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Hey everyone,
The first episode of Dealer War Room, a new series by Car Dealership Guy where Yossi Levi sits down with top operators to break down the biggest challenges in auto retail, just went live (!)
Today, he’s joined by Matt Bowers, Owner of Matt Bowers Automotive Group, Todd Blue, CEO of LAPIS, and Andy Wright, Managing Partner of VINart Dealerships.
— CDG
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How Niello Co.’s Fixed Ops Director employs AI to help monitor MPI videos
Tully Williams has spent years building a disciplined fixed ops department for The Niello Co., which owns mostly luxury dealerships in California. Now he’s found another step of the process to improve: Monitoring MPI videos.
For context, Williams has required multi-point inspection videos on 100% of repair orders for years. But he began to worry about the quality of those videos because monitoring each and every one isn’t reasonable.
His POV: “I'm not gonna look at 10,000 videos,” Williams told Daily Dealer Live host Sam D'Arc. “My service managers are not gonna look at 10,000 videos…I [didn't] sleep at night [thinking], ‘What are we sending our customers every day?’”
A quick word from our partner
Experian Automotive—the auto industry’s trusted source for turning data insights into action.
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Dealers demand more practical AI as generic tools fall short
Dealers’ interest in AI has evolved from broad excitement about the technology to a need for more targeted, practical business applications.
A recent Lotlinx survey of approximately 215 dealership executives across the U.S. highlights a significant gap between general-purpose AI tools like ChatGPT and actionable AI that can improve key retail operations.
Why it matters: Interest in AI is strong, but value will depend on whether the technology can solve real dealership problems. Tools that help stores better manage inventory, risk, and profitability are likely to matter far more than broad-use platforms that produce generic outputs.
Rising fuel costs drive continued spike in EV searches across new and used markets
EV interest continues to rise as gas prices climb amid the ongoing Iran conflict, with notable gains across both the new and used markets.
Top new EV searches include the Volkswagen ID. Buzz, Chevrolet Equinox EV, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Chevrolet Silverado EV, with overall new-EV searches up 23.8%.
Tesla dominates used EV searches on Cars.com, led by the Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X, with used-EV searches rising 25.5%.
What we’re watching: The rise in EV search activity suggests fuel-price volatility is once again pushing more shoppers toward electrified options, creating an opportunity for dealers with the right mix of new and used EV inventory, especially as affordability and incentives continue to shape buyer decisions.
Missed yesterday’s episode of Daily Dealer Live?
Presented by:
Rasmey on Monitoring KPIs, Daury on Vehicle Presentation, Rose on Photography
Featured guests:
Jeffrey Ramsey, CMO of Ourisman Cars
Jason Daury, Vice President of Sales at CarCutter
Jacob Rose, Photo Department Manager at Titus Will Auto Group
