VADA Live S2:E15 | "Zero surprises." (VADA '26 Convention Preview with Dr. John Coles)
About this episode
Dr. John Coles discusses the impact of AI on customer relationships and dealership strategies in the context of the upcoming VADA '26 Convention.
Is artificial intelligence creating a helpful resource for your customers, or is it building a wall between them and your sales team? We caught up with Dr. John Coles, Vice President of Data Science and Analytics at ACV, for an exclusive sneak peek at the machine learning and vehicle valuation strategies he is bringing to the VADA '26 Convention at the Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront . Register for VADA '26: https://vada.com/convention/ In this bonus "Convention Sneak Peek" episode, Dr. Coles explains that modern consumers demand absolute transparency . He explores how to effectively utilize machine learning in the back office, the critical necessity of multi-source information fusion, and how to stop overwhelming your staff with too many software tools . In this episode: The "Zero Surprises" Consumer — Modern buyers are fiercely protective of their time . As Dr. Coles notes regarding his own car buying experience, "The thing that I look for as a consumer when I walk in is zero surprises on a cost side" . The New Normal — With lease returns growing and margin compression remaining a stark reality, dealers must utilize data to quickly position each vehicle for the right…
People in this episode
Guest: Dr. John Coles
Topics covered
- artificial intelligence
- machine learning
- vehicle valuation
- consumer transparency
- data utilization
- dealership strategies
Keywords
- AI
- machine learning
- consumer experience
- data science
- vehicle sales
- transparency
- dealership technology
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Virginia Automobile Dealers Association, ACV
Places: Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront
More episodes of VADA Live
- VADA Live S2:E18 | "Engagement is the key." (VADA '26 Convention Preview with Jim Fitzpatrick)
- VADA Live S2:E17 | "Compliance is a competitive advantage." (VADA '26 Preview with Lauren Bailey)
- VADA Live S2:E16 | "We live on a 30-day cycle" (Convention Preview with Sam D'Arc)
- VADA Live S2:E14 | "F&I profit is hyper-focused." (VADA '26 Convention Preview with Joe St. John)
- VADA Live S2:E13 | "We don't sell cars. We build relationships." (Matt Vollmers, NADA Academy)
- VADA Live S2:E12 | "Don't leave dollars on the table." (VADA '26 Convention Preview with Jim Roche)
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