Automotive locksmith software
TheKeyBot (our product) covers the phone, quoting and dispatch side of this. Core ($500/month, 500 AI minutes included, then 45¢/min) pairs a 24/7 AI receptionist with a CRM, GPS dispatch and payment links; the AI quotes from the price sheet you upload, by year/make/model and key type, in English or Spanish.
If your shop is automotive-first — emergency lockouts, automotive key replacement, transponder programming, dealer overflow — your software has to handle vehicle key quoting and mobile dispatch well. Here's what automotive-specific software should include, and how the available options compare.
What automotive locksmith software needs to do
Vehicle pricing by year/make/model
Your prices organized by year, make, model and key type, so the AI (or a receptionist) can quote a 2021 F-150 keyless entry from the right line on the call. TheKeyBot quotes from the price sheet you upload.
VIN lookup + decoding
Caller reads the VIN; the software identifies the year, make, model and trim so you quote and cut the right key.
Transponder + FOB SKU tracking
Mapping between key blanks, chip types and OEM part numbers so you bring and cut the right key.
EV-specific key flows
A set way to handle Tesla key cards, phone-as-key vehicles and dealer-only keys, whether that means a quote, a referral or a callback.
Mobile dispatch + GPS routing
Nearest-tech suggestions, live ETAs and service-area rules built for mobile trucks.
In-call deposit collection
A payment link texted during the call, so the customer can pay a deposit before the truck rolls.
Bilingual call handling
English and Spanish on the same line, if your callers need it. Ask any vendor to demo a Spanish call before you buy.
AI receptionist (24/7)
Answers around the clock. Workiz, Jobber and Housecall Pro sell AI answering as an add-on (Jobber includes it on Plus); TheKeyBot includes it on every plan, with quoting and booking from Core up.
Where generic field-service software falls short for automotive locksmiths
If automotive is your main line of work, check for these four problems before you commit to general-purpose software:
- — Manual quote callbacks. If nobody can look up the transponder key price during the call, the owner or receptionist has to check it and call back, and an emergency caller may not wait.
- — Price inconsistency across techs. Without one shared automotive price sheet, each tech may quote a little differently, and a customer who calls twice can hear two different numbers. That damages trust.
- — Mileage pricing errors. If dispatch doesn't account for your service radius, an out-of-area automotive job can cost more in drive time than you charge for it.
- — No EV-specific workflow. Teslas and Rivians route into the same queue as a 2012 Civic, even though the programming process, pricing, and referral pattern are entirely different.
None of these shows up in a missed-call report, so check them against a month of your own automotive jobs before you choose software.
Recommended stack for automotive locksmith shops
TheKeyBot Core — $500/month
Built for locksmiths and other service trades. Core includes a 24/7 AI receptionist in English and Spanish that quotes from the price sheet you upload (by year/make/model and key type) and books the job, plus scheduling + GPS dispatch, POS + payments with texted payment links, QuickBooks sync and unlimited users. 500 AI minutes are included, then 45¢/min. Core, Pro and Elite have a 14-day free trial, and every plan has no setup fees and no contracts.
Watch out for: Lite ($149/month) only takes messages, with no quoting or booking, and quotes are only as good as the price sheet you upload.
See the full feature list