Summary:
Shoppers are moving from chatbots to AI agents that actively research, negotiate, and schedule test drives. This trending technology compresses the car‑buying journey and raises expectations when shoppers arrive in-store. And while new data shows digital steps save time and boost satisfaction, most dealerships still force buyers to repeat steps in‑store due to fragmented tools and inconsistent data. The blog post explains how Deal Central unifies the deal, automates key actions, and delivers a seamless online‑to‑offline experience that wins in the agent era.
If every shopper suddenly shows up to your store with an AI “broker” that will research, negotiate, and schedule appointments and test drives on their behalf, what does winning look like for your dealership?
Believe it or not, this future is arriving fast. Consumers are already using AI—not just to ask questions, but to take action. Dealers that align their data, processes, and people around this shift will turn speed and trust into a durable advantage.
At Cox Automotive, we believe that the future of automotive retail favors dealers willing to remove friction, meet shoppers wherever they start, and deliver a consistent deal across every handoff. The data—and the demos—back this up.
Yes, AI will be part of the story—but not the whole story. This isn’t just about technology. It’s about people and creating seamless dealership experiences that speak to modern shoppers.
Chatbot vs. Agent: Why this distinction matters now
A GenAI chatbot is great at answering questions. An AI agent goes further. It reasons, plans, and completes tasks across systems—like comparing inventory and incentives, initiating pre-approvals, booking test drives, even drafting outreach to GMs. In short, chatbots talk with you. AI agents work for you. For dealers, this means that more informed customers and more decisive shoppers will be arriving at your doorstep.
Recent demos of consumer AI agents show what’s already possible across four pivotal moments:
- Research and scenario‑building
- Pre‑approval and appointment‑setting
- In‑store deal analysis from a photo of a four‑square
- Broadcasting competitive emails to beat a quoted offer.
Each of these steps arms the buyer with clarity and compresses deal time. That’s the new baseline your process must meet or beat.
What the data says about digital momentum
Even as margins normalize, dealers continue to invest in online retailing. More stores now let shoppers complete every step online—34% in 2022 → 39% in 2023 → 43% in 2024. This progression is all customer pull, not vendor push. In fact, 65% of shoppers want to do some or most of the car buying process online, and 69% of dealers say customers are driving adoption.
But why? Because digital steps produce measurably better outcomes. Buyers who complete more steps online save 42 minutes at the dealership and are more likely to be highly satisfied (81% vs. 71%). In other words, you’re not just “moving tasks online”—you’re building confidence before the buyer walks in the door.
The experience gap to close—fast
When it comes to building a deal, shoppers overwhelmingly expect to be able to pick up in‑store where they left off online (85% agree). But 97% of dealers say customers end up repeating steps in‑store—hurting efficiency at a time when shorter wait times and greater efficiency are the improvements buyers want most. Unfortunately, buyers report being idle for approximately 40% of their in-dealership time, with the longest delays around paperwork and financing.
The culprit isn’t a lack of intention; it’s often a lack of consistency and confidence in online data once the shopper arrives. Many stores (62%) run multiple digital retailing tools, so it’s no surprise they cite data inconsistencies, redundancies, and weak integrations as top pain points. If the desk can’t trust what the shopper did online, the store has to re‑key, re‑quote, and re‑explain—erasing the very benefits digital was supposed to deliver.
Thrivers’ playbook: outsource what slows you down, instrument what speeds you up
So how can your dealership move from watching AI happen to actually winning with it? The answer isn’t more tools—it’s smarter use of the right ones. The dealers pulling ahead are proving that AI isn’t just theory; it’s driving measurable efficiency and stronger outcomes on the ground.
Dealers who report improving sales and marketing efficiency (“Thrivers”) outsource more online retailing capabilities (avg. 4.8 vs. 4.0 for peers) and are more likely to use AI capabilities across chat, predictive insights, generative communications, and automated offers. They’re also more receptive to innovative workflows that unify desking through signed contracts with embedded shopper insights. The through‑line: less tool sprawl, more connected workflows, stronger outcomes (from close rates to profit per deal).
Enter Deal Central: your command center for the agent era
At Cox Automotive, we’ve developed Deal Central—a technology that works across our integrated products to give your team the control, visibility, and speed to keep every deal moving. The agent era raises the bar—but it also opens new opportunities. With Deal Central, you’re ready to win when shoppers show up smarter and faster. Here’s how Deal Central can help:
1) One Source of Deal Truth
Bring everything that typically fragments trust—vehicle, incentives, taxes and fees, trade, lender programs, and F&I—into one consistent view across your website, BDC, showroom, and F&I office. When a shopper’s pre-work flows straight into the desk, you stop re-doing steps and start finalizing deals.
2) Seamless Online-to-Offline
Carry over the shopper’s saved configuration, credit tier, estimated down payment, and appointment details directly into the in-store workflow. That continuity tackles the biggest restart moments—verification and process habits—so instead of “Let’s start over,” it’s “Let’s pick up where you left off.”
3) Smart Automation Where It Matters
Put AI to work behind the scenes: pre-assemble deal structures, flag discrepancies, and generate compliant, salesperson-approved communications—from proposals to status updates—without manual delays. This matches the pace that agents already deliver to consumers.
4) Faster Financing, Less Waiting
Digitize and pre-stage the steps that create the most idle time—financing and paperwork—so buyers spend less time waiting and more time satisfied. That’s how you reclaim the 42 minutes saved by mostly digital buyers and turn it into speed and delight.
5) Value Beyond Price
If an agent can blast “Who can beat this offer?” messages to multiple dealers in minutes, experience and relationship become your true differentiators. Deal Central empowers you to respond with transparent breakdowns, accurate payments, and scheduling certainty—so even price-shopping moments become confidence-building closers.
What to do this quarter
- Map your repeat‑step moments. Identify exactly where online info is re‑verified or re‑entered, and why it happened.
- Consolidate duplication. Fewer tools, stronger integrations, and one deal record that flows end‑to‑end.
- Automate the low‑risk actions. Pre‑ approvals, doc prep, status comms, test‑drive scheduling—free your team for high‑trust moments
- Instrument your omnichannel KPIs. Track “time saved,” “steps repeated,” and “deal consistency” the way you track leads and closes.
Bottom line: Consumers are stepping into the showroom with unprecedented power—and raising expectations for speed and consistency. With Deal Central as your command center, you don’t have to fight that wave. You can ride it to faster deals, higher satisfaction, and a repeatable, competitive edge.
Ready to see it in action? Fill out the form to schedule your demo and discover how Deal Central can help your dealership win in the agent era.
