The problem
Coach hire inquiries often arrive with half the details: no return time, no passenger numbers, 'somewhere near Chester'. Each needs a reply asking for what's missing before it can be priced, and the operator who replies first and clearly usually wins. An office handling 20 inquiries a week at about 10 minutes each spends over 3 hours a week on first replies.
What the AI does
Gemini in Gmail works in a side panel next to the email. Open the inquiry, click Ask Gemini and ask for a reply that confirms what the customer has given and asks only for what's missing from your list: date, pick-up and drop-off, times, passengers, luggage and any wheelchair users. You check it and send it, then price the job in your usual quoting system. Gemini in Gmail comes with Google Workspace Business Starter (about $8£6€7A$12C$11 per user a month).
A worked example
A family coach firm in Shropshire with 8 coaches gets about 20 private hire inquiries a week by email. The 2 office staff use Gemini in Gmail on Workspace for first replies and price the jobs in their coach management system.
Before
About 10 minutes per first reply: 20 a week, 3.3 hours
After
About 4 minutes per reply including checking: 1.3 hours a week
What it's worth
About $229£172€205A$330C$323 a month in time saved, against about $16£12€14A$23C$23 for 2 Workspace Business Starter users. Replies drop by 6 minutes each, 2 hours a week times 4.3 is about 8.6 hours a month, at an assumed $27£20€24A$38C$38 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.
- Write your list of details needed to quote once: date, pick-up and drop-off, times, passengers, luggage, accessibility needs.
- Open an inquiry, click Ask Gemini and ask: 'Draft a reply that confirms what they've told me and asks only for what's missing from this list.' Paste the list in.
- Check the draft, send it, and price the job in your quoting system when the details come back.
- Ask Gemini to sum up any long thread before you confirm the booking.
What goes wrong
- Don't let it quote a price or confirm a coach is free. Your quoting system and diary decide both.
- Drivers' hours rules and coach availability aren't in Gmail. The booking is confirmed only from your own systems.
- Customers' details 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.