April 2024

April Roundup: What’s New in Podium

<h2>AI BDC employee for Dealerships Reads Images</h2>
<p>Did you know that Podium&#8217;s AI BDC employee &#8220;Jerry&#8221; deciphers images? Unlike most AI solutions out there, our AI employee doesn&#8217;t get stumped when a lead messages into a dealership asking about vehicle availability, trade-in quotes, or scheduling a test drive. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB8YlD9r7qs">Check out this video here</a> to see our AI BDC read images in real time.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-34926" src="https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ai-in-images-683x1024.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="960" srcset="https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ai-in-images-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ai-in-images-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ai-in-images-768x1151.jpg 768w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ai-in-images-1025x1536.jpg 1025w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ai-in-images-334x500.jpg 334w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ai-in-images-267x400.jpg 267w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ai-in-images-107x160.jpg 107w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ai-in-images-234x350.jpg 234w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ai-in-images-67x100.jpg 67w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ai-in-images-229x343.jpg 229w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ai-in-images.jpg 1284w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></p>
<h2>Introducing Podium’s AI CSR for HVAC</h2>
<p>Our conversational AI employee for HVAC addresses critical challenges businesses often struggle with: promptly responding to leads, especially during non-business hours. Podium&#8217;s AI CSR not only improves response time, but also quickly answers basic questions to free up time for your staff to focus on setting appointments.</p>
<p>Our AI CSR also maintains consistent follow-up and engagement with leads and facilitates scaled yet personalized conversations, so you can exceed customer expectations efficiently. With full 24/7 support including nights, weekends, and holidays, HVAC businesses can ensure uninterrupted service for their clients.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-34931" src="https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ai-in-hvac.png" alt="" width="700" height="476" srcset="https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ai-in-hvac.png 700w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ai-in-hvac-300x204.png 300w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ai-in-hvac-600x408.png 600w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ai-in-hvac-360x245.png 360w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ai-in-hvac-160x109.png 160w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ai-in-hvac-350x238.png 350w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ai-in-hvac-100x68.png 100w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ai-in-hvac-504x343.png 504w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<h2>Direct Lines and Individual Voicemail Inboxes Now Available In Phones</h2>
<p>Limit access to call details on certain phone numbers with phone number privacy settings, now available in Phones. You can use this feature to configure individual phone lines.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-34928" src="https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/private-calls.png" alt="" width="300" height="174" srcset="https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/private-calls.png 300w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/private-calls-160x93.png 160w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/private-calls-100x58.png 100w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p>
<p><a href="https://www.podium.com/whats-new/podium-phones/"><strong>Read more here. </strong></a></p>
<h2>Contact Card Automation</h2>
<p>The contact card automation allows you to quickly respond to new text leads and have them save your phone number in their phone for repeated future communication.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-34930" src="https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/contact-card.png" alt="" width="600" height="341" srcset="https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/contact-card.png 600w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/contact-card-300x171.png 300w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/contact-card-360x205.png 360w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/contact-card-160x91.png 160w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/contact-card-350x199.png 350w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/contact-card-100x57.png 100w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
<p><a href="https://www.podium.com/whats-new/contact-card-automation/"><strong>Read more here. </strong></a></p>
<h2>New Upgrades to ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, and ServiceFusion Integrations</h2>
<p>Podium is now syncing new fields from ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, and ServiceFusion on new and existing contacts. These new fields can be utilized to target and text your contacts at the right time, with context. Automate follow-up at the right moment to turn one-time jobs into lifelong customers.</p>
<p>New features and use cases:</p>
<ul>
<li>Maintenance plan bulk message campaigns</li>
<li>Date-based automations</li>
<li>Bulk texts for warranty expirations</li>
<li>Customizing automated messages pre &amp; post appointments</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.podium.com/webinars/automated-hvac-texting-new-servicetitan-housecall-pro-and-servicefusion-integration-features/"><strong>Check out this customer training to learn more. </strong></a></p>
<h2>New Date-Based Automation Templates</h2>
<p>Date-based automations allow you to send automated messages based on dates such as birthdays, anniversaries, last appointment dates, and membership expiration dates. These dates could come from Podium contact attributes or contact attributes created via ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro integrations, and Service Fusion integrations. To help you get started, we have released two Automation Templates for “Happy birthday message” and “Appointment follow-up”.</p>
<p>Date-based automations also support marketing messages where messages with marketing content will only be delivered to contacts on your Marketing List!</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-34927" src="https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/date-automation-2.png" alt="" width="908" height="276" srcset="https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/date-automation-2.png 908w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/date-automation-2-300x91.png 300w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/date-automation-2-768x233.png 768w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/date-automation-2-600x182.png 600w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/date-automation-2-360x109.png 360w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/date-automation-2-160x49.png 160w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/date-automation-2-350x106.png 350w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/date-automation-2-100x30.png 100w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/date-automation-2-720x219.png 720w" sizes="(max-width: 908px) 100vw, 908px" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-34929" src="https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/date-automation.png" alt="" width="908" height="224" srcset="https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/date-automation.png 908w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/date-automation-300x74.png 300w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/date-automation-768x189.png 768w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/date-automation-600x148.png 600w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/date-automation-360x89.png 360w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/date-automation-160x39.png 160w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/date-automation-350x86.png 350w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/date-automation-100x25.png 100w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/date-automation-720x178.png 720w" sizes="(max-width: 908px) 100vw, 908px" /></p>
<p><a href="https://www.podium.com/knowledgebase/s/article/Date-Based-Automations"><strong>Read more here</strong></a><strong>.</strong><strong><br />
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<h2>Improvements to After Hours Call Routing</h2>
<p>Podium Phones now supports much more robust customization for after hours calls. Set up a unique after hours phone menu, an after hours text reply, and more.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-35129 size-full" src="https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AfterHoursV2.png" alt="Screenshot of improvements to the After Hours routing in Podium Phones" width="761" height="683" srcset="https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AfterHoursV2.png 761w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AfterHoursV2-300x269.png 300w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AfterHoursV2-557x500.png 557w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AfterHoursV2-360x323.png 360w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AfterHoursV2-160x144.png 160w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AfterHoursV2-350x314.png 350w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AfterHoursV2-100x90.png 100w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AfterHoursV2-382x343.png 382w" sizes="(max-width: 761px) 100vw, 761px" /></p>
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