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If your appraisals still start with a sharpie on a worksheet, this one’s for you. 

Derek Hansen has lived in the deep end of dealer data—Manheim to vAuto—helping thousands of rooftops translate live market signals into real-world inventory wins. In this conversation with Paul and Kyle, he walks through the three-legged stool every modern dealer needs: superior data, purpose-built workflows, and performance management that respects each store’s strategy. 

Translation: less guessing, more learning loops.

The discussion digs into where AI is actually working right now (pricing probabilities, instant merchandising, smarter appraisals) and where human judgment still matters (trust, context, and the “who” behind every vehicle’s next owner).

Over the next year, Derek’s challenge to dealers is simple: test everything. Small experiments create clarity, build confidence, and keep your team ahead of the curve.

Takeaways

0:00 — Why showing the real you is the best PR

2:26 — Derek Hansen’s path from Bain and finance to the world of dealer data

2:51 — What outsiders miss about 18,000 dealers and their wildly different strategies

6:18 — How software can serve everyone without serving no one

9:23 — The 3-legged stool: data, focused workflows, and hands-on performance management

10:30 — The AI adoption gap: why saying you’re using AI isn’t the same as doing it

13:15 — From guessing to predicting with probability-based pricing and smarter appraisals

15:07 — Trust at the booth: damage scans, recon estimates, and printouts that close deals

17:12 — The 12-month warning: if you’re not testing, your reputation will show it

18:39 — Low-lift testing: offers, anchors, and incentives worth experimenting with

20:21 — Avoiding the AI race to the bottom by remembering every buyer values differently

23:27 — Iteration in public: small tests beat big promises every time

Connect with Derek Hansen at https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-hansen-6a7a941/

Learn more about vAuto at https://www.vauto.com

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What if one number could cut burnout, fix your follow-up, and turn “lost” leads into lifetime service customers?

Kristine Lentz from Urban Science joins Auto Collabs for her first-ever podcast—and promptly makes everyone smile while talking about the least smiley topic in retail: customer defection. From starting in support to leading a team, Kristine lays out how dealers can spot where customers slip away, why our instincts often lie, and how to turn cold data into warm conversations that actually convert.

We get into the uncomfortable stuff—ego vs evidence, “those lead sources are trash” (spoiler: they’re often not), and why about 20% of the leads in your CRM may have already purchased elsewhere. The unlock? Use defection as your North Star to stop chasing ghosts, redirect messaging, and re-humanize sales. In a world racing toward AI-everything, Kristine argues that human is the new premium—and shows how to deploy people exactly where they matter most.

Timestamps

0:00 — First-Time Guest, Big Topic

2:12 — Salesperson to Data Sherpa

3:53 — The “Dealer Reality Check”

8:53 — Your North Star Isn’t Sales—It’s Defection

10:07 — Ego Off, Evidence On

11:20 — The Lead Source Myth

12:28 — The 20% You Should Stop Calling

12:57 — Flip the Script, Win the Relationship

15:57 — Human > Bot (Used Wisely)

18:45 — Human Is the New Premium

21:17 — Culture That Connects

24:50 — Action List for Dealers

Connect with Kristine Lentz at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristine-lentz-a2582910b/

Learn more about Urban Science at https://www.urbanscience.com

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Apple Store energy meets Ford retail as JB Burnett builds a concierge dealership that actually fits how people buy.

Today’s guest, JB Burnett (GM at Preston Automotive Group), went from serving tables at 20 to running his first dealership at 23. He’s now opening what Ford calls the world’s first Signature 2.0 facility—a wide-open, concierge-style showroom where advisors work on iPads, coffee comes before paperwork, and financing options hit the screen in about a minute and a half. He’s betting big that the future of car buying isn’t one lane—it’s dozens—and the store should flex to match every guest’s journey.

We get into the “why” behind the build: Apple-like consult spaces, a barista bar that starts the experience, and tech (AutoFi) that connects online starts to in-store finishes without the dreaded “let me ask my manager” lap. We also talk team prep, culture shifts, and why experiential retail is resurging right as everyone debates online vs. in-store. Spoiler: a dealership isn’t just a place to transact—it’s a place people actually want to be.

