From Skeptics to Believers: What Our Beta Testers Are Saying About RO-bot

When we first started demoing RO-bot to auto technicians and service managers, the skepticism was palpable. "Another app?" "We spend too much time on screens as it is."

Then they actually tried it…

The crossed arms uncrossed. The question shifted from "Why would I need this?" to "When can I have this?"

"I Thought AI Was a Gimmick"

Marcus, a senior technician with 15 years of experience, didn't mince words during our first meeting: "AI sucks. Alexa can do a weather report but that's about it. ChatGPT makes stuff up."

But Marcus agreed to try our beta, if only to prove his point. Two weeks later, his perspective had shifted:

"I was wrong. This isn't like yelling at Siri and hoping it understands. RO-bot actually knows what I'm talking about. When I say 'found metal shavings in the trans pan,' it knows exactly what that means and why it matters. It's like talking to another tech who just happens to be really good at paperwork."

What changed his mind? "I just tell it what I did and what I find. I don't worry about organizing my thoughts. I don't have to write a single sentence." "Is it perfect? No. Sometimes I have to repeat myself. But that's still faster than typing everything out." His conclusion: "This is not a gimmick. It saves me probably 5 or 10 minutes on every story."

"Our Techs Actually Want to Use It"

Service managers have seen their share of failed technology rollouts. Laura, who manages a 10-bay shop, was particularly wary: "I've spent thousands on software that ended up gathering dust. My techs didn't use it because it was a hassle."

Her experience with RO-bot has been different:

"Usually, I have to force new software on them. With RO-bot, I've got guys on a waiting list to get onboarded. That's never happened before."

Why the enthusiasm? "RO-bot makes their job easier. It saves them time. Nobody gets into this business because they want to write great stories." Also, "There's basically no training. They just talk, and it works."

"It's Like Having a Tech-Savvy Assistant"

David, a warranty administrator, knows the pain of documentation better than most: "Warranty claims can be tricky. One missing signature and you're doing free work. It's like the manufacturer throws out these rules to try to trip you up."

His initial skepticism centered on accuracy: "Could AI understand the difference between fault codes? Could it understand what notes to include in a story and which ones to ignore?"

After a month in beta, he saw the potential impact of rolling RO-bot out to the entire shop: "It's not just that it understands—it guides you. It knows what the manufacturer needs to see in the story. It's like having a warranty administrator right there with you, making sure you don't miss something."

His favorite moment? "One of the guys was working on an HVAC issue… putting voice notes into RO-bot, and it automatically pulled up a TSB. He didn't search for it or ask if there was one. The app just saw what he was working on and served it up. That's awesome."

"Finally, Someone Who Speaks Our Language"

Nick, a technician with 6 years of experience, summed up a lot of the skepticism about dealer software: "Most of this stuff is made by software people. They've never held a wrench. They don't understand how we work."

His journey from skepticism to advocacy happened gradually. "At first, it felt a bit weird talking to my phone. But RO-bot understands me, even when I use technical terms that you can't put on the story. By the end of the first day, it felt totally natural. And it was saving me a ton of time."

"I can rattle off a bunch of random notes… like compression test results, fuel trim, DTCs. RO-bot makes sense of it and writes the story for me." "I basically don't write stories any more. I just do a quick review before I submit it."

The Surprise Nobody Expected

Perhaps the most interesting feedback has been about an unexpected benefit. Some of our beta testers have mentioned that RO-bot is helping them up their diagnostics game.

Laura observed, "My younger techs are learning faster because they're verbalizing their process and getting realtime suggestions about next steps. It's become an accidental training tool."

What Beta Testers Want Next

The enthusiasm from our beta group has translated into a flood of feature requests and ideas:

• DMS Integration
• Photo and video uploads
• Team collaboration features
• Predictive parts ordering
• Training mode for new techs

"You've solved my biggest pain point," David summarizes. "Now we're thinking about what else is possible."

Join the Movement

We launched this beta to prove out the core value of RO-bot. What we didn't expect was to convert skeptics into evangelists. These beta customers are becoming partners in building the future of the product, and we're so grateful for their support.

Many of our beta testers started as skeptics because they've seen it all before. But RO-bot is different. We started with a simple premise: make something that technicians will actually want to use.

"It doesn't try to change how we work," Nick says. "It eliminates the part of my job that I really don't want to do."

Want to join our growing community of early adopters? We're selectively adding shops that are ready to experience the future of service documentation. Schedule a meeting and see why skeptics are becoming believers.

About the Author: Dave is the founder of RO-bot, an AI co-pilot designed specifically for automotive technicians. After hundreds of conversations with service professionals across the industry, he started RO-bot to free technicians' hands from the shackles of bad software.