playersclubcars said:

Hey everyone,

I'm relatively new to the forum and have been following a lot of the discussions on maximizing profit and cutting marketing costs. It's clear that customer communication is key, but it can be a real time sink, not to mention expensive to produce high-quality video updates.

I wanted to get your thoughts on something our company is doing. We've developed a way to create professional, custom-tailored AI videos for car dealerships in minutes, not days. The idea is to turn a simple text prompt into a professional video of a salesperson, service advisor, or finance manager, delivering a message to a customer.

For example, instead of a salesperson having to record an update for a new arrival, you can have a video ready in minutes. We've seen great results with videos like this one we made for a dealership with a new G63 AMG: Login to view embedded media View: https://youtube.com/shorts/zFDtHNSWs94


The process is incredibly fast, and what would normally be a $1,500-$5,000 production budget can be done for a fraction of the cost. I'm curious to hear if this is a tool you could see your team using. What are your thoughts on using AI to streamline customer communication?

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Andrew Hobdy said:

I am a regional sales manager from CarCutter and we are one of the oldest in this space. I can only tell you from my experience, it's in our terms and conditions that we do not touch the car ever. Our AI backgrounds only cover the backgrounds. While we have things to reduce glare etc., we strive to "make the car the star" in whatever condition it is in. We have no software whatever to cover up any imperfections in the car, our goal is to present the unit in the best way it can be presented, whatever condition it's in. Again, I cannot speak for all the companies in this space, only mine. Coming from the dealership world, that is part of what attracted to me to this company is their strive for transparency and the trust it builds.

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BillVaughnAlWestNissan said:

I guess I don't see how improving lighting changes the charge. That doesn't seem possible to me.

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Brian Michael West said:

Hey everyone!


I’ve been seeing a growing trend lately of dealerships using AI to enhance or even generate their inventory photos. From virtual background replacements to lighting adjustments and even touchups that remove blemishes, AI is making it easier than ever to present a “clean” look online.


That got me thinking about the potential gray area here. At what point does enhancement cross into misrepresentation? We all know that transparency is key to maintaining trust with customers and avoiding potential legal headaches. But if AI is subtly concealing minor damage, wear, or imperfections, could that be interpreted as misleading advertising?


I’m curious if anyone has looked into the legal side of this or has compliance guidance from their OEM or dealer group. Are there best practices being discussed to balance digital presentation quality with accuracy? Or am I overthinking it?


Would love to hear how others are handling AI-enhanced imagery in their stores.

The image below is an exaggeration, obviously.

View attachment 9640

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jsjung35 said:

It’s definitely refreshing to see options like Dominion DMS taking a more modern approach to infrastructure and usability. For years it really did feel like CDK/Rey&Rey had a lock, so new competition is a good thing for dealers.


What I am curious about, and maybe this is something others here have seen, is how these newer platforms are influencing the way groups think about operations more broadly. When the DMS becomes easier to work with, does it open the door for groups to rethink workflows across rooftops, or are most of you still handling those handoffs such as title, recon, and accounting in the traditional ways?

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Alex Snyder said:

It is an exciting time for data in the car biz. Franchised dealerships finally have viable DMS options! It isn't just the CDK/ReyRey show anymore.

With this in mind, it is time to get to know the other options better. Dominion reached out to DealerRefresh to help our community better understand what they are doing. We plan to host them on RefreshFriday early next year and in preparation, I'm curious how many of your stores have demoed the Dominion DMS? If so, what did you think?

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