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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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