Latest activity

Dan Sayer · Friday at 10:05 AM

northwayauto said:
Currently with Dealer Peak looking to switch to Drive Centric looking for some feedback. Is their AI really good or should we look for outside one and connect with theirs. AI Drivee AI. Thank You for any feedback.

Absolutely their AI is legit and you would never want to connect another 3rd party AI to DriveCentric. Other AI's that layer on an older CRM like eLead, Vin, etc make sense because legacy systems don't have a baked in solution. You always want the left hand knowing what the right hand is doing.

Alex Snyder · Thursday at 9:07 AM

The adage of $20 per lead remains a decent benchmark. Although most providers don't charge this way, you can calculate your lead charge by dividing your flat spend by the number of leads received. I think most dealers like to calculate ROI instead.

Todd Caputo · Tuesday at 5:33 PM

Yesterday I had an experience at a dealership that reminded me why so many consumers still approach the car-buying process with hesitation.

A good friend of mine was looking to lease a brand-new Ford F-150 for his 83-year-old father. His dad has never owned a new vehicle in his life — this was supposed to be a big, exciting milestone.

We did what most customers do today: submitted an online form. To the store’s credit, they followed up right away and set an appointment. So far, so good.

When we arrived, though, the experience quickly went downhill:

Three salespeople were sitting outside the front door, heads down, staring at their phones. They offered a casual hello, but that was it.
The salesperson we had the appointment with greeted us, but never removed his sunglasses when shaking our hands. It might seem small, but looking a customer in the eye matters.
The truck we came to see wasn’t ready. It was “in the back” and “in transport mode” — which meant we couldn’t even drive it.
Inside the showroom, there was a VIP appointment board. My friend’s name wasn’t on it. If you’re going to promote a VIP experience, make sure the customer actually feels like a VIP.
In the salesperson’s office, I noticed his “salesman of the month” plaques on the wall. I complimented him, and his response was: “Those are my victims.” Imagine hearing that as a customer.

The negotiation process was predictable: a lease penciled at full sticker price, money factor marked up 300 basis points, and F&I products pre-loaded. When I finally shared my background as a former dealer and consultant, the desk adjusted the money factor but still held the line on everything else.

Before we left, a manager told us: “There aren’t many V8 F-150s around, I could sell this to someone else for more money.” And that was it. No relationship built, no empathy for a man about to buy his first new truck at 83 years old, no follow-up afterward.

Here’s the takeaway:
Every dealership talks about customer experience, but few deliver it consistently. Professionalism matters. Eye contact matters. Small details like an appointment board matter. Most importantly, language matters. Customers aren’t “victims” — they’re guests, they’re relationships, they’re the reason your business exists.

That store may eventually sell that truck, but they missed the chance to create a story that family would share for years to come.

In today’s market, products are commodities. The only real differentiator is the experience.

Tallcool1 · Aug 25, 2025

These providers are flat subscription based, not lead based. I pay that same amount no matter if I get 5, 50, or 500 leads in a month.

I think I understand the question. There is nothing typical so really hard to answer.

Tallcool1 · Aug 19, 2025

bringles said:
Hi,
Thank you for the tip. I spoke with quickbooks. I asked if there is a way to run a debit card as an eCheck and they said no. The only way is to get their checking account and routing # and run it as an echeck for 1% fee. Just curious how your doing it that way for a flat $3 charge?

Ya, I spoke too soon. It used to be a flat $1 and then went to a flat $3 several years ago.

Now, it is 1% with a maximum of $15.00.

