Podcast episode
We had the opportunity to be featured on The Armchair Show, where we delved into the opportunities within data and AI for the future of automotive retail.
How leading dealers and technology experts are reimagining customer engagement through AI and automation
As the automotive industry evolves, one thing is clear: dealers are balancing tighter margins, growing customer expectations, and the rapid rise of digital transformation.
That was the focus of the latest episode of The Armchair Show, featuring Nicholas Malcolm (Autoflows), Matthew Jones (Greenhous Group), Martin Beckers (AutoChat), and Nathan Tomlinson (Devon Motors). Together, they explored how dealerships can use artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to improve the customer experience and drive performance across sales and aftersales.
The new dealership reality: “All touch points matter”
Nicholas Malcolm opened by describing how dealerships must think beyond single transactions and focus on lifetime engagement:
“All touch points matter… winning customers for life isn’t just one year. It’s every day.”
Nicholas Malcolm
Autoflows
Matthew Jones added that while traditional sales peaks like the March registration period still matter, the goal is sustained connection:
“It’s about keeping that excitement through the rest of the year. It’s about giving the customer a reason to come back.”
Matthew Jones
Greenhous Group
From noise to intelligent communication
A shared frustration among the panellists was the volume of overlapping dealership messages.
Nathan Tomlinson described it candidly:
“We always create a lot of noise… March service due, MOT due, finance renewal, plate change – sometimes four different communications to the same person.”
Nathan Tomlinson
Devon Motors
Nicholas Malcolm explained that this is where data-driven automation can transform communication quality:
“Intelligent and connected data means knowing which customers to contact and when. The better we can narrow it down, the more personal and effective it becomes.”
Nicholas Malcolm
Autoflows
Matthew Jones agreed, noting that modern tools make this simpler than ever:
“AI lets you personalise everything – the timing, the offer, even the message tone.”
Matthew Jones
Greenhous Group
AI as an accelerator, not a replacement
The panel agreed that AI’s real value lies in enabling teams to focus on meaningful work, not in replacing them.
Nicholas Malcolm put it plainly:
“We should use AI as an accelerator, not a finisher – to take away the boring work and focus on delivering great customer experiences.”
Nicholas Malcolm
Autoflows
Nathan Tomlinson added:
“AI lifts the bar. It raises standards – but it’s not a solution that takes away from people.”
Nathan Tomlinson
Devon Motors
Matthew Jones reflected on how this evolution is already happening:
“We used to write service reminders by hand and send them in the post. That’s all automated now. AI is simply the next evolution of that process.”
Matthew Jones
Greenhous Group
Rethinking the future of automotive retail
The conversation turned to how technology can simplify operations as dealerships navigate change.
Nathan Tomlinson noted:
“We’ve accumulated too much baggage – too many systems, bad habits. The opportunity with EVs is to start again and do it right this time.”
Nathan Tomlinson
Devon Motors
Nicholas Malcolm highlighted how automation now ties everything together:
“Dealers have to balance compliance, brand systems, and their own operations. Intelligent automation is what ties it all together.”
Nicholas Malcolm
Autoflows
Practical advice for getting started with AI
Each speaker shared guidance for dealers looking to begin their AI journey.
Nicholas Malcolm:
“If you’ve got repetitive, time-consuming tasks, start there. Test small, be upfront with your team and your customers.”
Nicholas Malcolm
Autoflows
Matthew Jones:
“Bring your IT and business leaders together early. Define what success looks like, and measure ROI carefully.”
Matthew Jones
Greenhous Group
Martin Beckers:
“Get familiar with the technology yourself. Try it, understand how it works, and always protect customer data.”
Martin Beckers
AutoChat
Nathan Tomlinson:
“Before you lead your business through change, experience AI personally. Tomorrow will be more digital than today – so embrace it now.”
Nathan Tomlinson
Devon Motors
The Autoflows Perspective
At the heart of this discussion is the same belief that drives Autoflows: technology should work for the dealership, not the other way around.
Every dealer faces the same challenge — managing large volumes of data, multiple systems, and the need to maintain consistent, relevant customer communication. Autoflows was built to solve exactly that.
By integrating directly with DMS and CRM systems, Autoflows creates a single, intelligent automation layer that identifies when and how to engage each customer, then automates that communication through the most effective channel.
The result is less noise and more value:
- Customers receive the right communication at the right time.
- Staff save hours of administrative effort.
- Teams focus on conversations that build loyalty and revenue.
As Nicholas Malcolm said during the discussion:
“We need to take away all the boring work and be really good at delivering the great customer experience we should be delivering every day.”
Nicholas Malcolm
Autoflows
Autoflows enables exactly that — freeing dealerships from manual processes so they can focus on what matters most: building trusted, long-term relationships with their customers.
Watch the full discussion
Boosting New Reg Sales & How to Use AI to Help Your Dealership
Watch the full episode of The Armchair Show below.