Building an AI Phone Receptionist for an Auto Repair Shop With Bland and Claude Code
An automation builder made a demo phone agent for an auto repair shop in about 30 minutes that offers appointment times, captures the car and services and texts a confirmation. He sells such builds for $2,000 plus $500 a month.
Who this is about: AI automation agency (@jasoncooperson)
- Income claim
- Price as statedHe sells builds like this for $2,000 setup plus $500 a month. The call shown is a demo, and he reports no client numbers.
- Money comes from
- Setup fees and monthly retainers for AI phone receptionists sold to local shops.
What it takes
- Cost
- From $0.14/minuteThe Start plan has no platform fee and charges $0.14 a minute of talk time. Build is $299 a month plus $0.12 a minute.Price checked Oct 15, 2026 on bland.ai. Prices change; check before you buy.
- Setup time
- An afternoonOur estimate from the source, for one business.
- Skill needed
- Some tech skillsComfortable installing an app, pasting an API key or running a command.
Explain it simply
This is an AI that answers a car repair shop's phone and talks like a receptionist. It offers appointment times, asks about the car and the problem, and texts the customer a confirmation, following a simple five-step script. The builder sells setups like this to local shops, but the call shown is a practice demo, not a real customer.
How it works
- Map one shop's real call flow. His has five steps: greeting, offer availability, capture the service list, text the VIN and parts details, wrap up.
- Build the voice agent in Bland, with Claude Code for the setup. He says the demo took about 30 minutes.
- Have it offer real open slots, confirm the vehicle and the services wanted, and text the customer a confirmation.
- Sell it to local shops that miss calls while they work, then reuse it for similar shops.
How it went
What's shown is a role-played demo call, so there are no booked-job results from a real shop. The $2,000 plus $500 a month is his stated price for local shops that miss calls while working, not a reported number of clients.
Prompt
1. Greeting: "Thanks for calling [shop], this is Clint. Are you booking a service or asking about a car already here?"
2. Offer availability: read the next 3 open slots from [calendar].
3. Capture service list: year, make, model, mileage; symptoms or services wanted (warning light, brakes, oil, fluids).
4. Text VIN and parts: ask permission, then text a link for the VIN and a summary of the booking.
5. Wrap up: confirm time and address; for anything unclear, take a name and number for a callback.
Rules: never quote repair prices or diagnose; hand urgent safety issues to a
human.The five-step flow is from the reel; the agent's wording is ours.
Business fit
Who this suits, and how:
Side hustlers selling AI services: map one shop's real call flow, build it, then reuse it for similar shops.
Solo foundersAuto repair, tire and detailing shops: capture the car, problem and a slot when no one can pick up.
Local & servicePlumbers, electricians and cleaners: use the same five-step flow for job intake.
Local & serviceClinics and salons: take bookings and send a confirmation text after hours.
Local & service
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Other tools for this job, and how they differ. Chosen by our editors, never paid for.
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