$1,000 the fee was $10
$2,000 the fee was $15
$26,500 the fee was $15

I am on a really old plan with them. I believe I signed my agreement about 12 years ago.

bringles · Aug 19, 2025

Hi,
Thank you for the tip. I spoke with quickbooks. I asked if there is a way to run a debit card as an eCheck and they said no. The only way is to get their checking account and routing # and run it as an echeck for 1% fee. Just curious how your doing it that way for a flat $3 charge?

joe.pistell · Aug 14, 2025

podcast link

Customers spend up to 80% of their time on a vehicle’s listing page clicking on photos. | Car Dealership Guy | 16 comments

Customers spend up to 80% of their time on a vehicle’s listing page clicking on photos. Joe Pistell, Founder of AutoMagicLabs.ai, explains why dealership photos are the single most important tool for car shoppers today. "For every 1000 cars sold at a dealership, customers will click on one to...

www.linkedin.com

joe.pistell · Aug 13, 2025

I'm on CDG podcast today, live, speaker #3. Say hi

Alex Snyder · Aug 11, 2025

Ryan Everson said:
Love it, congrats on the rebrand and pivot @Alex Snyder!

Thaks Ryan! Definitely a pivot on the brand, but an evolution on the product(s). We've been analyzing the combined sales and service DMS data for years, closely monitoring vehicle valuations to identify where dealers are missing significant opportunities with their customers after a car purchase. On top of that, dealers are losing the fight to the Carvanas and Tesla models, more and more customers are flocking toward. We are giving dealers a better fighting chance without altering the process, making the customer experience significantly stronger!

joe.pistell · Aug 6, 2025

willandre said:
So this is an efficiency story?

Yess sir.

It's the core of my mission.

Merchandizing - Someone is Launching a new Service | Joe Pistell

joe.pistell said:
AutoMagic Labs
"Less Leads, More Turns"

joe.pistell said:
Everyone I talk to recoils when I say "I want to build stuff that causes less leads". It's a delightful confirmation that I'm headed in the right direction.

Internet Car Shopping Sucks.

It's why DR failed. How do you improve it?

Shopping is a task, shoppers have a job to do.
Deeply know what your shoppers need to accomplish and look at everything you do through this lens.

It's simple. Industry wide, our websites suck.

Alex Snyder · Aug 6, 2025

FRIKINtech Evolves to VehicleLyfe, Transforming Automotive Customer Engagement with Automated Concierge Platform

FRIKINtech, the leading provider of automotive dealer engagement technology, today announced its evolution and rebranding to VehicleLyfe. This strategic shift expands the company’s focus to actively engage customers throughout their entire vehicle ownership journey, establishing dealers as trusted, long-term partners.

VehicleLyfe transforms the customer-dealer relationship with a fully automated engagement platform. By integrating directly with a dealership’s DMS, VehicleLyfe proactively connects with customers after a vehicle purchase or service visit. This isn’t just about sales or service reminders; it’s about offering an invaluable resource for all vehicle owners.

“For too long, the dealer-customer relationship has been solely based on transactions,” said Tom Harsha, VehicleLyfe COO. “Customers are begging for a car resource to guide them on maintenance, warranty upgrades, insurance, whether to lease or buy, and when to trade up. VehicleLyfe fills that void. It’s the solution customers have always wanted, built on real data and automated touchpoints that foster trust and loyalty without adding to a dealer’s workload.”

Empowering Owners, Driving Loyalty

VehicleLyfe provides customers with a personalized concierge experience, offering:

A Complete Service History: Documentation of past services, including date serviced, cost, services provided, and declined services.
Warranty Insights: Easy access to existing coverages and potential options.
Equity Insights: Tools to understand and explore trade-in possibilities.
Full dealership inventory with accurate loan, lease, and cash payment options, with all fees and taxes included to explore
Investment Peak Analysis: A proprietary feature to help them know the absolute best time to keep or trade their vehicle, based on when investment in the car begins to outweigh its value, to maximize their investment.

For dealerships, VehicleLyfe is a powerful tool to measure and cultivate true customer loyalty. By tracking in-platform engagements and gauging loyalty metrics from the past and future, VehicleLyfe provides actionable insights into customer behavior. Loyalty intentions are measured and sent directly to the dealer’s inbox and/or CRM system. On average, VehicleLyfe is projected to create nearly 8,000 new customer touchpoints per dealership each month, significantly deepening engagement and fostering lasting relationships.

