FordDirect and Podium Partner to Enhance AI-Powered Customer Engagement

FordDirect has partnered with Podium to integrate AI-powered customer engagement tools into Ford and Lincoln dealerships across the United States, announced in a press release. This collaboration aims to enhance customer interactions by utilizing Podium's AI Employee, known as Jerry, which is now part of FordDirect's Customer Journey Platform.

The integration allows dealerships to deliver faster and more consistent customer conversations, ultimately boosting sales, service bookings, and lead conversions. Podium's AI BDC solution is designed to respond instantly to leads, maintaining a personalized touch while being trained on a decade of automotive industry data. This results in increased appointments, improved customer satisfaction, and more efficient use of dealership staff.

According to Dean Stoneley, CEO of FordDirect, the partnership with Podium provides Ford and Lincoln dealers with superior customer engagement capabilities, enhancing both customer and dealer satisfaction. The AI-powered solution has already shown promising results, including an 80% increase in after-hours appointments and a 30% improvement in lead-to-sale conversions.