Fleet1000 chats with a serial innovator who explains how AI voice tech could transform your UK fleet business
“Voice AI really is 24/7, 365 days a year. Some businesses still feel there’s no need for customer contact after 6pm, but I’d challenge that”
AI seems to revolutionise fleet. Why did Fortell focus on voice technology, and how did your experience in software shape that decision?
"In previous automotive companies I’ve run, we’d looked at AI; how we could work quicker and smarter through data-driven insights. Then, out of the blue, my two co-founders, Rob and Chris, approached me. They’d been looking at voice AI for about a decade – which shocked me at the time.
"Rob and Chris told me: “Voice AI is handling dealership calls in the US and doing it very well. Do you think the UK automotive market would be ready for this too?” So, I went away and spoke with a few folks in the industry and realised that, while some forward-thinking businesses were experimenting with AI – mainly in workflow automation and data processing – voice technology hadn’t really been looked at. There was noise around AI, but some scepticism, because of over-promising in the space.
"So, for us, it was about carving out a niche and differentiating ourselves. I knew my co-founders' core strength was the technological support they brought – the voice agents taking thousands of calls in different languages across the world – along with my automotive knowledge and contacts.
"Initially, I considered a text-based chatbot function using AI to service queries. But I’m glad Rob was insistent that our strength lay in us becoming the go-to player in the voice world.
"With my experience in automotive, I’m aware of what the challenges are for fleet and leasing dealers when it comes to handling call volume. How do you scale-up for busy times and then scale back? Do you employ more and then let them go? It’s the scalability of voice AI that’s incredible. So, we knew we were onto something, even if we might be a little early to the market."
AI voice technology is new territory in fleet. Where is it being utilised most effectively and what kind of workflows are delivering the quickest returns?
"Our early deployments are focused mainly on the after-sales environment, but the potential extends right across the car sales and leasing sectors too.
Think of the volume of calls that leasing companies handle on a daily basis: company car drivers trying to book maintenance or MOTs, chasing order status updates, or requesting information.
"Another exciting opportunity is out-of-hours service. Voice AI really is 24/7, 365 days a year. Some businesses still feel there’s no need for customer contact after 6pm, but I’d challenge that. Today’s consumers, especially younger generations or shift workers, for instance, expect to engage when they get back of an evening, not necessarily within usual office hours. I think there are conversations that need opening there.
"Imagine a company car driver browsing an OEM site at nine in the evening, trying to decide on a new vehicle. Voice AI could answer their questions immediately, book a test drive, or connect them with a dealer the next morning. I think the possibility of offering that out-of-hours service moving forward is just huge."
Is it out-of-hours calls where you'd see AI voice augmenting human teams rather than replacing them? This seems to be the hot-potato topic of AI.
“Absolutely. It's all about how voice AI can work in parallel.
In our early testing, the technology could technically handle 100% of inbound calls, but the reason we limit it to 40-60% is because some interactions are still too complex and are best handled by human staff as call-backs.
“There are plenty of straightforward scenarios, someone ringing to check an MOT date or book a service, that voice AI can easily manage. But when there’s a more serious issue, ‘my car's blown up by the side of the road’, for instance, that needs a person who can offer guidance and ensure that customer’s safety.
“I think it's about having these two things work together. And one of the biggest things that customers point to now is avoiding a queue, no one wants to offer a system where a customer might be ‘number 27’.
“Interestingly, one of our current customers was initially unsure about whether people would want to talk to a voice agent. So that’s all about offering the choice: they can stay in the queue or press one to ‘speak with our voice agent’. Provided you can give them a good experience with a very knowledgeable AI that knows about all the things a customer is likely to ask about, I think that sort of choice, where human service is offered too, can only be seen as a positive.”
How does Fortell ensure AVA (Automotive Voice Assistant) fits smoothly into the systems fleets already use?
“That’s a really interesting question, because traditionally the fleet and leasing world – and I say this as someone who knows and loves the industry – hasn’t always been at the very forefront of adopting new technology. It’s a long-established sector, and sometimes that means change happens more slowly.
“We take an API-first approach, which means our system can connect into almost any software platform the customer uses. When it’s an internal system managed by the company’s own IT department, integration is often easier, although I completely understand how stretched those teams can be.
"That’s where stakeholder management becomes key: how high a priority does this business place on this kind of innovation? If it helps them achieve a strategic objective, or set them apart from competitors, then it usually moves up the list.
"It can be more complex when customers are using third-party dealer management systems or external fleet management software, because some providers don’t yet have the APIs available or aren’t quite ready to collaborate. I think that will change, and it will need to, but it’s not a blocker for us.