0:00 — The Apple Store Feeling That Broke the Dealership Mold

3:54 — Meet JB: From Server to GM at 23 (and What Flipped the Switch)

4:37 — “I Wouldn’t Buy a Car From Me” — The Brutally Honest Epiphany

7:18 — Why Some People Need 8 Hours—and Others Want the Keys in 8 Minutes

10:12 — Inside Ford’s Signature 2.0: Barista Bar, iPads, and Zero Cubicles

15:45 — Weeks From Opening: The First Signature 2.0 Store in the World

18:37 — The 90-Second Finance Loop: AutoFi + RouteOne Changes the Game

20:49 — Open Lines of Sight = Open Trust: Service and Sales Merge

23:20 — Moving a Dealership a City Away: Why Environment Elevates Behavior

24:24 — From Salespeople to Concierges: Training the Mindset, Not Just the Tools

27:20 — Physical Retail Isn’t Dying—Bad Experiences Are

28:38 — Experiential Retail Wins: Make the Store a Place People Choose to Be

Connect with JB Burnett at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jb-burnett-14534626/

Learn more about the Preston Auto Group at https://www.prestonmotor.com/

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Streaming is splintered, AI is the new TV guide, and last-click is dead—Michael Kraut lays out the dealer playbook for what’s next.

Auto Collabs history: our first ever in-studio guest! Experian’s Michael Kraut sits down with Paul to map the new media reality—where streaming splinters attention, Yahoo and Amazon quietly re-emerge as ad heavyweights, and AI agents become the front door to what we watch and how we buy. Marketing isn’t just media, it’s math—and Michael explains how identity, enrichment, and hygiene turn messy dealer data into competitive advantage.

We dig into practicals dealers can act on today: service as a growth engine, outcome-based measurement borrowed from retail media, and the signals that actually predict lift. We also get real about affordability, totaled-vehicle dynamics, fewer true “new” model launches, and a Gen Z buyer who cares more about tech than badge. Plus a little Syracuse nostalgia and a hot take: we may all be headed back to a cable-like bundle (with AI riding shotgun).

Takeaways

0:00 — Our First In-Studio Guest & Why Being In-Person Changes the Conversation

0:58 — “We’re Building More Sets”: The Plan to Bring Dealers to Syracuse

3:17 — From Circuit City to CarMax: Why Adaptation Beats Legacy Every Time

4:11 — LinkedIn’s Organic Reach Is Gone: What We’d Do Differently (x5 Harder)

6:42 — Your Ads Are Everywhere (and Nowhere): The Platform Explosion No One Can Manage

8:32 — Streaming Fatigue Is Real: Why “Cable 2.0” Might Win the Sunday Sports Fight

10:32 — AI As Your TV Guide: Voice-In, Watch-Now, With Ads Baked Into the Agent

12:46 — Your Best Data Isn’t for Sale: CRM/DMS Hygiene as the Unfair Advantage

16:33 — Stop Worshiping Last-Click: How Outcome-Based Marketing Actually Looks in Auto

18:32 — Measuring Lift the Real Way: Service RO Signals, Search Intent & Scheduling

24:07 — What We’ll Talk About at NADA: Fixed Ops as the 2025 Growth Thesis

25:22 — Affordability Won’t Blink: Totals, Insurance, and the Case for Keeping Cars Longer

26:32 — Fewer True Launches, More Rebadges: Why Creative Has to Sell Utility, Not Novelty

27:17 — Gen Z Isn’t Loyal to Badges: If the Tech Works, They’ll Switch

29:23 — From 13 Subscriptions to One Bill: The Bundle Is Coming Back (With Hyper-Personalization)

Connect with Michael Kraut at https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-kraut-1b9b3/

Learn more about Experian Automotive at https://www.experian.com/automotive/

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Auto shows aren’t dead—they’re just getting started, and Jennifer Morand is helping to rewrite the playbook.

On this episode of Auto Collabs, the crew welcomes Jennifer Morand—the incoming chairwoman of the Automotive Experience Alliance (AEA) and powerhouse behind the Chicago Auto Show. She’s on a mission to make auto shows more than just shiny cars on display—instead, she’s building immersive, data-backed experiences that matter. Think ride-and-drives, EV demo tracks, overlanding zones, craft‑beer tastings, and “miles per hour” runs—all tailored to bring genuine engagement to both car lovers and the “not‑car‑people” among us.

Jennifer pulls back the curtain on how auto shows are evolving—and why it’s so much more than car shopping. She explains how shows drive real dealership traffic, why missing brands like Mazda or Buick spark concern, and how OEMs and local dealers can better collaborate through smart activations. The conversation meanders through the push–pull between tier‑one budgets and creative tier‑three marketing, touching on how human connection remains the ground floor of automotive selling.

Takeaways

00:00 – Why the first thing you do at a car show reveals everything

02:31 – The future of auto shows is experiential, not just presentational

03:57 – 20,000 consumers can’t be wrong: what the data says about ROI

06:26 – Dealers say shows work—so why are some OEMs pulling back?

