all - I feel bad for the little amount of time I've been on DealerRefresh the past few months. Some of you already know and have lent a hand - MAJOR THANK YOU, but for those who don't, here is the short story:

My wife has Central Nervous System and, now, Bone Marrow Lymphoma. This is one of the most aggressive cancers, and it took a while to get to this diagnosis. Unfortunately, this has significantly advanced her case.

The original symptoms appeared around May 18th and culminated in her putting her car in a ditch while getting very lost driving home - a route she took daily. That was late May, and she has been hospitalized ever since. The major problem of it all has been edema (brain swelling) - it has almost killed her three times while also keeping her confused. It has caused a lot of issues in treatment and diagnosis.

Yesterday was a tough day as the second diagnosis of bone marrow lymphoma was added to the Central Nervous System (brain) lymphoma. It complicates things further and reduces her chances for survival. I'm still waiting to get a better understanding of what this means.

So, I became a single parent of three kids overnight. It was also in the midst of a company rebrand with the biggest product launch I've ever been involved in. It has been an insane time.

Jeff and I had planned to do a RefreshFriday about all this on Friday, but my mom (thankfully) asked if she could meet me in Boston, where my wife is now hospitalized, to visit and return for the weekend. I want to spend this Friday with her. Instead, I'm writing this post to keep you all informed on what's happening and that we do plan to get things back to our normal cadence as soon as possible!

In the meantime, please have patience as I'm on the worst roller coaster ever.

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.

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.

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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.