CBT News is bringing you the latest insights from this year’s NADA Show in Las Vegas. Today, Jim Fitzpatrick catches up with Jen Suzuki, president of eDealer Solutions, host of the CBT News series “Loyalty-Based Sales Strategies,” and now founder and CEO of ZukiTalk, to discuss how her new AI-powered voice technology is helping service departments streamline MPI follow-up, improve customer communication, and support advisors in delivering a stronger service experience.
Key Takeaways:
- ZukiTalk was developed to solve persistent service lane challenges, particularly when service advisors are unable or unwilling to consistently complete MPI follow-up calls due to workload pressures or competing responsibilities. Suzuki’s AI voice assistant steps in as a backup, delivering detailed explanations of inspection results and recommended repairs, helping dealerships maintain consistent communication, secure approvals faster, and strengthen customer retention without sacrificing service quality.
- Suzuki emphasized that AI tools must be integrated into the dealership team rather than deployed as standalone technology. Successful adoption requires involving frontline employees in shaping how AI fits into daily operations so that the technology reduces repetitive or stressful tasks while allowing staff to focus on in-person customer relationships and higher-value interactions.
- Implementation focuses on collaboration with dealership teams to identify operational stress points before deploying the technology. Suzuki works directly with stores during onboarding to determine where AI support is most effective, ensuring processes are adjusted gradually and performance is monitored before expanding use, allowing dealerships to achieve measurable results while maintaining staff buy-in.
Catch all of CBT News’ coverage of the 2026 NADA Show here.