07:56 – When Mazda skips a show, people think they’re going out of business

09:22 – The holy grail of auto marketing: tracking traffic after the show

10:37 – Gen Z loves live events—they just need a reason to care about cars

12:35 – Overlanding zones, EV tracks, beer tastings—this isn’t your dad’s auto show

13:33 – Want to speed up the buying cycle? Make the car experience fun

15:23 – OEMs blocking dealers from participating is hurting the brand

19:02 – Tier 1 meets Tier 3: how to stop leaving auto show potential on the table

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What if the real reason car buyers feel frustrated has nothing to do with price?

David Thomas has spent decades shaping how consumers understand and experience buying a car—from the early days of Autoblog to his current role unpacking research at CDK Global. In this episode, David joins Michael and Paul to talk about the hidden frictions of automotive retail and the disconnects that most dealers don’t even know they have.

He also breaks down why Gen Z wants more in-person experiences, not fewer, and what sports talk radio taught him about content that actually matters. With a sneak peek at CDK’s latest workforce study and a fresh take on how EV adoption is misunderstood, David brings insight without the ego.

Takeaways:

00:00 – The Case of the Missing Co-Host

01:45 – The Craigslist Ad That Launched an Auto Empire

03:29 – Why EV Riders Get Hooked Instantly

04:43 – How to Turn Boring Data Into Dealer Gold

06:27 – What Pearl Jam and Sports Burnout Taught Me About Content

10:56 – Dealers and Employees Are Not Worried About the Same Things

14:38 – Gen Z Doesn’t Want Less Human Interaction—They Want More

15:14 – EV Demand Is Real—Stop Pretending It’s Not

17:08 – Ford’s $22K EV Loss Might Be the Best News Yet

20:06 – Inventory Isn’t Just About Volume—It’s About Trust

24:13 – Millennials Are Shopping Online—But Still Want to Test Drive

Learn more about:

Connect with David Thomas at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davelikescars/

Learn more about CDK Global at https://www.cdkglobal.com

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AI isn’t coming for your job—it’s coming for your to-do list.

When Nick Askew first plugged AI into his daily marketing work, it was like flipping a switch—from a grind to a productivity cheat code. In this episode, Nick sits down with Kyle (while Paul and Michael cheer from the sidelines) to unpack why that moment in late 2023 marked a true before-and-after for how work gets done in the auto industry. They dig into how AI went from a party trick to a power tool almost overnight—and how it’s now reshaping dealership operations from the inside out.

But this isn’t just another AI hypefest. Nick and Kyle get tactical on what needs to change under the hood—from cleaning up CRM workflows to rethinking what a “one-stop-shop” platform actually means. There’s a passionate call for the industry to rally around shared API standards (ADF-XML, anyone?), a peek into Space Auto’s ambitious roadmap, and a surprisingly strong argument for why background AI agents—not flashy bots—might be the next frontier. If you’ve ever felt bogged down by your tech stack or your task list, this one’s for you.

Takeaways

00:00 – When two AI nerds find each other

02:14 – The day AI made Nick 10x more productive

05:16 – You’re already falling behind on AI

07:46 – AI isn’t replacing you—it’s freeing you

09:08 – Why unstructured data is killing AI in the showroom

10:29 – CRMs are broken, and everyone knows it

12:33 – Your fingers are the real bottleneck

16:30 – The tech debate that splits the industry

23:56 – Automotive desperately needs a new API standard

27:02 – The biggest AI breakthrough you won’t even see

30:53 – We can’t fix AI until we fix the data

Connect with Nick Askew at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-askew/

Learn more about Space Auto at https://space.auto/

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Episode #1124: Today we break down the latest Fixed Ops Golden Metrics, showing where service departments are winning and where there’s room to grow. We also look at how dealer inventory has returned to pre-tariff “normal” levels, and why Atlantans are playing cancellation games just to ride in a Waymo robotaxi.

• The Fixed Ops Golden Metrics 2025 report from Reynolds and Reynolds highlights how service departments are stacking up in hours, labor rates, and RO profits—plus the big gains from technician efficiency tools.
  • Dealers are grouped two ways—by urban classification (Major Urban, Metro, Community, Rural) and by 5 volume classes based on monthly customer-pay ROs: Class 1: <300 and Class 5: >1,200.
  • High-volume Class 5 stores topped 3,000 hrs/month. Major Urban averaged 1,613 hrs/month vs. Rural at 490. 
• Major Urban led profit per RO at $414, Rural just $225. Class 1 averaged $400, dropping to $243 in Class 5.
• Using recommendation software added +0.5 hrs/RO, +$18 ELR, and +$62 profit/RO—worth $9K more profit/month for a 150-RO store.

