Recent Press

What we consistently observe in the auto industry is that "fancy fixes" rarely drive meaningful, sustained improvement. Instead, the results almost always come from something far less glamorous: (and dare we say kinda Luddite) leadership commitment to simple, disciplined human processes.

That's true even though the auto industry already has access to the most advanced tools and technology available. Take https://tekion.com/ for example: after 10+ years, Tekion hasn't taken meaningful share despite a lot of what seem like great ideas. Why?

Switching a DMS (and the processes around it) is an enormous, daunting step; most dealers won't move, even for something better or cheaper.

Software alone doesn't fix weak operations. In powersports we've seen that having a CRM vs. not makes zero difference in web-response behaviors; without committed people, even outsourced help, e.g., Scott Fischer's DLP, failed without committed dealerships.

AI helps, but we're seeing in auto right now that overreliance ("the AI will handle it") leads to missed follow-up and poor outcomes. What works? We keep it dead simple — no big changes or heavy spend required:

Commitment to Respond: Don't lock up the store with digital customers stranded inside any more than you would leave with physical customers still standing in the showroom. Respond personally to every lead, at least once each day; no exceptions.

Measurement of Behaviors: Don't rely on dashboards, reports, or what you're told. They can mislead or miss critical facts. ("Yes, we responded.")

Pied Piper makes that measurement dead simple with ILE: after measurement, a 90-second audio summary is texted directly to the GM, plus they have immediate access to "Piper Answers" chat: ask what went wrong, how to improve, how others perform. Super simple and easy; no reports to read, no dashboards to log into. Getting that 90-second summary is a "conscience" and reminder to pay attention to a critical part of the business that is too often invisible.

We know this works because it has already driven big improvement in powersports. A great example is Polaris off-road: 1,400 dealerships from small rural stores to the largest operations. When Polaris made ILE part of its dealer program with monthly measurement, the average performance of their 1,400 dealers jumped from "typical powersports" in 2020 to in 2023 performing like the average auto dealer. When the program ended, performance slipped, though it still remains above the industry average.

I think it's a bit like the best motocross racers: they don't spend their time chasing shortcuts in better bikes or gear; they commit to practicing day after day, with a lap timer that tells them the truth, every lap.