Automotive retailers are under pressure to do more with less. Customers expect timely, personalised communication at every stage of their ownership journey. Dealers face rising costs, squeezed margins and operational pressures that leave little room for inefficiency.
And in the middle sits the dealer management system (DMS), holding the customer and vehicle data that should be powering revenue – but too often is underutilised or outdated.
This is the environment into which AI Assistant has stepped, providing solutions that transform data into conversations and conversations into measurable revenue.
Unlocking dormant potential
Founded in 2020, AI Assistant was created with one purpose: to make AI practical for automotive retail. The company’s focus is on helping dealers use the data they already have, without adding complexity or workload for busy teams.
Every dealership knows that existing customers are its most valuable asset, but few have the time or resources to contact every one of them consistently. Leads go cold, service customers lapse and renewal opportunities slip by.
AI Assistant addresses this by automating customer engagement – not through generic templates, but through advanced conversational AI capable of holding real back-and-forth conversations over email and WhatsApp.
From automation to conversation
The real breakthrough came when AI Assistant’s technology unlocked full conversational capability. It could read, interpret and respond to customers in polite, natural language – answering questions, handling objections and maintaining a flow that felt human.
Phil Stubbs, Chief Revenue Officer, recalls: “Our full conversational AI capability was ready well ahead of our target deadline. Customers were switched across automatically and the interaction was better than human – consistent, respectful and scalable. That’s when we knew we were onto something industry-defining.”
This capability means every lead can be followed up, every overdue service contacted, every lapsed customer re-engaged – without additional strain on staff. Customers often assume they are communicating with dealership employees, a sign of how natural the interaction feels.
Dealer adoption and ROI
AI Assistant’s technology is already deployed by dealer groups including Vines, Hendy, Steven Eagell, FRF South Wales, Jemca and Dick Lovett – as well as customers across the Middle East. These retailers report measurable returns in sales, aftersales and retention. For many, results appear within days of go-live, with AI handling complete email and WhatsApp conversations that lead directly to booked appointments, renewed finance contracts and vehicle sales.
Stubbs emphasises the importance of this financial clarity: “Our priority is measurable ROI. If a solution doesn’t generate a return, dealers shouldn’t buy it. Everything we deploy is geared around outcomes – whether that’s revenue growth, improved retention or better data accuracy.”
Integration and trust
Data integrity is critical in a sector where customer and vehicle records are the foundation of revenue. AI Assistant addresses this through a strategic partnership with Keyloop. The collaboration and integration allows daily updates to vehicle and customer data – including keeper changes, MOT due dates and cherished plate movements – to be written back into the DMS securely.
This ensures that campaigns are always based on accurate, up-to-date information. It also reduces the manual workload of data cleansing, a task that is often neglected but vital to maintaining customer trust and communication efficiency.
Speed and scalability
One of AI Assistant’s strengths is the speed of deployment. Most retailers are live within four-to-five weeks, requiring minimal disruption to existing workflows. The process involves a few workshops to align messaging and campaign content, after which the AI takes over.
Results are typically visible within a few weeks. Dealers often begin with a single priority area – such as overdue leads or vehicle health check reminders – and then expand to other parts of the customer lifecycle once the impact is proven.
The platform is designed to scale easily, supporting both single-site independents and large dealer groups. This flexibility means that smaller operators can access the same technology as larger groups, while groups can roll out quickly across multiple locations.
Every stage of the journey
AI Assistant’s solutions span the customer lifecycle. From initial purchase and finance renewals, through service reminders and vehicle health check follow-ups, to re-engaging lapsed customers, the platform ensures opportunities are not missed. By automating these email and WhatsApp touchpoints, dealers can focus staff resources where they are most needed, while maintaining a consistent and professional customer experience.
A partner built for automotive
Unlike many technology providers entering the automotive space, AI Assistant is dedicated solely to this industry. Its leadership team brings decades of experience across retail, IT and aftersales, and the company is self-funded and profitable. For retailers, that means a partner built for the sector, with the stability to provide long-term support.
Looking ahead
The pace of AI innovation shows no sign of slowing. Features that seemed ambitious just a year ago are already embedded in dealer operations. AI Assistant continues to expand functionality and the mission remains constant: to help dealers generate measurable value from their data.
For UK retailers, the question is no longer whether AI can help but how best to deploy it. With proven results across sales, aftersales and retention – and with AI handling full conversations over email and WhatsApp – AI Assistant is showing that the future of automotive retail is not only digital, but decisively AI-driven.
The message is clear: retailers who embrace AI early stand to gain competitive advantage, build stronger customer relationships and free their teams to focus on the human touch that still matters most.
Let’s take action together
If you’re ready to embrace AI-powered intelligent automation in your business, we’re here to help. Contact us at enquiries@ai-assistant.io or call 01488 757447 to learn more about how we can support your dealership.
You can also see this article in Automotive Management's AI Supplier Insights Report
