“You're Already Late!” Why AI is No Longer Optional in March 2026 (+ How To Hire Your First Agent)

In this episode of the Industry Spotlight, joining host Sam D’Arc are Roman Spriggs, General Manager of All Things Automotive, and Ross Tinkham, VP of Automotive at Podium, to discuss how Roman replaced a potential human hire with an AI agent named Alex.

This "AI employee" helped the small-town independent dealer achieve record sales months in early 2026 by managing 24/7 customer inquiries and setting appointments overnight.

Tinkham emphasizes that successful integration requires a 30 to 60-day commitment to training the technology to match the dealership's unique culture and voice.

Ultimately, the group warns that dealers who fail to adopt AI now risk being "silently fired" by consumers with modern expectations.

This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by Podium.

Podium - The AI platform trusted by one in three dealerships. Podium helps dealers consolidate sales, service, messaging, and voice into one connected system that actually runs the work. If your AI isn’t driving real outcomes, it’s time to take a closer look @ https://www.podium.com/car-dealership-guy.

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Topics:

03:45 Your Sales Team Isn’t the Problem… This Is

06:00 I Replaced a Salesperson With AI… Here’s What Happened

13:10 This AI Turned a Dead Sales Floor Into Chaos

17:10 If You Don’t Have AI Yet… You’re Already Losing

20:30 You Won’t Be Able to Tell AI From Humans Soon

21:50 Most AI Companies Will Burn You

23:20 Buyers Can Now Shop 100 Dealers Instantly

24:10 Customers Now Expect Replies at 2 AM

26:05 CRM Tasks Are Killing Your Dealership

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