The conversation around video multipoint inspections has shifted. The question used to be whether dealerships should be using them. That’s largely settled. The new question is whether the videos are actually doing anything.
According to Joe Shaker, CEO and co-founder of TruVideo and owner of Shaker Automotive Group, simply recording and sending a video isn’t enough anymore. In a recent episode of Retention Roadmap, Joe explained how the dealerships getting the most value from video have moved past adoption and into execution: tracking whether customers watch, what technicians show and say, and how those behaviors affect approvals, revenue, and retention.
Stop Measuring Videos Sent. Start Measuring Videos Watched.
A dealership can have a strong video process on paper and still miss most of the value. The technician records the inspection, the advisor sends it. But does the customer actually watch it?
Joe sees view rate as the more meaningful metric. Leading dealers are hitting customer view rates around 80%. Getting there often starts at write-up: let the customer know they’ll receive a video from the technician and why they should open it. That one conversation makes the video part of the experience rather than another unexplained link in a text message.
DriveSure’s 2026 Dealership Service Retention Report shows how much room exists:
- 55% of customers didn’t know whether their dealership offered video inspections
- Among customers who hadn’t received one, 40% said it would make them more likely to trust recommended work
- Among customers who had experienced one, that number jumped to 66%
Offering video and delivering a video experience customers notice are two different things.
A Good Video Proves the Inspection Happened
Joe references an approach sometimes called “three goods and a bad”: show what looks healthy alongside what needs attention. Brakes look good, battery tests well, two tires have plenty of life, but one is approaching replacement.
A video consisting entirely of problems can feel like a visual sales pitch. Showing the complete vehicle condition demonstrates the technician is performing an inspection, not just looking for things to sell. It also creates something a traditional MPI form never could: evidence.
Bill Springer shared an example during the conversation of technicians writing tread depth directly on the tire and showing the measurement on video. Joe liked it because it turns a vague recommendation into something concrete. As he puts it: “If you don’t show something, if you don’t say something, you’ll never sell something.”
Tires Are a Defection Point Video Can Help Protect
Joe views tires as one of the biggest potential defection points in fixed ops. A customer who goes elsewhere for tires now has a relationship with a provider that also does alignments, brakes, maintenance, and future repairs.
At his dealerships, Joe is willing to get creative to prevent that. If a customer finds a better price online, his team may let them order the tires, have them delivered to the dealership, and handle the installation. The margin isn’t ideal but keeping the relationship is worth far more.
Video supports that strategy by helping customers understand why a tire needs attention before the decision feels forced. Show the tread depth, explain where it falls in the lifecycle, and give the customer enough to decide confidently.
The Next Step Is Measuring Video Quality
Once dealerships are consistently sending videos, a harder question emerges: how do you know if they’re good?
TruVideo has been developing technology that analyzes videos automatically and flags whether dealership processes are being followed:
- Did the technician show the tires and brakes?
- Did they use a gauge or measurement?
- Did they explain what they were showing?
- Was the communication clear?
Joe says their data shows closing rates look very different depending on whether an issue was not shown, shown but not explained, or shown and explained with a measurement. That turns video coaching from something subjective into something measurable, and gives managers a way to show technicians exactly which behaviors improve customer response.
From Video Inspection to Visual Intelligence
Most dealership inspection footage is valuable for the individual customer receiving it but difficult to analyze at scale. AI is beginning to change that.
Joe describes a future where technology converts what technicians see and say into structured operational insights: whether processes are being followed, what technicians consistently miss, and which presentation methods drive better response. He also points toward voice-driven MPIs, where a technician describes what they see while working and the system converts it into documentation automatically. Less friction for the technician, better information for the advisor and customer.
Final Takeaway: The Video Is the Tool & Trust Is Still the Goal.
Video works because it reduces doubt. Customers can see the inspection, hear from the technician, and understand why a recommendation is being made. That drives approvals in the short term and earns the next visit over time.
The first generation of video MPI was about getting technicians to turn on the camera. The next generation is about whether those videos actually do their job.
Want to hear the full conversation with Joe Shaker? Listen to the full episode here.
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