Openbay Rolls Out Automotive Service Industry’s First Online Chat Platform Featuring a Tire Catalog and Automotive Services

Advanced Chat Platform Aligns Automotive Aftermarket Businesses with Shopping Behavior of the New Digital-First Consumer

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Openbay, Inc. an industry-leading automotive service marketplace and SaaS company, today announced the availability of a tire catalog and new updates to its advanced online chat platform, Openbay Otis. Otis installs on an automotive service center’s website and now allows consumers to perform self-service searches for major tire brands, retrieve tire pricing and availability information, and book installation service appointments all within chat - the method preferred by today’s digital-first consumers. Openbay also released Otis Banners allowing a business to display important messages or promotions atop of the Otis chat window as part of the chat conversation with website visitors. Important information can be conveyed to website visitors such as safety precautions a business is taking to service vehicles during the COVID-19 pandemic. With these newest capabilities, Otis enables a convenient and contactless tire shopping experience for today’s consumer.

“The relationship between the consumer and automotive service businesses have officially gone digital. Consumers now approach vendor selection by educating themselves on the types and quality of service being offered. It’s online research first,” said Rob Infantino, founder and CEO of Openbay. “Convenient and fast access to information drives consumer decisions and is what separates businesses online. Having an advanced online chat platform that can instantly deliver information such as tire services and safety precautions builds trust relationships with today’s digital-first consumers now and in the future.”

“Given the recent and rapid shift by consumers to online in search of vehicle drop-off and no-touch services, we are now focused on aligning our business to accommodate the needs of this knowledgeable, digital-first consumer. Having Otis with its new tire feature positions our business to meet the expectations of online consumers in search of tires, automotive services, and the steps we are taking to ensure safety for our employees, customers and the vehicle being serviced,” said Tom Ceniglis Jr., President and CEO of multi-location Tom’s Tire Pros in Texas. “Today’s consumer expects personalized information in real-time and made available when it’s convenient to them – which is 24/7. Openbay Otis allows our business to effectively communicate with our website visitors and customers while delivering the experience they require now and in the future.”

Automotive service providers from independents to large, multi-location businesses can partner with Openbay to offer a tire shopping experience for a digital-first consumer. New and updated features include:

• Tire and pricing information delivered by vehicle year-make-model, tire brand, and size
• Ability to book tire installation services and capture consumer contact information
• Supports staggered fitment for vehicles having different sized tires front and back
• Ability to cross sell other tire related services to consumers while shopping for tires
• Openbay Banners sit atop of and within the chat window to keep important messages top of mind

About Openbay

Openbay, an award-winning online marketplace for automotive repair and services and a provider of SaaS-based solutions for the automotive care industry, is transforming the experience for automotive repair and service for consumers and the way that automotive care businesses acquire and service customers. Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, Openbay is privately held. Its investors include Shell Global Commercial, Stage 1 Ventures, Boston Seed Capital, GV (formerly Google Ventures), a16z seed, and several individual investors. Openbay holds an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.