Use this guide to ask the AI Assistant for help with a real facility task. You will learn how to open the assistant, type or speak a question, read the answer, and decide what to do next.

The assistant is best for questions that connect to records already in Car Storage Software, such as cars, contacts, appointments, parking spots, inbox threads, invoices, and quotes.

Before you start

• Sign in with a staff account. Customer portal users cannot use the staff assistant.
• Use an account with permission to view the area you are asking about, such as Cars, Contacts, Schedule, Parking Spots, Inbox, or Payments.
• Know at least one useful detail, such as a customer name, car make, VIN, license plate, appointment date, parking spot, or invoice number.
• Plan to review the answer before using it for customer communication or record changes.

Open the AI Assistant

1. Open AI Assistant

   From the staff Dashboard, choose AI Assistant in the left sidebar. You can also open it directly at AI Assistant.

2. Choose voice or typing

   If you want to speak, use the round microphone button. If you prefer to type, select Type instead.

3. Start with one clear request

   Ask for one thing at a time when you are learning. For example: "Look up Alex Morgan's cars" or "What's on the schedule today?"

Expected result: The assistant starts a conversation and shows your question in the chat.

Ask a clear question

Clear questions help the assistant find the right record on the first try.

Use this simple format:

1. Say what you need.
2. Include the most specific detail you know.
3. Say what you want to do next, if there is a next step.

Good examples:

• "Look up Alex Morgan's cars."
• "Where is the 1995 Porsche 911 parked?"
• "What appointments are scheduled for tomorrow?"
• "How many parking spots are available?"
• "Draft a short pickup reminder for Sam Rivera, but do not send it yet."

Avoid vague questions like:

• "Find the car."
• "What's going on tomorrow?"
• "Tell the customer."

Those questions may not include enough detail for a reliable answer.

Review the answer

After the assistant responds, read the answer before you act on it.

Check these details:

• Customer name — make sure it is the person you meant.
• Vehicle — check the year, make, model, color, VIN, or plate if shown.
• Date and time — make sure appointment times match what the customer said.
• Parking spot — make sure the spot matches your facility floor or parking report.
• Amounts — check payment and quote amounts carefully.

Open the related page

Some answers include links or the assistant may offer to take you to the right place.

Use the link when you want to continue working in the normal dashboard page:

• Cars for vehicle details, photos, and events
• Contacts for customer information
• Schedule for appointments
• Parking Spots for location and occupancy
• Inbox for customer conversations
• Payments for invoices, quotes, products, recurring billing, and vendors

Expected result: You land on the page where the record or workflow lives, so you can make normal edits or review more detail.

Ask a follow-up question

You can ask another question in the same conversation. This is useful when the second question is about the same customer, car, or task.

Examples:

• "Show me Alex's other cars."
• "Does that car have an upcoming appointment?"
• "Take me to the car page."
• "Write a short note I can send to the customer."

Start a New Chat when the next request is about a different customer, car, or topic. This keeps the conversation easier to read later.

If the assistant asks for more information

Sometimes the assistant cannot safely answer without more detail. That is normal.

If it asks a question:

1. Read what information is missing.
2. Reply with the missing detail.
3. If you are not sure, open the related page and check the record directly.

Expected result: The assistant uses the extra detail to give a more accurate answer.

Troubleshooting

I do not see AI Assistant in the sidebar

Make sure you are signed in as a staff user. Customer portal users do not see the staff dashboard sidebar.

The microphone does not work

Use Type instead. Some browsers or devices block microphone access until you allow it.

The answer found the wrong person or car

Do not continue with that answer. Reply with more detail, such as the full name, email address, VIN, license plate, or vehicle year.

The assistant says it does not have permission

Your account may not have access to that area. Ask a team admin to review your staff permissions in Settings.

The answer looks incomplete

Open the related record in the dashboard and check it directly. The assistant should help you move faster, but the record page is the source of truth.

What to do next

If the assistant prepares cards for you to review, follow the proposal review guide before you confirm anything. Read the Review AI proposals guide →