“Well at least they’re weeding out possible customers.”
Most people agree that the process of buying a car is deeply broken. A big part of the issue is having to deal with car salespeople who never seem to be on your side and instead feel like they’re using tricky tactics to get the most money out of you. Why can’t it ever be straightforward?
Well, it doesn’t seem like things are going to get any easier. Dealerships are starting to incorporate AI into their sales and customer service process, and it might end up leading to more frustration than anything. Here’s how it went for one customer.
In a trending video with more than 367,000 views, content creator @car_buying_consultants recorded a phone call with a dealership.
“Some AI sales rep definitely convinced this dealership they needed this…” the text overlay on the video reads.
At first, the automated sales representative sounds capable of handling a basic request. When the man asks for sales, it immediately asks what kind of vehicle he wants.
“Jeep Wrangler,” he replies.
But the request apparently does not land. The assistant asks whether he means a Jeep Renegade. He very clearly repeats that he wants a Jeep Wrangler, only for the system to take the conversation in a completely different direction.
“It sounds like you prefer Spanish. Would you like to continue in Spanish?” the AI assistant asks.
He says no and once again tells it that he is looking for a Jeep Wrangler. This time, the system appears to understand and says the dealership has 29 new and pre-owned Wranglers and asks whether he wants a new or used model.
“New,” he answers.
Instead of moving forward, the assistant repeats the question in Spanish: “Nuevo o usado?”
Now visibly exasperated (and likely not understanding the Spanish question), the man asks for a salesperson. The AI says it can provide Wrangler pricing and availability itself, then asks—again—whether he wants a new or pre-owned vehicle.
He tells it “new” for a second time. The assistant responds, “How can I help?”
The man once again asks to speak with a salesperson. The system finally agrees to connect him to sales, but not before asking for his name.
“AI is absolutely going to make dealerships more efficient… but this isn’t it,” the caption reads.
He goes on to say that he doesn’t have a problem with technology if it’s going to improve the customer experience.
“But if I’m spending 30 seconds explaining that I want a Jeep Wrangler, don’t speak Spanish, and just want to talk to a salesperson, we’re going backwards instead of forwards. I have a feeling someone gave this dealership a really convincing AI sales pitch,” he said.
Dealership AI is doing more than answering basic questions. According to Consumer Reports, voice agents can make and receive calls, schedule service appointments, contact customers based on dealership records, and continue working after the dealership closes. Some can speak multiple languages, while AI-generated transcripts let a human employee see what a customer already discussed with another representative.
That can make it easier to schedule an oil change without spending a lunch break on hold. It also gives dealerships a tireless new way to sell. Consumer Reports listened to demonstration calls from one AI platform that continued suggesting alternatives whenever a customer declined an appointment. Other dealership software companies openly advertise their ability to turn recall work or service visits into repair revenue, trade-in conversations, or new-car sales.
The technology is moving onto the showroom floor, too. Motor1 previously reported that Chinese automaker Chery developed AiMOGA, a life-size humanoid robot designed to act as a sales consultant at dealerships in Malaysia. The robot can understand natural language, walk customers around a vehicle, and deliver a familiar showroom pitch about its features.
But Motor1 writer Christopher Smith was not impressed, instead arguing that AiMOGA merely recreates the same generic sales talk customers already get from human dealership employees, questioning the value of a robot reciting showroom clichés when shoppers can research cars themselves.
In the comments section, viewers joked about the AI’s ineffectiveness.
“They fired 3 people so they could upgrade this experience for you,” a top comment read.
“Please send this to the dealership lol,” a person said.
“Wow this AI is good! They really captured the dealership’s unwillingness to sell a car and waste as much time as possible!” a second wrote.
“Aaaaand they’ve immediately lost my business lol,” another said.
Motor1 reached out to @car_buying_consultants via submission form and Instagram direct message. We’ll be sure to update this if they respond.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motor1.com?
– The Motor1.com Team