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How to Use Chat on TVP.X

Blake Corbit
  • Updated

Effective Internal Communication Through Chat

AutoVitals Chat features help you save time you would have spent walking between the front and back of the shop for clarifications and updates. It is one of the AutoVitals features that has led one Service Advisor to reduce his number of steps from 20,000 to 4,000 a day. Additionally, chat allows you to limit in-person interrupts, and send certain communication automatically so you don’t have to. This frees staff up to perform more work or spend more time working with customers.

What's in this article: 

How Chat Notifications work:

  • The recipient of a chat message will receive an alert on their Today’s Vehicle Page (SA) or AutoVitals.X app (tech)

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  • The number of unread messages are always visible on the Chat menu on the TVP or mobile app for the technician. This is shown above through the number located below each chat icon. 

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  • To view the chat message, you can click on the area of the chat menu you are looking to view first (e.g. vehicle icon for unread vehicle alerts). 
  • If you have an unread chat associated with a vehicle you will see a red exclamation point on the bottom of the vehicle tile. When clicked, it will direct you to the unread chat message.

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How To Mark Messages as Read:

Click anywhere on the unread chat message (the background will be blue when unread), and it will be marked read (the background will turn white once read)

The person who sent the message will see a check mark next to the message once you have read their message

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How to Submit Inspections Using Smart Chat

*This is only available for Smartflow.X and above packages*

  1. The tech marks the inspection job 100% complete (1) from the work order on the mobile app, and clicks the smart chat icon (2).
  2. The Service Advisor will get a chat alert on the TVP and once clicked can navigate directly to the inspection to review it. If the Service Advisor does not get the chance to review it right away, the task to review and send the inspection results will appear in the Task Manager until the task is completed. Once completed the task will be automatically marked completed.

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How to Navigate Vehicle Chat and Alerts:

Chat with the entire team assigned to the vehicle.

Manually

Initiate a chat through the chat icons from the vehicle tile on the TVP or by clicking the vehicle icon on the chat menu (on both the TVP and mobile app):

Smart Chat

Certain messages are automated such as when the inspection is submitted or there is an important job-related update:

  1. The tech marks the Smart Chat Icon the Service Advisor will get notified to look at that labor line:
  2. The Service Advisor sees the notification of the completed inspection on the TVP

Common uses for Smart Chat: 

  • Submitting the inspection report
  • Notifying the SA about an issue with the parts or problem performing the job, by making a note and then clicking the icon

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Team Chat:

One-on-one Chat

Chat between two staff members (anyone registered as a staff member in the PoS) This can be between a technician and service advisor or any other two people at the shop.

Group Chat

You can create a group of users to chat with

  1. Existing group chats will be shown in the Team chat list with the people icon and name of the Chat group.
  2. To create a new chat group, click the green button
  3. Name the new chat group
  4. Determine who should be included in the chat group. Only those that are marked as an owner can edit the group name, or add or remove users. 

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AutoVitals Support Chat:

You cannot initiate a chat with AutoVitals Support, but instead should report a problem using the help button.

  1. Report a problem using the Help Icon
  2. Communication about your questions will come through the AutoVitals Support Chat

Best Practice: Submitting Inspections Using Smart Chat

  1. The tech marks the inspection job 100% complete (1) from the work order on the mobile app, and clicks the smart chat icon (2).
  2. The Service Advisor will get a chat alert on the TVP and once clicked can navigate directly to the inspection to review it. If the Service Advisor does not get the chance to review it right away, the task to review and send the inspection results will appear in the Task Manager until the task is completed. Once completed the task will be automatically marked completed.

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Frequently Asked Questions:

  • How do I delete a group channel?

    • The owner of the channel is the only one able to delete the channel.
    • First, they must open the team chat window.
    • Then they must select the channel that they own and wish to get rid of.
    • At the bottom left-hand corner, the can select to delete the channel.

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  • Is there a way for only the Service Advisor on the work order to receive a chat notification rather than everyone at the shop?

    • Select the Hamburger menu drop down on the top left hand side of the TVP.

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    • At the bottom, select 'System Settings'.

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    • On the left-hand side, select the tab that says 'Inspection'

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    • Under the workflow tab, then select general, and Service Advisors you can adjust your shop's settings to notify all SA's of vehicle alerts as well as enable mark all messages as read. 

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  • How can you add someone to a vehicle-specific chat if they are not already listed as one of the recipients?

    • The only way for someone to be added to a Vehicle specific chat is if they select the Vehicle Message button on the bottom right-hand corner of the RO tile. 

       

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    • This will automatically add them to the Vehicle chat and pull up the existing chat.

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  • Why am I not seeing a chat message?

    • Often times the Service Advisor is not logged into the Today's Vehicle Page with their correct user code
    • To Then add yourself to a chat message, just click on the "Message Icon" on the bottom right of the vehicle tile

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  • How do I leave a Chat Channel?
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    • Selecting this button removes you from the chat
    • Leaving the chat looks the same from the tech view on a tablet

  • Why am I not receiving notifications sent from myself?

    • No vehicle alert is created if the tech is also logged in as the service advisor on the Today's Vehicle Page


  • Why are all technicians getting alerted on internal chat on a vehicle and not just the assigned technician?

    • Multiple technicians could be assigned to an RO
    • The tablet could be set to "show all vehicles"
    • Technicians are also SA's and the setting for "all chats to go to all SA's is turned on"

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