Built only for dealerships
Swifty answers calls for car dealerships and nothing else. It works with your departments, opening hours, named staff and workshop diary.
Buyer's shortlist
The best AI receptionists for UK car dealerships in 2026.
We compared the AI receptionists that UK dealerships can buy today, on the same seven questions. We make Swifty, so we also say where another option suits you better.
Swifty AI · 00:44Parts department
SwiftyGood morning, thanks for calling. Which department can I connect you with? CallerUm, I want to order in new locking wheel nuts. SwiftyWould you like the Parts department? CallerYes, please. SwiftyI'll put you through to the Parts department now. Parts departmentAnswered, 24 sConnected to the Parts department
SwiftyGood morning, thanks for calling. Which department can I connect you with? CallerUm, I want to order in new locking wheel nuts. SwiftyWould you like the Parts department? CallerYes, please. SwiftyI'll put you through to the Parts department now. Parts departmentAnswered, 24 sConnected to the Parts departmentShort answer
For a UK dealer group, choose an AI receptionist built for dealerships.
Most AI receptionists are general business tools, or are built for US dealerships. Swifty is the only AI receptionist on this list that is built only for car dealerships and sold for UK calls. It answers the main line, busy times and out-of-hours calls, sends each caller to the right department, and books services and test drives. We make it. Choose Moneypenny if you want a person on the line. BT Business and Fasthosts suit a small business that wants simple answering.
- Best for UK franchised dealer groupsSwifty
- Best for a person on the lineMoneypenny
- Best for simple answering from your phone providerBT Business AI Receptionist
- Best for sole traders and small businessesFasthosts
- Best for few calls and a team with time to answerYour own team
The shortlist, side by side.
Each fact comes from the vendor's own public pages, checked on 1 November 2026. A question mark means that the vendor does not say. The sources are at the end of this page.
| Built for dealerships | Voice AI in the UK | Day and night | Transfers to your team | Books into a UK DMS | Call summary | Human receptionists | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SwiftyBest for UK franchised dealer groups that want every call answered and sent to the right team. | Dealerships only | Yes | Main line, busy times and out of hours | To a department or a named person, with a fallback | Yes, service visits | Recording, transcript and summary | No. It transfers callers to your team |
| MoneypennyBest if you want a person on the line. | An automotive team in a service for many sectors | Yes | The AI answers 24/7 | Routes and escalates callers | Books into a diary, no DMS mentioned | Message by email or SMS | Moneypenny receptionists |
| BT Business AI ReceptionistBest for a small business that wants simple answering from its phone provider. | A general business tool | Yes | 24/7 or business hours | Sends callers to the right person | Books meetings, no DMS mentioned | Not stated | Not stated |
| Fasthosts AI ReceptionistBest for sole traders and small businesses. | A general business tool | Yes | 24/7, or after hours only | By call forwarding | Google or Outlook calendars, not a DMS | Summary by email | Not stated |
The basics
What an AI receptionist does for a dealership.
An AI receptionist answers the phone for the dealership. It finds out what the caller needs, then transfers the call, takes a message or books a visit. It is not a phone menu: callers say what they need in their own words. It is not a call centre: no person is on the line unless the AI transfers the call.
Compare an AI receptionist with an extra receptionist, voicemail and a phone menuHow we compared
Seven questions, the same for every option.
We picked the options that UK dealers already know, or come across when they search. Other specialist start-ups sell AI call answering to UK dealerships too. We read each vendor's own website on 1 November 2026, but we didn't make test calls to them. There's no overall score, because the right choice depends on your dealership.
- 01
Is it built for car dealerships?
A dealership has departments, opening hours, a DMS and callers who ask about MOTs, recalls and their car. A general tool must be taught all of this.
- 02
Is its voice AI sold for UK dealership calls?
Some dealership AI is built for the US, with US systems and US rules. Check that the vendor sells its voice product in the UK.
- 03
Does it answer day and night?
Calls come at busy times and after the dealership closes. Check which calls the AI answers, not only when it is switched on.
- 04
Does it transfer callers to your team?
A caller who needs a person must reach the right department or the right person. Ask what happens when nobody answers.
