Aftermarcket Magazine July/August 2026

The modern garage 35 it easier to plan the day and keep work moving through the workshop. Improving the customer experience Customer expectations in the automotive aftermarket industry continue to rise, with increasing demand for faster responses, clearer updates, and more reliable timelines. AI can help teams respond more quickly, so they can answer questions while the customer is still on the phone. Whether it’s checking availability, confirming a booking or providing an update, responses can become faster and more consistent. In many aftermarket businesses, knowledge often sits with a small number of people; those who know how to navigate systems, find parts or interpret data. AI can also help to distribute that knowledge more effectively. By making information accessible in a simpler, more intuitive way, more of the team can make decisions with greater confidence. That can improve resilience, reduce bottlenecks and help the whole operation run more smoothly. What this means in practice For automotive businesses, the value of AI should show up in everyday work. Parts should be identified more quickly, workshops should run more efficiently, customers should receive faster, clearer responses, and teams should spend less time searching and more time getting jobs done. Individually, these improvements may seem small, but together, they can create a business that is faster, more responsive and better able to deliver consistent service. AI as part of modern automotive systems The most effective and practical use of AI in the automotive aftermarket isn’t as a separate tool. It’s built into the systems that already run the business, working with the data that is already available, within the controls already in use and inside the systems the teams already know. Automotive operations aren’t getting simpler. More vehicles, more services and higher customer expectations are placing increasing pressure on teams. The businesses that succeed will be those that can move faster without losing accuracy, keep workshops running efficiently and give their teams better access to the information they need. AI is becoming part of how that happens. It is no longer a future concept; it is here, and it is a practical way to improve how work gets done every day. See how AI is being applied in automotive Klipboard’s solution, Klipboard AI, is built directly into automotive workflows, helping teams identify parts faster, plan work more effectively and deliver better service. If you are facing any of the challenges outlined above in your business, now may be the time to see how AI can make a difference. tinyurl.com/ftsesetc Online Web Catalog: Please fasten the belt. >L»YL [HRPUN Vќ for the future. The world’s first timing belt in oil system is the Dayco response to the most advanced requirements of the best-in-class automotive engines. Now available in a complete kit including belt and tensioner to cover the most common European car applications and award winning engines Ford 999cc three-cylinder Turbo and PSA 1.2 L three-cylinder Turbo. Belt in Oil Kit

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