> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Prepare work with the AI Assistant > Ask the assistant to draft new customers, vehicles, appointments, and other facility work for your review. ## What you will accomplish You will describe real facility work in one message—such as a new customer, a vehicle, and a drop-off time—and let the AI Assistant prepare **proposal cards** for you to check before anything is saved. When you finish this guide, you will know how to: * Write one clear message that covers several related tasks. * Wait for the assistant to show draft cards instead of saving records immediately. * Review each card before you select **Confirm All**. * Fix spelling, times, or vehicle details on the cards themselves. ## When to use this guide Use this guide when: * A customer calls or emails with several details at once. * You want to save time typing the same information into [Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts), [Cars](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/cars), and [Schedule](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/schedule). * You are comfortable reviewing drafts before they become live records. Do **not** skip the review step. The assistant is helpful, but your team still confirms names, times, and vehicles. **Lookups are different** If you only need to **find** an existing customer or car, use [Ask about schedule, parking, and records](/docs/ai-assistant/ask-about-schedule-parking-and-records) instead. This guide is for **creating or scheduling** new work. ## Before you start * Collect the facts first: customer name, phone or email, vehicle year/make/model, date and time, and parking spot if known. * Check whether the customer or car already exists in [Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts) or [Cars](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/cars). * Know your facility's appointment types (drop-off, pickup, service) from [Settings > Events & schedule](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/events). * Read [Review AI proposals](/docs/ai-assistant/review-ai-proposals) so you know what to check on each card. ## Step 1: Start a new chat Go to [AI Assistant](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/agent) from the dashboard sidebar. **Why this matters:** Each new customer or job should start in a fresh thread so the assistant does not mix up names from an earlier conversation. In the left sidebar, click **New Chat**. **Expected result:** You return to the start screen with the microphone and suggested questions. On the start screen, type in the **Type a message...** box at the bottom. In an active chat, tap the **keyboard** icon if you are in voice mode. **Why this matters:** Typed messages are easier to proofread before you send them. ## Step 2: Write one combined message Good messages include **who**, **what vehicle**, and **what should happen next**. Example you can adapt: > Create a new customer named Jordan Lee with email [jordan.lee@example.com](mailto:jordan.lee@example.com) and phone 555-010-2000. Add a 2020 Ford Mustang in red. Book a vehicle drop-off tomorrow at 2pm. Do not confirm yet. **Why add “Do not confirm yet”?** That phrase reminds you—and the assistant—that this is a **draft** step. You still review every card before anything is saved. Enter the full request in the text box at the bottom of the screen. Send the message when it reads correctly. **Expected result:** The assistant shows **Thinking...** while it prepares draft cards. This may take a few seconds. AI Assistant chat showing a long user message to create a customer, car, and drop-off appointment before the assistant responds *Send one complete message. The blue bubble on the right is your request—the assistant prepares draft cards next.* ## Step 3: Wait for proposal cards The assistant does **not** save records right away. Instead, it shows one or more white **proposal cards** in the chat. You may see cards such as: * **New Customer** — name, email, phone, and company. * **New Car for \[customer name]** — year, make, model, color, trim, and VIN. * **Appointment**, **Drop-off**, or **Pickup** — date, time, customer, and vehicle. * **Move car** or **Event** — when your request includes parking or custom event work. When your message includes a **drop-off** or **pickup**, expect a **third card** for the appointment after the customer and car cards. If you only see two cards, wait a few seconds or ask in the same chat: **Also book the drop-off appointment.** When two or more cards appear together, look for a blue **Confirm All (2)** button at the bottom of the group. The number in parentheses tells you how many drafts will save at once. AI Assistant showing New Customer and New Car proposal cards with Confirm All button *A full intake request often shows at least a customer card and a car card. An appointment card may appear next—or ask in the same chat to add the drop-off.* Agent showing New Customer, New Car, and appointment proposal cards with Confirm All button *A full intake request may produce three cards: customer, car, and appointment. Wait for every card before you click **Confirm All**.* **Appointment card may arrive last** A multi-part request often shows **New Customer** and **New Car** cards first. The **drop-off** or **appointment** card can appear a moment later. Wait until every card is visible—or ask in the same chat: **Also book the drop-off appointment.** The screenshot below shows a summary that lists three actions (customer, car, and drop-off) even when only two cards are visible at first. Scroll the chat and wait a few more seconds before you confirm. AI Assistant showing New Customer and New Car proposal cards with a Confirm All button *Each card is a draft. Read every field before you select Confirm All.* AI Assistant showing New Customer, New Car, and drop-off appointment summary with Confirm All (2) button *A full intake request may list three actions in the summary (customer, car, and drop-off). Wait until every card appears—or ask in the same chat for the missing appointment card.