EPISODE 42
The Real Role of AI in Service Retention
Featuring Guest Sean Hartman
Episode Description
The service drive isn’t always where customers decide to leave. More often, it happens after hours, between visits, or during a second call that never gets answered. Nothing dramatic, but just enough friction for a customer to try somewhere else.
In this episode, sponsored by DriveSure, Bill Springer is joined by Sean Hartman, Founder of Toma AI, to explore how AI can help dealerships capture and resolve these moments without sacrificing trust or personalization. Sean shares where communication most often breaks down in fixed ops, how adoption matters just as much as capability when introducing new technology, and why AI should be designed to support service teams. The conversation also dives into what dealerships should measure early on to ensure AI is actually improving retention, not just efficiency.
Takeaways from this episode:
- Where service communication breaks down most often and why customers notice
- How missed calls and stalled conversations quietly erode trust
- Why AI adoption depends on design, transparency, and continuity
- Which interactions AI handles well today and when human empathy still matters most
- The KPIs that matter when rolling out AI in service operations
BILL SPRINGER
and president of Krex Inc.
Sean Hartman
Founder, Toma AI
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How to Become Your Customer’s First Call for Tires
Only about one-third of dealership service customers bought their last set of tires from the dealership. That’s not just a missed tire sale. Once a customer heads somewhere else for tires, that shop gets a shot at the rotations, alignments, brakes, maintenance, and repair work that comes next.
Turning Service Visits Into Future Vehicle Sales
Your next vehicle sale may already be sitting in the service drive. Yet while one-third of customers say they would be open to a sales conversation during a service visit, only 14% report that anyone actually starts one. The opportunity is not to pitch every customer who pulls into the lane. It’s to build a defined process that helps sales and service identify the right customers, start relevant conversations, and keep the relationship moving through the entire ownership cycle.
The Three Habits Behind High Service Retention
A dealership can deliver a great service visit and still lose the customer the next time around. That’s because retention isn’t won through one strong offer, one new tool, or even one memorable experience. Retention is built by making every part of the customer journey reinforce the next.