“Last year, only 23% of dealership sales customers returned to buy another car. A decade ago, that number was consistently above 30%,” said Alex Snyder, CEO at VehicleLyfe. “And it’s not just new car sales; three out of five cars in the service lane weren’t even purchased from that dealership. With shrinking margins, customer experience is your only competitive edge. VehicleLyfe keeps you top-of-mind, giving customers transparent, helpful insights throughout their ownership journey. When it’s time for service or an upgrade, they’re already engaged with you.”

Increase Market Share and Loyalty

Unlike location-based apps that push customers to the nearest dealer, VehicleLyfe focuses on your dealership. Engaging the entire customer at least four times a year, VehicleLyfe delivers timely, targeted communications triggered by vehicle events and customer behaviors. Messages are prioritized by key data like lease/loan maturity and equity position, ensuring you never miss an opportunity. Plus, the loyalty metric dashboard provides real-time insights to help you stay on top of your customer loyalty.

With seamless DMS integration, VehicleLyfe automatically enrolls every customer on day one, ensuring a frictionless experience for dealers and maintaining secure data protection.

For more information, visit www.VehicleLyfe.com.

###

About VehicleLyfe

Based in Williston, VT, VehicleLyfe is the first automated guide for vehicle ownership of its kind, showing dealership customers a clear road ahead: when to purchase a warranty, when to service their vehicle, the optimal time to trade it in or sell it, and opportunities to adjust their insurance. This consistent guidance strengthens their relationship with dealerships, building loyalty for LYFE.

joe.pistell · Aug 6, 2025

Todd Caputo said:
Start delivering a Carvana/Amazon-like experience — before they eat your lunch.

# of Leads as a KPI is dead:

Carvana sells 50,000 cars per month, up +40% YoY. Website traffic is unchanged.

From Carvana's Quarterly conference all to investors:

Q4 2023:

Average calls per sale down ~40% YoY <--wait for it!
Average sales per customer advocate doubled YoY <--F*ck leads
Each support rep handled 2x the sales with fewer customer calls <--F*ck leads
Call duration down ~20% YoY <--F*ck leads

Q4 2024:

Average calls per sale down ~20% YoY <--F*ck leads
AI-powered chats with ZERO human assistance has nearly tripled over the past two years <--F*ck leads

Q2 2025:

18% more customers complete transactions without any human support vs prior year
Customers who do call spend 25% less time on calls <--F*ck leads
Sales per customer advocate up 23% YoY <--F*ck leads

Todd Caputo · Aug 5, 2025

Amazon sells purchases — not just eyeballs, phone calls, and form fills.

If Amazon can show that their model delivers sales-ready customers, that’s a far superior ROI for dealers.

For years sup par dealer websites and 3rd-party marketplaces have sold us impressions, VDP views, and lead forms.
Carvana flipped the script by proving something bigger:

Consumers will pay MORE for a frictionless, transparent experience so they do not have to walk into a car dealership.
Everyone in the car business thought Carvana wouldn’t make it.

They were wrong.

Now comes Amazon — not to dabble, but to scale what Carvana started:
• Upfront, transparent pricing
• Online financing
• No back-and-forth games
• 3-day return policy
• Buy online, pick up at the dealership
• Used and CPO inventory — starting in LA, coming to your town in the near future.

It’s what many customers have wanted for years.

The difference?
Amazon has the TRUST, the TRAFFIC, the TECH, and the TIMING to pull it off at scale.
Most dealers still make car buying way harder than it has to be.
Amazon won’t.

Every ounce of FRICTION in your process is a point of VULNERABILITY now more than ever.
The disruptors are HERE again —

Dealers: This isn’t the time to panic.

It’s the time to audit your processes, tighten up your reconditioning and merchandising game, and rethink your entire digital-to-physical HANDOFF.
Want to stay relevant?

Start delivering a Carvana/Amazon-like experience — before they eat your lunch.

*imported from fb

Tallcool1 · Aug 4, 2025

It doesn't matter if you are getting screwed or not. It is what it is.

