Case Study: How AI-Driven Follow-Up Helped One Hyundai Dealer Sell 11 Cars in 5 Days

No cold calls. No private sales. Just smart timing, powered by AI Employees.

By activating Sam, their AI-powered BDC assistant, the dealership booked 24 appointments, saw 18 customers show up, and delivered 11 new vehicles in just five days. That’s a 75% show rate and a 61% close rate, all without any major promotion or discount event.

Here’s the full story of how AI helped the dealership achieve instant ROI, re-engage dormant leads, and prove that the future of new car sales is already here.

The Challenge: Hidden Revenue in the Database

Every dealership has it — that giant pile of past customers sitting in the CRM, mostly untouched since their last service or purchase. These are people who trust your brand, know your location, and at some point said "yes" to you.

But without the time or tools to re-engage them at the right moment, they drift. Some renew elsewhere. Others go cold.

At this Hyundai dealership, leadership knew there was untapped value in that database — especially with lease customers coming to term. But traditional follow-up tactics were manual, reactive, and expensive.

That’s when they decided to try something different.

The Solution: An AI Assistant Named Sam

Sam is an AI-powered BDC agent built to handle high-volume, high-context follow-up with surgical precision. Rather than blanketing a list with generic messages, Sam uses dealership data — like lease end dates, vehicle age, trade equity, and past purchases — to pinpoint who is most likely to be ready for a new vehicle.

Here’s how the team set it up:

• A batch of 150 customers was selected based on renewal signals: contract expiry, equity position, vehicle age, and model history.
• Sam personalized and delivered SMS messages inviting those customers to reconnect, with zero cold calls involved.
• Customers who responded were qualified, scheduled, and nudged to attend their appointment — all within a few taps.
• Sales reps were looped in only once the customer was warm and ready.

This wasn’t a private sale, blowout event, or marketing gimmick. It was targeted outreach, powered by real-time intelligence.

The Results: 11 Sales in 5 Days

The outcome? Fast and measurable.

Here’s what Sam achieved in less than a week:

• 🎯 150 past customers targeted
• 📅 24 appointments booked
• 🚪 18 customers showed up in-store
• 🛻 11 purchased a new Hyundai
• 🔁 9 trade-ins collected
• 💰 $30,000+ in net profit generated

Let’s break that down.

75% Show Rate

Getting 18 out of 24 booked appointments to show is no accident. Sam didn’t just book people — he followed up with calendar reminders, answered questions in real time, and kept momentum strong right up to the visit.

61% Close Rate

Of the 18 that showed, 11 drove away in a new Hyundai. That’s a higher close rate than most private sale events — and without the overhead or margin erosion.

Instant ROI

The dealership’s cost to run the AI program? A fraction of the revenue generated. In fact, they made enough net profit in five days to pay for the AI assistant for months in advance.

This wasn’t an investment that “might” pay off. It already did.

Why This Worked: The 3 Pillars of AI-Powered Retention

1. Smart Timing

Sam doesn’t guess. He scores and sorts contacts based on real data: lease maturity, current vehicle value, and historical behavior. That means outreach goes only to those who are likely to say “yes” — not just those who are due.

2. Frictionless Follow-Up

Because Sam communicates via SMS with human-like logic and timing, customers don’t feel like they’re being sold to. They feel like someone remembered them — and reached out at just the right time.

There are no long phone calls. No back-and-forth to qualify. Just a few taps to confirm interest and lock in a time.

3. Real Dealer Integration

Sam isn’t a chatbot floating outside the CRM. He’s deeply integrated with the dealership’s real customer data. That means every lead, appointment, and update is logged and actionable — making it easy for sales staff to pick up the conversation and close.

The Impact: More Than Just 11 Cars

While the headline number is 11 sales, the impact goes deeper:

• 9 trades brought fresh inventory into a tight used car market.
• Customer retention increased with a smooth renewal journey.
• Sales team morale improved, focusing only on warm, high-quality prospects.
• Leadership gained a repeatable, scalable process they can deploy every month.

Most importantly, this campaign proved that AI in automotive isn’t about replacing people — it’s about replacing guesswork, missed follow-ups and cherry picking.

Final Thoughts: The Future of New Car Sales Is Smart

This Hyundai store didn’t wait for a downturn to try something new. They looked at the data, trusted the process, and partnered with an AI BDC assistant who could execute at scale — 24/7, without dropping the ball.

The results speak for themselves:
11 cars. 5 days. $30K+ profit. Paid off in week one.

If your sales team is spending too much time chasing dead leads or running high-cost promotions to generate traffic, it might be time to look inward — at the customers who already know you.

And maybe it’s time to let AI give them a nudge.

Want to learn how this could be installed in your store? Book your quick Puzzle Auto Intro : https://www.puzzleauto.app/demo/quiz

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