Dealerships keep adding AI tools, but results depend on employees who understand them and help shape how they work. Stores that skip that step risk frustrated staff and a disconnected customer experience. On today’s edition of CBT Live, Jen Suzuki, Founder and CEO of ZukiTalk and President of eDealer Solutions, breaks down what real AI adoption looks like and how to win over skeptical employees.
Suzuki said team members should help onboard an AI tool by naming the friction in their roles. Managers then need to oversee the tool closely and gather staff feedback, since it improves with attention. At a store she visited recently, the AI voice assistant mispronounced the dealership’s name on recorded calls. Advisors said it had always been that way, so she asked who was listening to the calls.
Customers who form a bond with an AI assistant often come in asking for it by name, Suzuki said. Many teams haven’t trained staff on how to respond, but every employee should know the assistant is AI. Brushing off the question can leave customers feeling misled and damage the brand. Suzuki recommends introducing the assistant as a “team member,” then guiding the customer to the next step with a human team member.
Suzuki built ZukiTalk, a voice AI tool that calls service customers to review the technician’s multi-point inspection report. Customers can then approve work with confidence. Suzuki said repair orders can be approved one minute after the report is completed instead of waiting 20 to 45 minutes.
