The problem
An insurance repair can run to 25 emails with the insurer, the engineer, the parts supplier and the customer. Before chasing a supplementary or updating a customer, someone re-reads the thread: about 8 minutes a time. At 15 such chases a week that's 2 hours a week.
What the AI does
Gemini in Gmail works in a side panel next to the email. Open the job's thread, click Ask Gemini and ask for what's been approved, what's waiting, parts dates and the last thing the customer was told, as bullet points. Google describes it as turning long threads into concise bullet points and drafting or refining emails. You check the summary against the thread, then ask it to draft the chaser or the customer update, which you edit and send. Gemini in Gmail comes with Google Workspace Business Starter (about $8£6€7A$12C$11 per user a month).
A worked example
An independent bodyshop in Coventry handles about 20 insurance repairs a month. The office manager and the workshop controller both use Gemini in Gmail on Workspace before chasing insurers and updating customers.
Before
About 8 minutes re-reading each thread: 15 a week, 2 hours
After
About 2 minutes checking a summary: 30 minutes a week
What it's worth
About $214£161€192A$309C$303 a month in time saved, against about $16£12€14A$23C$23 for 2 Workspace Business Starter users. Re-reading drops by 90 minutes a week, about 6.5 hours a month, at an assumed $33£25€30A$48C$47 an hour.
How to set it up
- Use Google Workspace Business Starter (€6.80, about $8£6€7A$12C$11 per user a month on a one-year commitment): about $16£12€14A$23C$23 a month for 2 users.
- Put the registration and claim number in the subject line of every email about a job, so each repair stays in one thread.
- Before a chase, open the thread, click Ask Gemini and ask: 'Summarize approvals, outstanding supplementaries, parts dates and the last update to the customer.'
- Check the summary against the thread, especially amounts and dates.
- Ask Gemini to draft the chaser or customer update, edit it and send it; record approvals in your job system.
What goes wrong
- It only sees email. Approvals given by phone or through an insurer's portal won't be in the summary.
- A summary can miss a later reply. Never start work on an unapproved supplementary on the strength of a summary alone.
- Customers' names and registrations are personal data under UK GDPR. Google says it doesn't use customers' Workspace data to train its generative AI; personal Google AI plans are on consumer terms.
- Business Starter covers Gemini in Gmail only; each extra user adds about $8£6€7A$12C$11 a month.