- 05
Does it book into a UK DMS?
A booking in the DMS is a real booking. A message that asks for a booking still needs a person to finish it.
- 06
Does your team get a summary of each call?
Your team needs the caller's details and what they want, so nobody calls back to ask again.
- 07
Do human receptionists answer some calls?
Some dealers want a person on some calls. This is the main difference between an answering service and an AI receptionist.
The shortlist
Five options, and who each one suits.
- 01
SwiftyWe make it
Best for: UK franchised dealer groups that want every call answered and sent to the right team.
Swifty is an AI receptionist built only for car dealerships. It answers the main line, busy-time overflow and out-of-hours calls. It transfers callers to a department or a named person, takes messages, books staff callbacks, and books services and test drives. Service visits go straight into the DMS. Swifty has handled over a million minutes of dealership calls.
- Strong points
- It knows how a dealership works: departments, opening hours, named staff and workshop bookings.
- You keep your phone system, for example Mitel, Avaya or 8x8. Your system sends calls to Swifty, and Swifty transfers callers to your departments.
- If nobody answers a transfer, the caller comes back to Swifty. It takes a message or books a callback.
- Every call has a recording, a transcript and a summary with the caller's name, number, vehicle and message.
- Not the best fit if
- You want a person to answer some calls. Swifty has no call centre. It transfers callers to your team.
- Price
- On request. We quote for the calls and departments that you want Swifty to answer.
- 02
Moneypenny
Best for: Dealers who want a person on the line.
Moneypenny is a UK answering service. Its receptionists answer calls for many types of business, and it has a team for automotive. It also sells an AI receptionist that answers 24/7 and can hand callers to a Moneypenny receptionist or to your own team.
- Strong points
- People and AI in one service. A Moneypenny receptionist can take over from the AI.
- Its receptionists will book services and test drives for you.
- It connects to CRMs like Salesforce, HubSpot and Dynamics 365.
- Not the best fit if
- You need bookings to go straight into your DMS. Moneypenny doesn't mention any DMS.
- You want something built only for car dealers. Moneypenny works across lots of industries.
- Price
- Based on usage, with contracts of 3, 6 or 12 months and a free trial. Its receptionists work 8.30am to 6pm as standard. Evenings, weekends and 24/7 cover are available on request.
- 03
BT Business AI Receptionist
Best for: A small business that wants simple call answering from its phone provider.
BT Business sells an AI receptionist from RingCentral. It answers calls 24/7 or in business hours, captures enquiries and sends callers to the right person. You train it with your website, FAQs and documents. It's a general business tool rather than one built for car dealers.
- Strong points
- A large UK phone provider.
- A monthly rolling contract.
- Not the best fit if
- You want something built for car dealers.
- You need it to book into your DMS or update your CRM. BT doesn't mention either.
- Price
- Minute bundles from 100 to 14,000 minutes a month, on a monthly rolling contract. An optional set-up session costs £150.
- 04
Fasthosts AI Receptionist
Best for: Sole traders and small businesses.
Fasthosts, a UK web services company, sells a general AI receptionist. It answers calls 24/7 or only after hours, forwards calls to your staff, takes messages, books appointments into Google or Outlook calendars, and emails you a summary of each call. You keep your number and forward calls to it. It's aimed at small businesses in general, not car dealers.
- Strong points
- A free first month.
- It books into Google Calendar, Outlook, Cal.com or Calendly.
- The Unlimited plan connects to HubSpot, Salesforce and Zendesk.
- Not the best fit if
- You want something built for car dealers.
- You need bookings in your DMS. It books into calendars like Google and Outlook instead.
- You want a person to pick up some calls. Fasthosts doesn't mention a receptionist service.
- Price
- £31.20 a month for 30 calls, £55.20 for 100 calls with appointment booking, or £79.20 for unlimited calls. These are offer prices: the full prices are £39, £69 and £99 a month. The page is not clear about VAT. The first month is free.
- 05
Your own team
Best for: Sites with few calls and staff who have time to answer them.
