Best AI answering service for car lockouts (after-hours, text job details)
Car lockouts are the most time-sensitive call a locksmith ever takes. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, ~21,000 locksmiths in the U.S. compete on response time — and an automotive lockout caller will dial the next number in the search results within 60 seconds of voicemail. TheKeyBot answers in under 2 seconds, asks for year-make-model, returns a quote from the locksmith's own pricing database, and dispatches the on-call tech — all before the caller is back at their car door.
What you get
Year/make/model pricing on the call
TheKeyBot pulls automotive key prices from your own pricing database — laser-cut, transponder, smart key, push-to-start — and quotes them on the call. No callbacks, no "I'll get back to you with a price."
Deposit collection mid-call
The bot can text the caller a Stripe payment link before hanging up. Average deposit collection rate: 73% on emergency calls.
Bilingual (English + Spanish) on every call
About 13.5% of U.S. households speak Spanish at home (Census ACS 5-Year). The bot detects the caller's language in the first sentence and continues natively.
Texts you the job details
You get an SMS with caller name, vehicle, key type, address, and the booked time slot — so you can pick up the job without ever interrupting the work you're on.
“Forwarded the line on a Tuesday. Wednesday morning my phone had 7 booked lockouts in the SMS thread.”
Common questions
Does TheKeyBot work for automotive locksmiths only?
No — automotive is one specialty we handle very well, but TheKeyBot also runs residential, commercial, and access-control calls.
How does the AI know my key prices?
You upload your pricing database during onboarding (CSV or via the dashboard). The bot pulls from it on every call.
What if the caller asks for something the AI can't answer?
It transfers to a human (you, your dispatcher, or your on-call tech) without losing the call. You hear the full context, no re-explaining.