July 1, 2025

“This Is the Worst It’ll Ever Be”—State of Dealership AI and What Dealers Should Be Asking | Eric Rea, CEO of Podium

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Show Notes

Today I’m joined by Eric Rea, CEO of Podium. We dive into the state of Dealership AI in 2025, the questions dealers should be asking to stay ahead, why 10% of US dealers are using Podium's AI and much more.

This episode is brought to you by:

1. Qmerit - Selling EVs can have a lot of friction points. But home charging installation shouldn’t be one of them. That’s why dealers and automakers trust Qmerit—the go-to expert for home charging installations. Join Qmerit’s dealership partner program and start earning referral incentives on every installation. Visit @ qmerit.com/carguy to learn more.

2. Lotlinx - Get the best possible market advantage on every vehicle transaction. Optimize operations and boost profits using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Learn more @ https://lotlinx.com/

3. Podium - Don’t miss another lead. With Podium’s AI BDC, dealerships are seeing an 80% increase in after-hours appointments by handling leads 24/7. Instantly respond to inquiries, book test drives, and let your team focus on what matters: closing deals. Learn how Podium can help you sell more cars at https://www.podium.com/car-dealership-guy

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Topics:

00:15 What fueled Podium's rapid growth?

01:07 How did Podium get started?

03:00 How is AI transforming dealerships?

05:42 What makes Jerry AI special?

08:11 Customizing AI for dealers how?

13:08 Will AI replace BDC teams?

16:27 Future AI applications in auto?

26:00 How AI revolutionizes service departments?