There’s a question sitting underneath almost every AI conversation happening in automotive right now: is this actually changing dealership operations, or is this just the latest wave of tech language everyone is expected to adopt?
That tension came through clearly during a recent ASOTU Edge webinar featuring Jordan Parker from Podium and Tiana Tash, Innovation and Technology Specialist at Van Horn Automotive Group. Alongside Kyle Mountsier and Paul Daly, the conversation stayed practical and grounded in dealership reality instead of drifting into futuristic predictions.
What emerged was less about replacing employees or rebuilding the store around AI and more about something much simpler: removing delays that frustrate customers and cost dealers opportunities.
The Biggest Gap in Most Dealerships Happens After Hours
One of the most revealing moments in the webinar came when Tash shared that 54% of Van Horn’s AI conversations happened while the dealership was closed. Over the last six months, those after-hours conversations totaled more than 18,000 interactions.
That number reframes the conversation quickly.
For years, dealerships accepted that leads submitted after hours would wait until the next business day. Saturday evening inquiries sat untouched until Monday morning. Missed calls became voicemails. Customers adjusted because there really was no alternative.
Now there is.
Van Horn reported a median response time of 49 seconds using AI-powered communication tools. Not because they suddenly staffed overnight shifts, but because they identified a major friction point in the customer experience and addressed it intentionally.
Jordan Parker pointed to one statistic that reinforced the urgency behind fast engagement: responding within 60 seconds can increase conversions by 391%.
So what are dealers actually solving for?
Not every store needs a full AI strategy tomorrow morning. The webinar repeatedly emphasized starting with one clear operational problem and building from there. For many dealers, the first opportunities look like this:
Missed calls during peak traffic hours
Weekend and after-hours lead response
Service scheduling overflow
Slow follow-up times on internet leads
Repetitive customer questions consuming staff time
That practical approach is part of why the conversation felt credible. Nobody was suggesting dealerships flip an “AI everything” switch overnight.
AI Still Requires Human Leadership
One of the strongest insights from Tash came when she compared AI onboarding to training a new employee. That framing cuts through a lot of the unrealistic expectations dealers place on new technology.
You do not turn AI on Friday and fully evaluate it Monday.
You refine it. Train it. Correct it. Adjust tone and policies. Improve handoffs between departments. The stores seeing success are investing time into making the technology sound and operate like their dealership, not like a generic script engine.
Van Horn even trains staff on how to continue conversations that begin with AI. Customers regularly walk into stores asking for “Jerry,” the AI assistant by name.
That sounds humorous until you realize what it represents: continuity. The customer experience feels connected instead of fragmented.
What changed the conversation for skeptical dealers?
Tash admitted she was deeply skeptical early on because previous chatbot experiences had been poor. That honesty gave the discussion weight because it acknowledged what many dealers already feel.
Most operators are not resisting AI because they dislike innovation. They are resisting another platform that promises transformation but creates more complexity.
The webinar pushed back against that fear by focusing on measured implementation instead of sweeping promises.
The Best Dealers Will Start Small and Learn Fast
Another important thread throughout the discussion centered around staffing concerns. Van Horn shared that AI has not replaced employees inside their stores. Instead, repetitive entry-point tasks are increasingly handled by automation while team members move toward higher-value responsibilities like acquisition, credit assistance, training, and customer engagement.
That may ultimately become the most valuable role AI plays in dealerships. Not replacing people, but giving them more capacity to focus on the work humans are uniquely good at.
The clearest takeaway from the webinar was not that every dealer needs the same AI stack. It was that waiting indefinitely is becoming its own operational risk.
The stores gaining momentum are not trying to solve everything at once. They are identifying one friction point, improving it, measuring the result, and building from there.
For dealers wondering where to begin, that may be the best place to start.
