Getting Started with AI Series: Lease & Finance Renewals

Lease & finance renewals, higher retention—and a steady pipeline of trades you buy from your own customers

Most “renewal programs” are loud for a weekend and quiet for months. AI Employees flip that script: they run continuous, two-way SMS outreach that books service visits, times renewal consults, and turns equity into trades you acquire directly—without gimmicks or spam.

Why start your AI program with Renewals?

• Predictable demand. Lease maturities and finance equity windows are knowable months in advance.
• Retention by design. Every conversation leads with service as collateral (inspection/maintenance) so customers say yes today—renewal options come naturally once they’re in.
• Trade flow you control. Capture photos/mileage, pre-appraise, and invite customers to sell you their car (even if they don’t buy). You protect inventory and reduce auction dependency.
• Cleaner CRM, automatically. Every SMS thread updates contact info, logs outcomes, respects DND, and removes duplicates.

Lease vs Finance: the Coverage Gap

Leases are visible. There’s a return date, OEM contact, pre-inspections—customers are “pulled” back to you.
Finance is invisible. No forced return. Equity windows open quietly, people service wherever it’s convenient, and upgrade timing gets missed.

What our AI Employees do:

• Track cohorts (equity, lapsed 9+ months, end-of-warranty).
• Reach out by SMS with something useful today (service + appraisal).
• Book the visit, attach context (photos, mileage), and route to your team.
• Clean the CRM as they go (dedupe, DND, updated contact + vehicle).

The Finance Leak (simple math)

Lost Finance Revenue ≈
Finance base × % in equity × (AI capture – current capture) × (Avg front + F&I gross)

Example (swap with ROI app output):
If you have 1,000 financed customers, 30% are in equity, AI improves capture by 10 points, and your average total gross is $2,000:

• 1,000 × 0.30 = 300 eligible
• 300 × 0.10 = 30 additional captured deals
• 30 × $2,000 = $60,000 incremental gross in that window

Use the ROI app to plug in your base, equity %, and gross to show the real upside at your store.

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What your AI Employees do (SMS-first)

1. Target the right cohorts quietly
   • Lease maturities (3–12 months out)
   • Finance customers in positive equity
   • End-of-warranty owners
   • Lapsed 9+ months
2. Open a real conversation, not a blast
   • Short, contextual text → confirm interest → offer a service visit (inspection + options review)
   • Clear stop conditions: appointment booked, RO closed, negative sentiment, DND
3. Book “service as collateral”
   • The visit has standalone value (quick check, appraisal while you wait)
   • If they’re not ready to renew, you still deliver service—no burned list
4. Acquire the trade, proactively
   • Gather mileage & condition via text/photo
   • Soft appraisal + invite to sell us your car
   • Route hot trades to your buyer/manager with full context
5. Handoff & logging
   • Appointment packet includes payoff notes, trim preferences, constraints
   • Everything is auto-logged in Puzzle CRM (statuses, tags, transcripts)

Data to start: basic contact info + current vehicle or vehicle of interest.
Pilot integrations: scheduler, status updates, photo upload, shuttle.
Brand & compliance: multilingual, configured per store; consent follows state/province laws.

Sample SMS (ready-to-picture flows)

Lease maturity (7 months out)

“Hi Alex—heads-up on your 2022 Rogue lease. We can check options and protect your equity. Want a 20-min service visit Tue 8:30 or 10:15 so we take a quick look and outline choices?”

Finance (equity window) + trade

“Hey Sam—based on your 2021 Civic, you might lower payment or move up a trim. I can hold a service slot this week and we’ll also appraise your car while you’re here. What works?”

Lapsed 9+ months

“Hi Marie—long time no see with your 2019 Tucson. Let’s book a quick checkup; if you’re curious, we’ll review buy-back and upgrade options. Wed 5:40 or Thu 7:50?”

Each thread ends with a confirmed appointment, not a dead link.

“We already have a Renewal Manager.” (Perfect—this makes them stronger.)

That’s a good thing. AI Employees don’t replace your renewal manager—they fill the calendar with qualified, context-rich appointments and keep the pipeline honest.

• AI runs outreach and back-and-forth 24/7; your manager focuses on in-store conversations.
• Late-night texts convert into morning slots—already on the schedule.
• Cleaner pipeline: fewer ghosts, accurate statuses (interested / not now / DND).
• Higher show rate because the visit has real value: service + appraisal.

10–15 Business Day Rollout (Simple & Proven)

We have a solid onboarding process in place that balances quality with speed. Most dealers are live in 10–15 business days, with every step designed to ensure the AI Employees reflect your brand, your market, and your goals.

Days 0–3 – Configure

• Define brand voice and supported languages
• Set consent rules and compliance guardrails
• Configure SMS identity, scheduling logic (status, photos, shuttle, transport options), and CRM logging
• Map business rules for escalation, lead routing, and handoffs
• Upload AI knowledge base covering your brand, models, region, competitors, common objections, and edge cases

Days 4–7 – Initial Launch

• Activate priority cohorts: lease maturities, equity opportunities, end-of-warranty customers, and lapsed clients (9+ months)
• Launch lean, outcome-driven cadences to generate early wins
• Test workflows for sales, service, and finance
• Validate edge-case handling and escalation paths

Days 8–15 – Optimize & Scale

• Tighten message caps and confirm stop conditions
• Speed up handoffs to renewal desks, sales reps, and managers
• Adjust workflows based on early data and feedback
• Expand cohorts (e.g., walk-outs, unsold leads, recall campaigns)
• Fine-tune AI objection handling and competitor positioning

Outcome: By Day 15, the AI Employees are fully embedded, delivering faster lead response, consistent follow-ups, and measurable ROI — while your team spends time only where it counts.

What to measure (keep it practical)

• Two-way response rate
• Appointments booked from renewal outreach
• Show rate (service + renewal consults)
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• Renewal penetration and deals closed
• Trades acquired from your own customers
• CRM hygiene: % updated records, DND compliance, duplicates removed
• Reactivated “lost” customers

Want targets that reflect your volumes and hours? Run your numbers in the Puzzle Auto ROI app to see where AI Employees will hit hardest—renewals, service, new, or pre-owned.

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