Belron Creates Second Car Repair Booking Alexa Skill for the UK’s Autoglass

on January 4, 2019 at 1:52 am

Autoglass has launched an Alexa skill, called “Autoglass,” that helps users book glass or body repairs for cars. Owned by Belron, the Alexa skill is the first in the UK of its kind and the second in the world. The first skill offering bookings for car glass and body repairs was Safelite, which is also owned by Belron. Safelite’s Alexa skill was launched in April of 2017 in the U.S.

Using the new Alexa skill, users can book appointments with Autoglass and Autoglass BodyRepair, in addition to making inquiries. Users can prompt a booking by saying, “Alexa, tell Autoglass I cracked my windshield” or “Alexa, ask Autoglass what services do you have?” Autoglass says it took nine months to develop the skill, and that it enables customers to request an appointment based on their availability and ask questions about the service. Easy customer interaction and an interest in keeping up with digital trends were both catalysts behind the new skill according to Ed Colley, Autoglass’s head of digital, as reported in FleetNews:

Technology is rapidly evolving and changing our daily lives, so as a business it is important that we adapt to the needs of our customers. Over 30 million smart speakers were sold globally last year and that is expected to double this year given the exploding rate of consumer adoption for voice technology. We want to be wherever our customers are digitally, to ensure that booking an appointment and interacting with Autoglass is as easy as possible.

Both Safelite and Autoglass have developed mobile applications and online services that allow customers to take and upload photos of their car damage, in order to receive an estimated cost for repair. The services also give users the opportunity to immediately book an appointment. Colley also stated,

We’re investing in voice-enabled systems now to ensure that we are at the forefront of the market as the technology evolves and the adoption rate increases further.

Car Repair Voice Applications

Mobile car repair is an interesting use case for a voice assistant, especially on mobile devices. Voicebot’s 2018 Voice Assistant Consumer Adoption Report found that voice assistant use is more prevalent on smartphones than any other surface. Autoglass provides an example of how consumers can within minutes get a quote for the scratch or cracked window they just found on their parked car.

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