* **Expected result:** You see editable fields on each card and a **Confirm All** button that shows how many drafts are ready (for example, **Confirm All (2)** or **Confirm All (3)**). ## Step 4: Fix details on the cards Click inside any field to correct spelling, color, phone number, or vehicle trim before you confirm. The assistant usually explains what it understood. Compare that summary to the customer's request. Click inside a field to fix spelling, time, or color before you confirm. **Why this matters:** Fixing a card now is much faster than cleaning up duplicate or wrong records later. Use the full checklist in [Review AI proposals](/docs/ai-assistant/review-ai-proposals). AI Assistant proposal cards with an edited first name field and Confirm All button visible *Click any field on a card to fix a typo before you save. Required fields are marked with a red asterisk (\*).* ## Step 5: Confirm only when everything is correct Click **Confirm All** only when every card matches your notes. **Expected result:** New or updated records appear in the dashboard. Open [Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts), [Cars](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/cars), or [Schedule](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/schedule) to confirm the customer, vehicle, and appointment look right. **Expected result:** New records match what you approved on the cards. A green success card (for example **Casey Brooks created**) may appear in the chat. You can click that card to open the live record. If the vehicle is on site today, continue with [Assign a parking spot](/docs/parking-spots/assign-a-parking-spot) so [Parking Spots](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/parking-spots) stays accurate. Agent chat after confirming a new customer showing a success card and toast notification that the customer was created *After you confirm, look for a success card and a short notification such as **Casey Brooks created**. Click the card to open the new record.* **One card vs several cards** If the assistant shows only one card with its own save button, review that card carefully and save it before you ask for the next step. When several cards appear together, **Confirm All** saves the whole group at once. ## When the customer or car already exists Do not ask the assistant to create a second record with the same name. **Instead, say something like:** > Book a vehicle drop-off for Alex Morgan's 1995 Porsche 911 tomorrow at 2pm. Or update existing details: > Update Alex Morgan's phone number to 610-555-0199. **Why this matters:** Duplicate customers make billing, messaging, and parking assignments confusing. Update cards change live records—review them the same way as new customer cards. ## Other work you can prepare You can ask the assistant to **propose** (not instantly save) many common tasks, including: * **Drop-off** or **pickup** for a stored vehicle * **Move a car** to a parking spot * **Photo session** or custom **event** on a vehicle * **Internal notes** tied to a customer or car Use the same pattern: one clear sentence, then review every card. **Say the date in full words** For appointment times, write **Thursday, June 4 at 2:00 pm** instead of only “tomorrow.” That reduces time-zone confusion. ## If you are not ready to confirm You can return later from the chat list (see [Manage your assistant chats](/docs/ai-assistant/manage-your-assistant-chats)). If the proposals are wrong, open **New Chat** and send a clearer message with full names, VIN, or exact date and time. You can always use [Add a customer](/docs/contacts/add-a-customer), [Add a car](/docs/cars/add-a-car), and [Create an appointment](/docs/schedule/create-an-appointment) without the assistant. ## Troubleshooting ### The assistant keeps saying Thinking... Wait up to a minute on slow connections. If nothing changes, refresh the page, open **New Chat**, and send a shorter message with fewer tasks. ### Confirm All is disabled A required field may be empty on one of the cards. Look for missing first name, last name, vehicle year, make, or model. Fields marked with a red asterisk (\*) must be filled in. ### The appointment time is wrong Edit the field on the card if you can. Otherwise start **New Chat** and say the date in full words. Check your facility time zone in [Settings > General](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/general). ### I see “Failed” on a card That usually means a step ran before an earlier step finished (for example, a car before the customer exists). Start **New Chat** and send the full request again in one message. You can also create the customer first, then ask for the car and appointment in a follow-up message. **Why this happens:** Cars and appointments need a customer record ID. Sending one complete sentence—or confirming the customer card first—helps every card appear correctly. ### The assistant created a customer I did not want Open the customer in [Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts) and correct records according to your facility process. Prevention is easier—always review cards before confirming. ### I only see one card but expected three Send a follow-up in the same chat: “Also add the car and drop-off appointment.” Or start **New Chat** with one complete sentence that lists every part of the job. ### A speech recognition error appears You can ignore it if you are typing instead of speaking. Click **Type instead** and continue with the keyboard. See [Use the AI Assistant](/docs/ai-assistant/use-the-ai-assistant) for microphone tips. ## What to do next * [Review AI proposals](/docs/ai-assistant/review-ai-proposals) for a step-by-step confirmation checklist. * [Ask about schedule, parking, and records](/docs/ai-assistant/ask-about-schedule-parking-and-records) for quick lookups without creating new data. * [Assign a parking spot](/docs/parking-spots/assign-a-parking-spot) when the vehicle arrives on site. * [Create an appointment](/docs/schedule/create-an-appointment) if you prefer to schedule directly on the calendar. ## Related topics - [AI Assistant overview](/docs/ai-assistant/overview.md) - [Use the AI Assistant](/docs/ai-assistant/use-the-ai-assistant.md) - [Use the AI Assistant in iMessage](/docs/ai-assistant/use-the-ai-assistant-in-imessage.md) - [Use the assistant during a customer call](/docs/ai-assistant/use-the-assistant-during-a-customer-call.md) - [Use the AI Assistant from iMessage](/docs/ai-assistant/use-the-ai-assistant-from-imessage.md) This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.