• After months of tariff shocks and supply swings, dealer lots look familiar again. The average automaker now has a 73-day supply of new cars — right on the industry’s long-term target.
  • Lots once ran as high as 89 days of supply during early tariff panic.
  • Inventories plunged to 66 days when 25% tariffs first hit but have since recovered.
  • Despite costs, prices rose just 1.5% YoY as automakers and dealers absorbed tariffs.
  • Some brands buck the trend: Toyota/Lexus are tight with just over a month of supply, while Ram and Land Rover sit on four months’ worth.

• Waymo has expanded beyond its California and Arizona roots, bringing robotaxis to Atlanta. But there’s a catch: you can only hail one through Uber, and it’s not guaranteed.
  • Riders can select “Prefer Waymo” in the Uber app, but often get matched with human drivers.
  • Some Atlantans cancel ride after ride—one reporting 20 cancellations on average—just to snag a Waymo.
  • Waymo has only dozens of vehicles in the city now, with plans to grow to hundreds in coming years.
  • Riders can improve their odds by staying inside the 65-square-mile service zone, avoiding highways, and riding outside peak times.
  • As one rider put it, “The fact that it’s so challenging to get has turned it into a game.”

0:00 Intro with Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier
1:08 We'll be at the NAMAD Annual Meeting next week
1:45 Webinar on Dealer Reputation Tomorrow
2:26 Fixed Ops Golden Metrics from Reynolds and Reynolds
5:27 I

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The technician who turned oil changes into master certifications—and negativity into a movement of positivity.

Curtis Gardner isn’t your typical technician. Starting out with oil changes after high school, Curtis worked his way up to Toyota master certification before taking on the German-engineering challenge at Audi. But what makes his story stand out isn’t just his technical chops—it’s his decision to flip the technician narrative from negativity and burnout to optimism, efficiency, and human connection.

In this conversation, Curtis shares how video inspections transformed not just his customer relationships, but his own career. From becoming “the guy” customers now ask for by name, to creating content that shines a positive light on technicians, Curtis is redefining what it means to thrive in fixed ops. If you’ve ever wondered how to solve the so-called technician shortage, why techs need self-leadership, or how tool organization can actually change shop efficiency, this is the episode for you.

Takeaways:

0:00 The hats don’t fit—but this episode does

1:00 Meet the first technician ever on Auto Collabs

2:15 From Legos to master-certified Toyota tech

3:40 Why Curtis started sharing technician content online

5:07 Video inspections: the tool that changed everything

7:20 How customers react when they finally see under their car

8:50 Becoming “my guy”: when customers start asking for you by name

10:15 Why Curtis makes Zen videos inside Audi hoods

11:45 Self-leadership: the hidden skill every tech needs

13:55 Is the technician shortage real—or just perception?

15:20 Why management isn’t always the best next step for master techs

17:00 Curtis’s vision for the service shop of the future

19:10 3D printing a better way to organize tools

21:15 The human connection that technology can’t replace

Connect with Curtis Gardner on https://www.linkedin.com/in/techgnarr/

Learn more about Techgnarr at https://stan.store/techgnarr

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From hype to hesitation—Laurie Halter reveals what dealerships really think about AI in the service drive.

Laurie Halter isn’t just a PR veteran with her finger on the industry’s pulse—she’s now bringing hard data to the AI conversation in fixed ops. In this episode, she joins Paul, Kyle, and Michael to unpack her latest independent research report, a deep dive into how AI is (and isn’t) being adopted in dealership service departments. From vendor hype to dealer hesitation, Laurie’s findings cut through the noise and spotlight a glaring gap between what’s being built and what’s actually needed on the ground.

The crew explores the report’s surprising revelations, including which AI tools dealerships are most likely to adopt first, why predictive maintenance is still a distant goal, and how smarter technology could help tackle the industry’s massive technician shortage. Laurie also shares why independent, neutral research matters now more than ever, and how early collaboration between vendors and dealers will determine AI’s real impact on customer experience.

Get the report here: https://charismacommunications.com/reports/ai-in-the-service-drive/

Takeaways:

00:00 – The PR Pro Who Turned AI Researcher

02:15 – Why Deep-Dive Research Is Missing in Auto

04:55 – The Disconnect Between Dealers and Vendors

06:45 – Inside the “AI in the Service Drive” Report

08:09 – Vendors Think Dealers Are Ready—They’re Not

09:32 – Outbound Texting: The First Step in AI Adoption

13:14 – AI as a Solution to the Technician Shortage

15:38 – Who’s Reading This Report First (Hint: It’s Not Who You Think)

18:07 – AI Adoption Has to Start at the Top

19:24 – Customer Experience Is the Real AI Litmus Test

20:48 – What Laurie Might Research Next

Connect with Laurie Halter at https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-halter-1255b6/

Learn more about Charisma! Communications at https://www.charismacommunications.com

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