When Devin Kaulback rolled out an AI-driven appraisal tool at his Subaru store in Ontario, he expected better data, but not an immediate sales lift.
However, the move almost instantly helped his team add 20 to 30 extra retail units a month, with over 70% tied to trades, all from automated customer outreach.
Here’s how: Kaulback, General Manager at Subaru of Niagara, said the system (Drive AI, built by Unleash Technologies) essentially runs a private sale every month without human lift.
“Drive AI technically does 2,000 appraisals per month of my database and knows my service customers coming in and appraises their vehicles on its own,” Kaulback told Daily Dealer Live hosts Sam D’Arc and Uli de’ Martino.
The technical process: Kaulback said the platform connects to the store’s CRM and DMS, scanning for customers likely ready to trade.
After that, it sends personalized messages by text or email, like a trade-in appraisal or an “upgrade my ride” offer showing a new payment that factors in their vehicle.
“There are eight different campaigns that go out through SMS and email,” Kaulback explained. “But I also kind of champion it, I oversee it and our sales, we're selling 20 to 30 extra cars per month. Over 70% have trades just from this program.”
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Why it works: Kaulback said traditional service-drive mining is “really hard to do,” especially when sales teams burn out from constant rejection.
But by automating that first step, and reaching out before the customer even steps into the service lane, they’re able to create intent before the conversation starts.
“The whole idea with the program is, I didn’t think it was going to sell cars for me,” he said. “But I thought it would start the conversation that people are having at their dinner table earlier, and it's like moving up their buying cycle, which we’ve seen.”
Bottom line: Dealers often talk about mining their database for hidden opportunities. Kaulback’s store proves it can be systemized, and when it is, the payoff isn’t theoretical. In his case, it’s 30 extra cars a month.
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