needs of their guests, type less, respond more easily, limit the need to do ‘research’ on each vehicle and instantly know what recalls a customer needs whenever they communicate with you,” Nath explained.  

If a customer texts the service adviser to schedule a service appointment, myKaarma said the screen automatically populates with the customer’s VIN number and available appointment times, which can be sent to the customer with one click.

SmartAssist can quickly provide service departments with quick answers to routine questions, pull up information on outstanding recalls and suggest a reply message that can be sent to the customer.

“It’s like having a personal assistant research and answer client questions. Easy questions, hard questions, and everything in between,” added Nath.

myKaarma’s online payment feature streamlines customers’ pickup of vehicles after service. In addition, myKaarma helps eliminate all paperwork between advisers and controllers.

Additionally, the platform has what the company calls “follow-me” technology that sends the message to the service adviser’s smartphone, allowing them to both reply delegate the message to another service adviser from anywhere.

Following a visit, a payment request is sent to that customer through the app with a cash repair invoice and allows them to both verify repairs and pay on their smartphone tablet, or PC, without having to log into a website.