A receptionist or service advisor knows your customers and can handle any call. But a person works staffed hours only and takes one call at a time, so busy times and out-of-hours calls go to voicemail or are missed.
- Strong points
- A person who knows your customers.
- Not the best fit if
- You get calls at busy times or after you've closed.
- Price
- A salary, and cover for holidays and sickness.
What makes Swifty different
Six ways Swifty is different.
Built by an AI team
Swifty's founders studied AI at Imperial College London, at master's and PhD level. The Swifty team builds the voice agent that answers your calls.
Works with your phone system
You keep your phone system, for example Mitel, Avaya or 8x8. It sends the main line, busy calls or out-of-hours calls to Swifty, and Swifty transfers callers to your departments.
Connected to dealer systems
Swifty reads, writes and updates records in Keyloop, Dealerweb, EnquiryMax and eMaster, and works with phone systems such as 8x8, Akixi, Avaya and Mitel.
A fallback when nobody answers
If nobody answers a transfer, the caller comes back to Swifty and does not repeat themselves. Swifty takes a message or books a callback.
One platform for calls, chat and leads
The same dealership platform answers website chat, records every AI call, scores staff sales calls, and keeps callbacks and leads in one place.
Voice AI customer results
What changed when Swifty handled routine dealership calls.
The percentage results come from customer implementations of Swifty Voice AI and are based on internal operational data. The voice minutes figure is a separate total from customer usage reporting.
reduction in measured human time spent on routine calls
Less human time was needed for the routine call journeys included in the internal review.
of measured call minutes handled by Swifty Voice AI
AI voice minutes handled across customer accounts
Which fits you
Match the option to your dealership.
Choose Swifty.
You want the main line, busy times and out-of-hours calls answered, callers sent to the right team, and services and test drives booked.
Choose Moneypenny.
You want people, not only AI, to answer your calls.
Choose BT Business AI Receptionist.
You need simple answering, and no dealership systems.
Choose Fasthosts.
You need simple call answering and no dealership systems.
Keep your own team.
Your staff have time to answer, and few calls come after you close.
Frequently asked
Questions dealers ask before they choose.
What is the best AI receptionist for a UK car dealership?＋
It depends on what you need. Swifty is the only AI receptionist on this list that is built only for car dealerships and sold for UK calls. For a franchised dealer group that wants every call answered, sent to the right team and booked into the DMS, Swifty is built for the job, and we make it. If you want a person on the line, look at Moneypenny. Most other AI receptionists are general business tools, or are built for US dealerships.
Can an AI receptionist book test drives?＋
Swifty can. It books services and test drives on the call, and service visits go straight into the DMS. Moneypenny says its receptionists book services and test drives for you.
Will an AI receptionist book into our DMS?＋
Ask each vendor which DMS it books into, and ask to see a live booking. Swifty books new workshop visits into the DMS and moves existing ones. None of the other options here name a UK DMS.
Do we need to change our phone system?＋
Not for Swifty. It works with the phone systems that dealers use, for example Mitel, Avaya and 8x8. Your phone system sends calls to a Swifty number, for example the main line, busy calls or calls after hours. Swifty then transfers callers to your departments.
What happens when the AI cannot help a caller?＋
Swifty transfers the caller to a department or a named person. If nobody answers, the caller comes back to Swifty, which takes a message or books a callback.
How much does an AI receptionist cost?＋
It depends on the type. Fasthosts shows prices from £31.20 a month for 30 calls. BT Business sells minute bundles on a monthly rolling contract. Moneypenny prices by usage. Swifty quotes for the calls and departments you want it to answer.
Why should we trust a list that Swifty wrote?＋
Check it. We make Swifty, and we say so. Each fact about another vendor comes from that vendor's own public pages, and the sources are at the end of this page with the date we checked them. If you find a mistake, tell us and we will correct it.
Sources
Where the facts come from.
We read these pages on 1 November 2026. Vendors change their products, so check the current page before you decide. Swifty facts come from our own product, and the results come from our evidence page.
Test the shortlist
Compare Swifty on your own calls.
Bring the calls your team misses most. We will show you how Swifty answers them, and tell you if another option suits you better.
Book a demo