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Vocal AI is progressing fast, but not all solutions are equal. Two main kinds are emerging:
Between a generalist voice AI and one specialized for automotive, there are major differences in operational efficiency, cost, and especially in the customer experience.
Incoming calls at a dealership aren’t just simple requests. They include:
These use cases involve many variables: availability of loan vehicles, workshop workload, drop-off/pick-up timings, type of service (maintenance, diagnostics, repair), pricing which varies by model, powertrain, or manufacturer offers.
A generalist Voice AI often doesn’t understand these industry-specific workflows. That leads to blocked conversations, misinterpreted information, and frustrated customers.
A specialized Voice AI (like Lineshift’s) knows the business logic: it can recognize license plates, ask the right questions about service type, detect vehicles covered by a recall, etc.
A useful voice AI must do more than just converse: it must act within your tools.
Generalist solutions often don’t integrate with your DMS (dealer management system), workshop schedules, CRM, or lead-management tools. Custom bridges are needed, which are complex and costly.
An automotive-specialized Voice AI is already integrated with the software used in the sector. It can:
Generalist platforms sometimes advertise attractive entry pricing. But tailoring them to your business — prompts, scenario building, fine-tuning, integrations — is up to you. That represents weeks of work or five-figure invoices with integrators.
A specialized solution like Lineshift is ready from the start. The AI understands your business context, uses the correct vocabulary, and integrates with your tools from day one.
Generalist AIs often struggle with automotive-sector terms: models, pronunciation, brand names, jargon. For example, “Peugeot 3008” is not “three-zero-zero eight,” “BYD” is not “bide,” and “rappel constructeur” (manufacturer recall) is not “calling the manufacturer.”
Lineshift has been trained specifically on automotive lexicon: models, brands, types of service, acronyms, industry jargon. It understands clients like a dealership advisor would. Beyond pronunciation, it has domain knowledge: e.g. how large the trunk of a Toyota Corolla is. Generalist AI may “hallucinate” and give wrong answers. Specialized ones rely on precise, comprehensive knowledge bases.
Generalist foundational LLMs have cutoff dates — once they are trained, they no longer know things introduced after their last update. A new model (like the 2025 Citroën C3 Aircross) or a recent facelift (e.g. Renault Captur) may be unknown or mispronounced.
An automotive-specialized Voice AI evolves with the market. It’s kept up to date with manufacturer releases, recall campaigns, new industry standards.
Choosing a voice AI for automotive is not just about selecting the most famous technology. It’s about choosing a solution built for your business: ready to plug into your tools, to understand your customers, and to save you time.
With a specialized Voice AI like Lineshift, you deploy a system designed for car dealerships, trained on real-use cases, and operational within days.
