Service managers turn to AI prediagnostic software to speed repairs, increase throughput

Vague notes on repair orders used to send technicians at Audi Chicago scurrying down time-wasting diagnostic rabbit holes.

But armed with a software tool from myKaarma powered by artificial intelligence, those technicians now diagnose and repair cars faster.

Why? Because they’re provided with very specific information about vehicle problems — much more detailed intel than just being told a check-engine light is on or the car is making a funny noise.

As such, the Service Pre-Diag tool from myKaarma, a dealership software provider based in Long Beach, Calif., ratchets up throughput, revenue and customer satisfaction, said David Donnelly, the service drive manager of the Chicago store, owned by AutoNation.

Cycle times in service departments are important. The prediagnostic tool helps get more vehicles into service bays and speeds up repairs.

“Cars are getting tougher to diagnose these days, so getting more detailed information ahead of time is key for technicians,” Donnelly told Automotive News. “It saves them time from asking service advisers to call clients and ask them questions.”

Pre-Diag helps technicians close diagnostic repair orders about 17 hours faster than orders without the tool.

Before, a typical diagnostic repair order was open about 40 hours, Donnelly said.

“We want our techs working on cars all the time, not always taking valuable time to ask service advisers questions,” he said.

Also, because AI generates the Pre-Diag questions, there’s no additional staffing required to do the questioning. And the questions are always on point, which is a big help if service advisers don’t come up through the ranks as technicians, Donnelly said.

“Back in the day, service consultants usually were technicians first,” he said. “But now only one of our service advisers has any technical background. They ask the right questions to a certain extent, but not always to our foreman’s or technicians’ liking.”

Moreover, customers who use the Pre-Diag tool are more likely to show up for appointments, probably because they feel they have more “buy-in” after being asked detailed questions about their vehicle’s problems, he said.

“It’s advantageous for everybody,” Donnelly said. “And our technicians love it because they’re flat-rate technicians, so the faster they work, the more they get paid. The dealership makes more money, too.”

At Mercedes-Benz of Los Angeles and Ford of Downtown Los Angeles, stores owned by Lithia Motors, the service departments are selling about 600 additional labor hours combined per month. The Mercedes store started using Pre-Diag in August and the Ford store started using it in October.

At a labor rate of about $300 an hour, that’s an additional $180,000 in income a month, said Tim Endo, service manager at both stores.

The length of time cars spend in the shop decreased by about a day and a half, which subsequently increased capacity. Loaners are turned in faster, too, he said.

“It creates a domino effect,” Endo said. “In the end, we sell more service, which creates more revenue.”

With Pre-Diag, information comes straight from customers, with nothing left to interpretation. That leads technicians down the correct diagnostic path right away, he said.

“The consistency of the information we get from customers is much higher,” Endo added. “And AI doesn’t have a bad day or forget to ask certain questions, which is huge. It’s definitely beneficial costwise; you get your money’s worth.”

Endo conceded he was skeptical when the store agreed to participate in a pilot program for Pre-Diag. But he was sold within the first month, noting that the tool also better prepares service advisers when customers come in, which builds trust and strengthens customer relationships.

At both the Mercedes-Benz and Audi stores, members of the business development center staff tell customers they will receive a link by text to access the Pre-Diag tool. They urge customers to answer the questions because it will help technicians service their cars more effectively and efficiently, Donnelly and Endo said.

“It’s important to set up that expectation,” said Alka Nath, a senior product manager at myKaarma.

If customers don’t respond, an employee resends the link, Donnelly said.

“Clients usually see the value because they see they’re getting asked good questions that will help get to the bottom of their situations quicker,” Donnelly said.

Customers already feel heard when they come in the door because of Pre-Diag, and it bolsters the relationship between service advisers and customers, Nath said.

“Pre-Diag fills a big gap in the service experience,” they said.

The Mercedes-Benz, Ford and Audi dealerships already were using technology from myKaarma for things such as texting and invoicing customers, and sending them photos and videos from walk-around inspections. As such, it was easy to integrate Pre-Diag into the workflow and learn how to use it, Donnelly and Endo said.

“Technicians usually don’t like new technology,” Donnelly said. “I felt the same way when I was a tech. But they really bought into it.”

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