SUZUKI Australia’s 92-dealer network in late December switched its online service booking to an AI program and is already showing positive results with one dealer reporting a 38 per cent rise in service retention.

The distributor now uses an AI-powered voice assistant called ‘Ask Harry’, which is the core of the online service booking tool known by the Suzuki network as ‘Hey Suzi’.

Contact Harald co-founders Matt Denton (left) and Nick O’Halloran (centre) with Suzuki Australia general manager Michael Pachota

Suzuki Australia general manager Michael Pachota told GoAutoNews Premium that the move to AI was triggered during COVID amid the swell of activity and interest in the use of artificial intelligence for the automotive industry.

“Suzuki was approached by different companies with AI techniques during COVID and we looked at all the positives and negatives,” he said.

“For us, at that time, we didn’t see anything that suited us. So we waited. Tech company ‘Contact Harald’, who we have had previous contact with on another product, then showed us ‘Ask Harry’. For us, this then developed into ‘Hey Suzi’.”

Mr Pachota said that Contact Harald then had to ensure Hey Suzi could interact with the nine DMS providers used by the 92 dealers in the national Suzuki network.

“This was in addition to a couple of dealers who had a more simplified service booking system, such as using pen and paper,” he said.

“The AI system is absolutely the right way to go for us. It provides absolute convenience for the customer and also for the dealer.

“Customer expectations are much, much higher now than in the pre-COVID era. Using AI puts us one step closer to making booking a car for service quicker, easier, less stressful and because it’s efficient, less expensive.”

Mr Pachota said that extensive research done by Suzuki Australia showed that booking a car for service could take up to 10 minutes by phone.

“It’s labour intensive and there’s never enough people when you have a lot of calls such as during peak time,” he said.“Delays are unacceptable, especially in these times. A call centre can handle a lot of calls but even then there will be customers put on hold. And call centres – the equipment, the people and the building they occupy – are expensive.”

The Suzuki research showed 39 per cent of customers booked their car for service after hours.

“So we now have a totally new opportunity for dealers to use AI to make service bookings and the workshop time and technicians’ rosters, more efficiently. At the same time, the customer appreciates no waiting on the phone and that boosts confidence which increases service retention.”

Mr Pachota said that the AI system is not in place for people to lose jobs. 

“It is an opportunity to increase the work available for technicians and service advisors while the dealership doesn’t have to have the added cost of a call centre,” he said.

He said that Contact Harald is now working with Suzuki Australia on other AI products for dealerships, including for sales. 

In addition to enhancing service, the technology supports dealerships in driving sales through personalised outreach, including proactive calls for test drives and event promotions. 

At its core, the Ask Harry product, developed by Australian company Contact Harald, handles incoming and outgoing phone calls to support time-poor admin teams and reduces the time customers spend on-hold, which can lead to customer dissatisfaction.

The company said that with real-time analytics and detailed reporting, dealerships can gain actionable insights into customer behaviour, service bookings, and sales calls, allowing principals to make data-driven decisions that improve customer satisfaction and drive business growth.

Contact Harald co-founder and director, Nick O’Halloran said that Ask Harry acts as 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,” he said.

Michael Pachota

“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. 

“Because it syncs directly with the DMS, there is no duplication or errors.”

It works by recognising the customer’s phone number and then links it with their car and the dealership they are affiliated with. 

Depending on the customer’s intent, Hey Suzi by voice will intelligently respond to their request (e.g. Book a Service) or route the call to roadside assist, or transfer to their preferred dealership, based on the customer’s service history or requested change.

Mr Pachota said that Hey Suzi “not only enhances our service efficiency but redefines 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 than ever,” he said.“Hey Suzi is available 24/7 and makes it easy for Suzuki vehicle owners to book in their service appointments. Owners simply call Hey Suzi on the dedicated phone number and – like a normal conversation – it will pull up their details along with the vehicle history and create the service booking. The appointments are then automatically entered into the dealer’s DMS.” 

The product can also provide a ‘missed calls calculator’ where dealership owners and staff can punch in their daily calls to calculate the average monthly loss in sales and service to the business.

It also has a ‘call-in transfer’ feature that directs any incoming call to Suzuki to the appropriate destination based on the caller’s needs. It uses a pre-approved and regularly updated list of numbers to transfer calls to various locations, including dealerships (excluding Queensland), Suzuki customer service, or roadside assist. 

Hey Suzi is the first national rollout and commercial partnership for Contact Harald. From wireless tracking technology to AI-backed voice assistance, Contact Harald has provided cutting-edge solutions to major global brands, including Qantas, Paramount Pictures, Unilever, BHP, Oz Minerals, and Suzuki.