AI Assistant
Who can use the AI Assistant
Learn which staff members can open the AI Assistant, what they can look up, and how a manager grants access.
What you will accomplish
You will know whether a staff member should see AI Assistant in the dashboard sidebar, what information they can ask about, and how a manager turns access on or off.
This guide is for managers setting up the team and for front-desk staff who wonder why the assistant is missing or says they do not have permission.
When to use this guide
Use this guide when:
- A new employee cannot find AI Assistant in the sidebar.
- The assistant says it does not have permission to open Payments, Schedule, or another area.
- You want only certain roles to use the assistant (for example, managers but not every part-time helper).
Important idea in plain English
The AI Assistant can only show information your staff member is already allowed to see in the dashboard.
If someone cannot open Payments, they also should not expect the assistant to look up invoices for them. Permissions protect customer data the same way in the assistant as on every other page.
Who can open the AI Assistant
- Facility admins (owners and managers listed as admins) can use every area, including the AI Assistant.
- Staff with the AI Assistant permission can open AI Assistant and ask questions about the other areas they are allowed to see.
- Customer portal users never see the AI Assistant. It is for your internal team only.
What each permission controls
When a manager edits a team member, they see checkboxes for product areas. The assistant respects the same list.
| Permission name in Settings | What staff can do in the dashboard | What they can ask the assistant |
|---|---|---|
| Dashboard | Open the home dashboard and basic settings | General facility questions that do not need a restricted area |
| Contacts | Open Contacts | Look up customers, phone numbers, and linked cars |
| Cars | Open Cars | Look up vehicles, VINs, parking location, and activity |
| Schedule | Open Schedule | Ask about today's appointments and upcoming work |
| Parking Spots | Open Parking Spots | Ask how many spots are open or where a car is parked |
| Payments | Open Payments | Ask about invoices and quotes (still verify totals on the record page) |
| Inbox | Open Inbox | Ask about message threads when that data is available to them |
| Marketing & Events | Open marketing tools | Ask about campaigns or social events they can already see |
| AI Assistant | Open AI Assistant | Use voice or typing to search and prepare draft work |
Grant AI Assistant access to a team member
Managers and admins follow these steps. You can turn on AI Assistant when you invite someone new or when you edit an existing teammate.
- Open Team settings
Go to Settings > Team.
Expected result: You see the Team members table (or an Invite a teammate box if no one else is listed yet).
- Open permissions for that person
- Existing teammate: Find their row. Click Permissions.
- New teammate: Click Invite a teammate (or Invite Team Member).
Why this matters: Each person can have different access. Front desk might need Contacts, Cars, Schedule, Parking Spots, Inbox, and AI Assistant. A detail vendor might only need Schedule.
- Turn on AI Assistant
In the Permissions for this team checklist, check the box labeled AI Assistant.
Also check the areas they need for lookups—for example Contacts and Cars for phone calls about stored vehicles.
Tip: Use All or None at the top of the checklist only when you mean it for every box. Most staff need several areas on—not just AI Assistant alone.
- Save or send the invite
- Existing teammate: Click Save on their permissions.
- New teammate: Fill in name and email, then click Send Invite.
Expected result: The staff member can refresh the dashboard and see AI Assistant in the left sidebar after they sign in (or after they accept the invite).
What the staff member should do next
After access is granted:
- Sign out and sign back in if AI Assistant still does not appear.
- Open Manage your assistant chats to learn the chat list.
- Practice one safe lookup in Use the AI Assistant.
When the assistant says it does not have permission
- Read the exact message
The assistant usually names the missing area, such as Payments or Schedule.
- Try the dashboard page directly
Open that page from the sidebar. If the page is blocked, the assistant is working correctly—you need a manager to update permissions.
- Ask a manager
A manager can add the missing permission in Settings > Team.
Common mistakes
Troubleshooting
I am an admin but a teammate cannot see AI Assistant
Confirm they are signed in with a staff account, not a customer portal login. Then check their permissions on the Team page.
The checkbox is on but the sidebar link is still missing
Ask them to refresh the browser or sign out and back in. Clear browser cache only if your IT person recommends it.
We want to turn off the assistant for everyone temporarily
Remove the AI Assistant permission from each non-admin user. Admins will still have access unless you change admin membership.
What to do next
- Use the AI Assistant — first practice session for staff who just received access.
- Use the assistant during a customer call — front-desk workflow while someone is on the phone.
- Manage team permissions — full settings guide for managers.