“For example, one agent we’re about to launch doesn’t have a DMS integration in place, yet both we and the customer are confident that we can handle around 20 to 25 percent of their 4000 to 5000 monthly calls without any human involvement. That means an immediate 25-percent efficiency gain for their team, who can then focus on calls that genuinely need a person-to-person conversation.
"Even without direct integration, we can still provide detailed call summaries, transcripts, and output reports, showing who called, what the query was about, and what next steps might be needed. So, when a team member does call back, they’re already informed and in control of the conversation, rather than starting from zero.
It’s not a complete barrier if API integrations aren’t there yet – and the industry will catch up. With AI moving as fast as it is, I think the fleet sector will have to accelerate its pace of adoption compared with previous technology transitions."
As voice AI takes on a bigger operational role, what safeguards do you think are essential to build trust and meet compliance standards?
“Our approach to compliance is very straightforward. I can’t speak for everyone, but fundamentally, we position our voice agent behind an existing phone line. In almost all cases, the business already has a legal requirement to state if calls are being recorded. So, when a customer hears the automated message “this call may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes,” we sit behind that line, so those compliance obligations are already covered.
“When it comes to data handling and consent, we operate as the data processor, not the data controller. The customer remains the controller of the data. We have a full GDPR framework in place, we’re registered with the ICO, and we make sure that all data we process is handled securely and in line with each client’s policies.
"For data retention, we’re entirely flexible. If a customer wants us to delete call data as soon as the call ends, we can do that. If they prefer to store data for a specific period, we mirror their retention policy exactly."
Your career has spanned fleet software, telematics, and now AI. What's been the most important lesson from launching Fortell?
“Being a co-founder again after years in large corporates has been a complete shift. As an MD in the past, my role was about guiding strategy, hiring the right people, and empowering teams to deliver. Now, I’m doing everything from marketing to writing press releases or articles, testing voice agents, managing customer demos. It’s the hardest I’ve worked in a long time, but it’s also deeply rewarding because it’s my business. I have a real stake in its success.
“My background has always been customer-centric and quite consultative. When you’re selling something intangible, like data or AI, you have to start with understanding the customer’s goals. What are they trying to achieve? What does good look like for them? That approach has shaped everything we’ve done at Fortell.
“The last six months have really been about testing the waters — asking, Are people ready for this? Are we too early? And yes, we are a little early, but I think that’s a good place to be. It gives us time to create dialogue, raise awareness and help customers see the value before the market becomes crowded. Once businesses see our demos and hear how naturally the AI can handle conversations, they’re genuinely surprised by how advanced it is.
“I’ve learnt it’s important for potential customers to be clear on what they’re trying to achieve. It might not be voice AI yet, it might be data automation or predictive decision-making, so understanding that goal helps them find the right partner.
"We’re not looking for quick wins or off-the-shelf projects. We want to work with businesses that are willing to experiment, collaborate, and grow with us – we can be a little bit picky with who we work with, we want customers to come on a journey with us."
As you observe fleet-management software and data systems from a new perspective, how might the sector evolve - and what's in store for Fortell?
“In the next six to 12 months, this will become more of the norm. More people will be looking to turn on a voice agent behind call centres or other high-volume inbound lines. Right now, there isn’t a lot of competition in the voice space in the UK. There’s more activity in smart AI solutions and processing information in other areas, which is good, but I think voice will move quickly from here.
“For Fortell the focus is to keep it tight. We’re concentrating on inbound voice handling, and on scenarios where volume and availability matter. What we really want to do is go on a journey with customers. Many already have long lists of ideas and ambitions, which is exciting, but our approach is to break it down, step by step. We start with something small but high impact, usually handling call volume, and then, as we learn and adapt together, we move on to stages two, three and four.
That approach has landed well, because we’re not promising the earth; we’re building sustainable progress that delivers value early on.”
Your career's been across male-dominated industries. Does Fortell bring something distinctive to the table because it's led by a female founder?
“I think it’s more about experience than gender, but there is a diversity of perspective – all three of us as co-founders bring something different to the table.”
Finally, if you could give one piece of advice to the younger Debbie starting out in automotive, what would it be?
“If I could give advice to my younger self, I’d say don’t be afraid to take a risk. There have been plenty of moments where I’ve hit a fork in the road and questioned whether I’d made the right decision, but you must trust your instincts. And if you do take the wrong path, learn something from it. Stay curious, keep asking questions, keep learning, and take time to reflect on what you’ve done well and what you could have done better.
“I heard something recently on the radio about women balancing work, earning, and often taking on more at home, and I think it’s true that many of us are just naturally good at juggling. Maybe it’s in our DNA or something we’ve learned from generations before us, but we just get on with it.
“I think women – me included – need to do better at giving ourselves credit. We get pulled in all directions, and sometimes it’s worth pausing to acknowledge how much we actually do.”