III. Seller Responsibilities:

1. Sellers should avoid using ambiguous, confusing, or deceptive announcements or disclosures as these may be grounds for arbitration.

2. Seller will be held responsible for the accuracy and completeness of all representations or descriptions. This includes handouts, catalogues, vehicle markings, condition information or vehicle listings and verbal or written statements made by Seller, Auction, Auctioneer or Selling Representative at the time of sale. This includes the condition report written by or on behalf of the seller as per the “NAAA Generic Condition Report Position Statement”. The Seller understands that the sale light/video display is a binding arbitration representation of vehicle condition, and is therefore responsible for ensuring that their vehicles sell under the correct light in the lane.

According to the Manheim Arbitration Policy, the seller owes you the Charging Cable or they need to take the car back.

You will not get it no matter how many times you ask or how many claims you open. They pretty much do whatever they want.

joe.pistell · Aug 4, 2025

This LI post I created is red hot and it connects to this thread:
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7357861679205949440/

Carvana sales: 48,000 sales every month

What's Driving This Growth in Sales Volume? Carvana's Website Traffic is UNCHANGED

Garcia's Obsession: Get MORE Sales with LESS Friction & FEWER Leads

The Evolution of Efficiency:

"We want to give customers simple experiences with an efficient machine that's getting smarter all the time. And I think every single thing inside that system is a lever for us." -Garcia

Q4 2023:

Average calls per sale down ~40% YoY
Average sales per customer advocate doubled YoY
Each support rep handled 2x the sales with fewer customer calls
Call duration down ~20% YoY

Q4 2024:

Average calls per sale down ~20% YoY
AI-powered chats with ZERO human assistance has nearly tripled over the past two years

Q2 2025:

18% more customers complete transactions without any human support vs prior year
Customers who do call spend 25% less time on calls
Sales per customer advocate up 23% YoY

Change is coming... fast.

Dan Sayer · Aug 1, 2025

brad p said:
1232 good leads
21 percent sold
39 percent appt set
58 percent confirmed
244 sold

1232 good leads > How many did you have total?
21 percent sold > Are these only internet (XML) or do they include Phone
39 percent appt set > Again, internet and phone or just internet
58 percent confirmed > Should be knocking on the door of 80%
What is the shown rate?
Do you have a Visit rate that includes both appointments that have shown and the visit from a non-appointment pop-in?

Tallcool1 · Jul 26, 2025

Zack_AF said:
Appreciate your input!

Totally agree with making things easy which is part of the thought behind the convenience of meeting someone at they’re at. What we have is just like Facetime but unlike Facetime, it includes Androids and doesn't require any apps/downloads.

Just trying to think outside the box. I occasionally see LinkedIn posts talking about the need to acquire more cars but never seem to see a lot of solutions being presented.

If Carvana/CarMax have a simple process and they offer more $$, how can dealers create an advantage?
One thing I know they don’t do is utilize live video for trade-in appraisals and use that as a sales opportunity with capability for a walkaround.

So the person wanting to sell their vehicle would have to download an APP? Or does the APP reside on the dealership website so there would be no need for a Software Download?

Tallcool1 · Jul 25, 2025

Zack_AF said:
Appreciate the info, fellas! Sounds like you have a solid process working. Curious, would you know how many are buying from you vs just selling?

I’m not a dealership so I don’t have a process in place. Just have an idea that is sort of an offshoot of a live video product we have.
Contemplating if optimizing for a trade-in type experience would be useful and if dealers would even want/use something like this.

The thought here is sort of along the lines of we don’t know what we don’t know. I just wonder how many people bypass a dealership‘s trade-in processes in favor of CarMax/Carvana (whom are typically known to pay more) and how much of that market could be captured with a human connection.

Nobody is offering this, so what might customers think if this was an available option.

I am really not sure what advice I can give, and know that I have thought about it a lot.

My store has been open for about 15 years. From day 1 we have worked to build a reputation as a dealership that would put a number on absolutely any vehicle that someone wants to sell. Even if the customer doesn't like our number, we give them a number.

