Kenect and the AI Revolution – Built for Dealers, by Dealers

Dealerships aren’t just evolving. They’re at war with the old way of doing things.

Recently, the President and CEO of Toyota Motor North America, Ted Ogawa, said, “The auto industry is in a state of revolution rather than evolution.”  I couldn’t agree more. This is a revolution.

I know, because I’ve been there as a former general manager and dealership group owner. I’ve sat in your chair. I’ve walked your lot, stared at your monthly numbers, and wrestled with the same broken systems and burning challenges you face every day.

For me, this revolution isn’t theoretical. It’s personal.

We are living through a once-in-a-generation moment in our industry—a perfect storm of macroeconomic pressures, changing buyer behavior, digital-first expectations, and staff who are expected to do more than ever. What worked five years ago doesn’t work anymore. Many dealers fear that the old ways of selling vehicles or taking care of customers in the service lane have changed forever. They are right.  So, I ask: Why are we using 20^th century software to serve the modern customer?

That’s why we built Kenect, purpose built for dealers by dealers. Kenect has been around less than a decade yet is already trusted by over 10,000 dealerships across North America. My vision for Kenect was always to help dealers serve the next generation of owners. And now, given the changing landscape, we know it’s time for something more than just the next product release – it's time for something bigger, something bolder.

We built Kenect for this moment. Not just to survive the storm, but to thrive in it and through it. To put power back in your hands and give your teams the tools to win in a new era.

We’re not watching from the sidelines. We’re in this with you.

‍

Why now?

There has never been a greater need for a technological revolution than now. Our industry is facing unprecedented pressures including:

• Macroeconomic headwinds (tariffs, high interest rates, global trade disruption)
• Growing revenue pressure, tighter margins, and lower demand
• Increasing customer expectations for instant, modern, seamless experiences
• Complexity across operations, systems, and communications
• Staffing shortages and burnout, especially in service and BDC teams

These factors make it more difficult than ever to sell vehicles, putting more pressure on fixed operations for revenue and profit, exacerbating service department issues with team workload and CSI scores. Add to that increased competition in the digital marketplace for consumer attention, and you have the perfect storm.

During this turbulent time, what dealerships need are smarter systems that automate, adapt, assist, and accelerate revenue and efficiency—not more software to manage.  We need fewer tasks for service advisors and salespeople. We need more opportunities for them to provide world-class customer experiences, sell more vehicles, and create lifetime value. And our customers need access to us beyond the normal “9 to 9” - from anywhere.

‍

Service AI and the Rise of the Dealership Customer Experience Platform (CXP)

This moment not only invites - it demands - an entirely different way of thinking and operating. A platform by dealers, for dealers. An AI-powered solution so specific to what you do it couldn't be used outside a dealership. Not just another generic point solution used by dealers, jewelers, and HVAC repairmen - something designed from the ground up for dealers. I'm talking about a new category of software called Dealership Customer Experience Platform, or CXP.  

CXP is an end-to-end digital engagement platform, powered by your data, driven by AI, and built specifically for the unique workflows of a dealership. CXP is the future for dealerships who want to lead the revolution. And that future is now.   

I’d like to introduce to you the flagship product of the CXP revolution and the leader of this category – Kenect Service AI. Service AI solves today’s biggest dealership challenges like revenue growth, customer experience, operational complexity, staffing and time shortages. In short, Service AI helps your dealership grow revenue and profit, retain customers, and save precious time.

With Service AI you can eliminate endless phone calls, voicemails, long wait times, overworked staff and empty service lane calendars. We supercharge your staff with AI-powered agents that engage instantly, intelligently and 24 hours a day. Our conversational AI and Voice AI will improve your customer experience and dramatically increase your fixed operations revenue without adding more workload for your staff.   

‍

Why Kenect?

If you haven’t worked in a dealership then it’s hard to understand the nuance and idiosyncrasies of this industry. At Kenect, we’re not outsiders retrofitting our AI for dealerships. We were dealers first, and we are built for you. We understand you. We speak your language. All of which give us unique advantages:

• We are founded on deep dealer DNA – created by people who understand every nuance of dealership operations and build that into our workflows
• We have AI expertise in-house developed specifically for the dealership environment
• 10,000+ dealerships – a massive install base that validates our trust and reach
• True end-to-end platform – not just AI, messaging, or reputation; Kenect integrates across every customer touchpoint, from inquiry to invoice
• Best-in-class integrations and partnerships with dealer-specific OEMs, tech providers, and DMS systems
• We support every channel to meet your customers where they are at – text, email, social media, and voice, all in one platform
• One source for solutions to accelerate customer engagement across your sales, service, and marketing departments
• Legendary support tailored to the dealership world and available when you need it

‍

A Call to the Industry  
Our industry is flooded with generic software that requires multiple people in your dealership to run it. That’s 20^th-century thinking, and industrial-age dealerships cannot adequately serve digital-age consumers. Dealerships need a purpose-built customer experience platform powered by your DMS data and supercharged by AI that crosses the entire customer journey. You need one platform, one experience, and one partner who can help you better engage with your customers across their entire customer lifecycle. Most importantly, you need that partner to provide immediate ROI without your staff having to increase their workload. This is what Kenect does.

Kenect helps your dealership:

• Drive more revenue through better response times, more appointments on the calendar, higher conversion, targeted campaigns, and more upsell opportunities
• Deliver better experiences across sales, marketing, service, and parts
• Scale faster and smarter, with AI assisting your people in their workflows Enable your best people to focus on the customer right in front of them
• Deliver a world-class customer experience to create lifetime customers  

Kenect is leading the CXP revolution in dealerships throughout North America. Join us in  redefining what the modern dealership experience should be for the 21^st century. This is the beginning of a new era for Kenect and for dealerships everywhere.  

This is the revolution. Come lead it with us.