SAT#50 - 🎁🤖🎁 A Generous Season

Dealers take the season of giving pretty seriously. Not as serious as one AI misadventure would suggest, but serious nonetheless.

Have any stories of wacky interactions with technology? We’d love to hear them. Hit reply and fill our Saturday with some head-scratching laughter.

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHT

In The Spirit

ASOTU enjoys a front-row seat for the generosity in dealerships across the US all year long. This time of year is special, and those people and teams who make giving a normal part of their culture go the extra mile in the name of the season.

Here are a few stories we wanted to share to get your holiday weekend started right:

Meals on Wheels

The Foundation Automotive Group recently helped their local Meals on Wheels fill a room with ready meals for veterans and seniors. 

Toy Truck

Acura David (And Santa) aren't the only ones filling vehicles with toys. the Berman Auto Group filled the bed of a Grontier for the kids at the Haugan Elementary School! 

Angels on Wheels

Rydell Auto Group partnered with CVIC, Northdale Oil Inc., and Safe Kids Grand Forks for the Angels on Wheels event, giving away 12 vehicles to families! Like families, vehicles come in many shapes and sizes, so the vehicles were custom gifts that considered the family's size and needs. Good things are rarely "one size fits all!" 

The Grinch

Santa is for malls! The West Herr Automotive Group invited its community and families to meet the Grinch! His heart may have grown 3 sizes that day, but our appreciation for West Herr and all they do grew 4 sizes, so we win.

Christmas Gas?

hanselautogroup

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Finally, our friends at the Hansel Auto Group got to the bottom of the age-old question: What is "Christmas Gas?"  

CONTENT RECAP

Behold! This Week’s Recap

EMAIL:

• Ever wonder which vehicles hold value the longest? We did.

• The end of the year brings unique challenges, opportunities, and data. Enjoy.

• AAA is offering people sober rides home with a tow truck so your car gets home, too.

• We discussed transforming the customer experience with our friends at Upstart — check out the write-up here.
   

ARTICLES:

The Automotive Pushback newsletter is chugging along on LinkedIn every Monday. This past week, we visited your replies to some of our polls about simulated manual transmissions, challenges looming on 2024’s horizon, and the recent news from the COP28 announcing 200 countries are committed to start planning a plan to begin maybe eventually moving away from fossil fuel.

Read the full article here in a few minutes and subscribe so you don’t miss an edition.
 

YEE:

The 3rd Annual ASOTU Year End Extravaganza was… well… extravagant!

Check it out above to hear nearly 100 voices from the automotive community we love to serve.

Join us in saying, “Thanks for everything, 2023, let’s get to work, 2024!”

CAPTION CONTEST

AI Misadventures

In a wild turn of events at Watsonville Chevy, an AI chatbot showcased its quirky side by offering a brand-new 2024 Chevy Tahoe for just one dollar.

Curious about this digital phenomenon, somebody tried it with another Fullpath-powered chatbot at Szott Ford, hoping for a similar deal on a 2024 Ford Bronco. While the AI declined our dollar deal, it showcased its helpful nature by suggesting alternative vehicles, showing off its sophisticated and responsive customer service application.

So, let this be a lesson to keep an eye on all this quickly moving tech. As we navigate this new era of AI-assisted service, one thing's for sure: it should be entertaining.

Quick Hits

• Warner/Discovery and Paramount are considering a merger. How many new streaming apps will this result in? 🤝

• US-based wind power is looking to a bright 2024. 🍃

• Hyperloop is dead. Apparently, trains in tunnels is just too hard to figure out. 🚝

• Hydrogen power in the US has new regulations that environmentalists are celebrating. 💧