" WE DON’ T KNOW WHAT NEW ADVENTURES ARE IN FRONT OF US, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT MAKING CUSTOMERS FEEL VALUED AND INFORMED IS PARAMOUNT. "
AUTOMOTIVE CX
But one major challenge to utilizing these solutions is the use of older technology stacks. Too many lending companies or dealerships still employ outdated, pre-COVID-19 pandemic-era systems with an abundance of manual input requirements for everything from loan origination to document storage. This can lead to patched legacy environments with software conflicts and hindered system performance.
Conflicts with legacy equipment is a problem across the board with IT, referred to as technical debt, which is getting more complex due to AI integration. And that includes in the automotive field.
From product experience engineering solutions provider Ciklum, written by Enver Cetin:
“ As AI systems get more and more complex, integrating with legacy systems and ensuring everything runs properly can become extremely difficult and expensive- not only initially, but also in ongoing maintenance and continuous improvement terms.”
Also, from Barrie Charapp Beaty, of Mahdavi Bacon Halfhill & Young, PLLC on the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association site:
“ 5. Integration with Existing Processes: Car dealerships often have established processes and legacy systems that have been refined over the years. Integrating AI into these existing workflows without disrupting operations requires careful planning and customization. Failing to seamlessly integrate AI with existing processes can lead to inefficiencies and frustration.”
Yet wholesale modernization of technology systems is a daunting project, full of disruption and costs. Part of the appeal of smartsourcing is that, rather than investing large sums of money in technology that can quickly become outdated, lenders can work with outside providers whose best-of-breed technology can be deployed at a moment’ s notice.
Another critical challenge is that too many contact centers rely on overburdened and inexperienced agents, who are expensive and prone to errors, often making a truly superior CX unachievable.
Untrained agents can also lead to inconsistencies in responses to customers, lack of empathy, noncompliance with critical regulations, and poor escalation of issues to a more competent supervisor. In other words, unacceptable customer engagement, or even compliance violations.
These are areas where a skilled outsourced team can seamlessly assimilate into a legacy environment and support the customer care efforts of lenders. This allows them to augment their services or reallocate their resources so they can innovate lending products and grow their organizations without having to add headcount.
" WE DON’ T KNOW WHAT NEW ADVENTURES ARE IN FRONT OF US, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT MAKING CUSTOMERS FEEL VALUED AND INFORMED IS PARAMOUNT. "
WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR AUTO LENDING, AND FOR ITS CUSTOMER SERVICE / CX? AND WHAT ARE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THIS INDUSTRY TO HELP THEM MOVE SMOOTHLY DOWN THAT ROAD?
A: Our recommendations are to seek out more creative and cost-effective ways to ensure superior service, while allowing your organization to grow and innovate. Strategic use of outsourced call center personnel [ can help ], as long as agents are well-trained and can therefore elevate service levels.
Also, don’ t be intimidated by AI. Instead allow it to be used judiciously to improve service through efforts like AI-based reporting and metrics, which can help supervisors evaluate performance, recognize trends, and identify agents that require support.
As for the changing economy, it’ s widely known that anything that increases costs or influences consumer cash flow will have bearing on purchasing patterns and financing performance.
Lenders can alleviate some of this impact through strategies like longer terms or leasing options. But in times of uncertainty, superior, responsive customer engagement becomes more important than ever.
We don’ t know what new adventures are in front of us, but we do know that making customers feel valued and informed is paramount. Addressing customer needs is always crucial. In ambiguous business environments, it is even more important that agents control the engagement experience, and reinforce the service ideology of the vehicle brand, the dealership, and the lender.
Brendan Read is Editor of Contact Center Pipeline. He has been covering and working in customer service and sales and for contact center companies for most of his career. Brendan has edited and written for leading industry publications and has been an industry analyst. He also has authored and co-authored books on contact center design, customer support, and working from home. Brendan can be reached at brendan @ contactcenterpipeline. com.
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