Voice AI Is Exploding in Automotive: The New Era with Rich Sands, CEO of Stella — Dealer Talk With Jen Suzuki

Wake up — it's here. Conversational AI has officially arrived in automotive, and it's transforming dealership operations faster than anyone expected. In this episode, Jen sits down with one of the true OGs of voice AI, Rich Sands, CEO of Stella Automotive AI, to unpack what's really happening behind the scenes as dealerships adopt AI in service and sales.

https://stellaautomotive.com

Rich shares the evolution of Stella—from early hurdles to the all-new rebuilt platform—and opens up about the human side of AI: the integration challenges, the mistakes, the breakthroughs, and the massive shift in customer adoption. You'll hear real data on engagement, booking speed, and why some callers now prefer Stella over a human.

Jen and Rich break down:

Why voice AI is accelerating dealership operations on both the service and sales sides
How customer behavior toward AI has radically changed in just two years
What "the new Stella" actually means (zero latency, deep integrations, powerful customization)
The ROI dealers are seeing—and why AI is now outperforming humans in call handling and appointment booking
The must-do steps for dealers deploying voice AI (yes, the greeting matters more than you think)
How data, context, and personalization are creating a new wave of VIP-level customer experience

If you want real talk about scaling voice AI in a dealership—without the vendor pitch—this episode is your roadmap. It's tactical. It's honest. And it'll prepare you for the next big operational shift already hitting stores nationwide.

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