In this episode of the Used Car Dealer Podcast, Zach talks with Cole Reiken, Managing Director of Blue Driver, to unpack how smarter diagnostics and data-driven tools are reshaping dealership profitability and customer trust.

Cole shares lessons from his career at Impel.AI, Open Lane, and Canadian Black Book, and how those experiences inform his leadership at Blue Driver. He dives into the balance of serving both DIY consumers and enterprise dealers, the challenge of system fatigue in dealerships, and why seamless workflow integration is key to adoption.

The conversation covers EV diagnostics, predictive insights, fraud protection, and how Blue Driver Max helps dealers avoid costly trade-in surprises. Cole also looks ahead at the role of data integration, battery health, and a future where diagnostics follow the vehicle through its entire lifecycle.

Whether you’re focused on reducing reconditioning risk, improving appraisal accuracy, or preparing for EV adoption, Cole’s insights offer practical takeaways for independent and franchise dealers alike.

⏱️ Key Questions & Timestamps
00:00 – Intro & Cole’s background at Impel.AI, Open Lane, Canadian Black Book
04:20 – How do you balance consumer vs. enterprise diagnostic needs?
07:18 – What does Blue Driver offer today for consumers and dealerships?
11:31 – What are the headwinds to adoption at the dealership level?
13:40 – How are you preparing for EVs and software-defined vehicles?
15:56 – What diagnostic innovations will most impact dealers in the next 5 years?
19:28 – What’s your vision for consumer vs. dealer diagnostics by 2030?
23:20 – Q1: What product or feature has surprised you most in development over the past year?
24:12 – Q2: What’s one app you use every single day?
24:29 – Q3: What’s one thing in the auto industry that you think is overhyped right now?
25:35 – What updates and events are coming up for Blue Driver?

🎧 Listen to more episodes: https://sellyautomotive.com/podcast
📄 Read the full transcription: https://blog.sellyautomotive.com/blog/cole-bluedriver

In this episode of the Used Car Dealer Podcast, Zach sits down with Aaron Kleinhandler, CEO of Better Car People, to discuss how AI-powered technology and live agents are transforming dealership engagement.

Aaron shares lessons from his private-equity journey leading Spectrio, insights from scaling Better Car People through acquisitions like Proactive Dealer Solutions, and his philosophy on balancing automation with human touch in the BDC.

The conversation covers omnichannel customer expectations, loyalty challenges, dealership adoption hurdles, and what the future of AI-driven customer experience looks like in automotive retail.

Whether you’re wrestling with reconditioning times, service retention, or scaling lead response, Aaron’s perspective offers practical takeaways for independent and franchise dealers alike.

⏱️ Key Questions & Timestamps

00:35 – What lessons from leading Spectrio through multiple acquisitions shaped how you now lead Better Car People?
05:27 – When you took the CEO role at Better Car People, what vision did you have, and what has surprised you about automotive?
07:43 – How do you balance AI automation with human interaction to maintain personalization while scaling responsiveness?
09:50 – Since acquiring Proactive Dealer Solutions in 2024, how have you expanded Better Car People’s capabilities and value for dealerships?
13:10 – What does onboarding look like for Brooke.ai and other AI tools—how do you get from “B+” to “A+” performance?
17:44 – How do you see omnichannel, human-assist AI evolving for dealerships in the next few years?
22:09 – With reconditioning, service retention, and inventory challenges, how is Better Car People supporting dealers with loyalty and follow-ups?
25:09 – What can you share about the upcoming new product release from Better Car People?
26:55 – How do you see dealership customer experience changing over the next 3–5 years, and what role will AI play?

Rapid Fire (29:36):

• What excites you most about your work at Better Car People today?
• One tech tool you can’t run your business without?
• In one word, what’s the biggest opportunity for dealers today?
  
  

🎧 Listen to more episodes: sellyautomotive.com/podcast

📄 Read the full transcription: 🎙️ UCDP #78 – AI, Human Touch & Dealer Loyalty w/ Aaron Kleinhandler of Better Car People

In this episode of the Used Car Dealer Podcast, Zach Klempf is joined by Ross Tinkham, Go-To-Market Leader at Podium, and Alex Lawrence, CEO of EV Auto, a leading EV-only independent dealership and Podium customer.

Fresh off the buzz of post-NIADA conversations around AI, Zach explores how artificial intelligence is transforming communication, sales, and service in the independent dealer space. Ross shares how Podium’s AI-driven BDC solutions are enhancing lead engagement and operational efficiency, while Alex gives a boots-on-the-ground perspective from running a fast-growing used EV dealership—and how his team uses AI to handle everything from acquisition to service.

Whether you're skeptical about AI or looking to take your dealership to the next level, this episode dives deep into the future of customer engagement, digital retail, and EV-specific dealership strategy.

For More about Podium Visit - https://www.podium.com/industry/used-auto?utm_medium=third_party_-_podcast&utm_source=used_car_dealer_podcast&utm_campaign=25q3-noram-car_dealership-third_party_media-ucdp_w/_alex_lawrence-july&utm_term=prospecting&SCID=701UL00000PfzM6YAJ

🕒 Timestamps & Topics

00:00 – Intro: AI buzz after NIADA & Guest Intros
00:58 – Q: Ross, what’s your journey into auto tech, and what’s your role at Podium?
01:45 – Q: Alex, what inspired your journey from academia to founding a used EV dealership?
03:26 – Q: How did EV Auto and Podium start working together? What need did it solve?
05:06 – Q: Alex, what are the main ways Podium supports your dealership’s sales and ops?
06:59 – Q: Ross, how does Podium’s AI BDC integrate with a dealer’s CRM and comms stack?
08:46 – Q: Alex, what workflow changes did you make when implementing AI at EV Auto?
12:48 – Q: Ross, how does Podium’s AI keep communication human and personalized?
14:10 – Q: What consumer expectations has AI helped dealerships meet in the digital retail era?
15:42 – Q: Alex, why don’t you use DR tools—and how do EV buyers differ from traditional customers?
18:08 – Q: What are the biggest challenges you faced launching a used EV-only dealership?
20:47 – Q: Ross, what new Podium innovations are coming, especially for service departments?
22:55 – Q: Alex, what’s next for EV Auto in 2025? Any new locations or offerings?
24:20 – Q: What’s different about servicing EVs compared to traditional vehicles?
26:48 – Q: How do you both envision AI transforming auto retail in the next few years?

Rapid Fire Round
31:39 – Q: Favorite EV model currently on the market?
33:02 – Q: One word or phrase to describe the future of automotive retail?
34:03 – Q: Most exciting tech trend you're following right now?

🎧 Listen to more episodes: sellyautomotive.com/podcast
📄 Read the full transcription: blog.sellyautomotive.com/blog/podium-evauto-ai-ev-innovation