We actually get some vehicle bought in situations where the dealer down the road is low balling on the trade so they sell it to us and go buy the vehicle from the guy down the street.

The kicker is that I am low volume compared to what most are. An app or video process might actually be more of a barrier than simplifying things. People are familiar with texting a cell phone picture. It is simple and something that they do all the time. Facetime is the same thing. It is so easy to just Facetime the customer and walk them through how to reverse the camera is we want to look at a trade in or purchase vehicle. Native Mobile features are just engrained into everyday life.

Now don't let my opinion hinder your outlook for a product. You may very well be onto something special. I am simply not a person that has the background or need for something like it so my input isn't worth much.

Tallcool1 · Jul 24, 2025

bringles said:
thanks! Do you mean in Quickbooks?

Yes, Quickbooks Payments.

Tallcool1 · Jul 24, 2025

It's pretty frustrating @DrewAment . I don't like it at all, and it isn't just Carfax.

What I see frequently is that the "Great Deal" vehicles are typically really tacky but have no REPORTED Accidents. These cars might be scratched up with door dings, cracked bumper covers, stained seats, headliners that look like they survived an Apocalypse, oxidized head lights, etc...but the Value Rating is really strong especially if they have even a decent service history.

Think about the cars that work really good for Sub Prime and you realize that those are the cars that score well on these 3rd Party sites.

Why they won't just tell us how the Rater System works is beyond me. I suppose they are afraid that dealers will somehow game their system?

bringles · Jul 24, 2025

thanks! Do you mean in Quickbooks?

Tallcool1 · Jul 24, 2025

I process through Intuit and anytime someone is using a Debit Card I process it as an E-Check for a flat $3 per transaction.

Tallcool1 · Jul 24, 2025

For me, it depends largely on how new the pickup is. I would never mess with deleting a truck that is still under factory warranty.

As @Alex Snyder said, the performance difference is staggering. I have always known that diesel pickups are "de-tuned" to less than half of what they are capable of, but it is hard to really comprehend that until you have felt it.

I have recently been thinking about buying an old Ford 6.0 and having it Bullet Proofed and Deleted. Those things run amazing with a little bit of love.

What year make model engine are you wanting to delete?

Tallcool1 · Jul 24, 2025

We get basic information like @Richie K and have the customer send us pictures. We tell them that we don't need fancy pictures and that they don't need to wash and vacuum the car. We also tell that anything that can't be captured in a photo (windshield, scratches, etc) they can just tell us about "we will see it as soon as you bring it in anyway" and we will do the same for you on the vehicle you want to buy.

It works really good for us. We rarely change an appraisal.

Latest activity

Latest activity

Merchandizing - Someone is Launching a new Service | Joe Pistell​

Internet Car Shopping Sucks.​

Shopping is a task, shoppers have a job to do.​

VehicleLyfe FRIKINtech becomes VehicleLyfe

FRIKINtech Evolves to VehicleLyfe, Transforming Automotive Customer Engagement with Automated Concierge Platform​

Sticky Amazon SELLS purchases — not just eyeballs

Carvana sales: 48,000 sales every month What's Driving This Growth in Sales Volume? Carvana's Website Traffic is UNCHANGED​

Garcia's Obsession: Get MORE Sales with LESS Friction & FEWER Leads​

The Evolution of Efficiency:​

Filter

Merchandizing - Someone is Launching a new Service | Joe Pistell

Internet Car Shopping Sucks.

Shopping is a task, shoppers have a job to do.

FRIKINtech Evolves to VehicleLyfe, Transforming Automotive Customer Engagement with Automated Concierge Platform

Sticky

Amazon SELLS purchases — not just eyeballs

Carvana sales: 48,000 sales every month

What's Driving This Growth in Sales Volume? Carvana's Website Traffic is UNCHANGED

Garcia's Obsession: Get MORE Sales with LESS Friction & FEWER Leads

The Evolution of Efficiency: