Artificial intelligence is already changing how dealerships operate. From automating routine tasks to transforming service appointment scheduling,
AI is helping retailers work more efficiently. But according to Keith Legg, vice president of sales, at Reynolds and Reynolds, the real opportunity lies in what dealerships can do with the time they get back.
Speaking at the
2026 Automotive News Canada Retail Forum, Legg joined industry leaders to discuss AI’s growing role in automotive retail, the challenges dealers must navigate, and the steps they can take today to prepare for what comes next.
His message was clear: AI isn't just about doing things faster. It's about creating more opportunities to serve customers and grow the business.
From Routine Tasks to Real Results
AI adoption is delivering practical benefits across dealership operations: Finance teams can analyze reports more quickly, marketing departments can check materials against manufacturer standards before submission, and repetitive administrative tasks can be completed with less manual effort.
But Legg sees the industry approaching its next major shift: moving from AI that provides information to AI that takes action.
The impact is already measurable. Legg shared that, in recent studies, a human representative took approximately seven minutes to complete a confirmed service appointment over the phone. AI tools deployed in dealerships were completing the same task in just over two minutes.
That difference adds up quickly across a busy service department.
Making Time for the Customer
For most dealerships, productivity gains are only part of the equation. The bigger opportunity is turning saved time into a better customer experience.
When service advisors spend less time
managing routine calls, they can give more attention to customers who need help.
As Legg explained during the discussion, reducing the burden of repetitive tasks can help dealerships become more productive without losing the human connection that makes the business successful.
This is particularly important in service, where improved processes can help dealerships accommodate more appointments, make better use of technician capacity, and respond more effectively to customer demand.
AI will not replace the technician, but it can help reduce the administrative friction surrounding the work, giving technicians more time to focus on what they do best.
Preparing for the Customer’s AI Agent
The next challenge may come from an unexpected direction: customers using AI agents of their own.
Imagine a customer asking an AI assistant to compare service prices, find an available appointment, and identify which dealership offers the best combination of convenience and value. The agent could evaluate multiple options and make recommendations before the customer ever contacts a store.
For dealerships, this creates a new competitive landscape.
Legg emphasized that the industry is not uniformly prepared for AI agents to communicate directly with dealership systems. But the dealers that begin experimenting now will be better positioned to adapt as these capabilities become more widespread.
In this environment, customer experience becomes even more important. A dealership that delivers a seamless appointment process, communicates clearly, and follows through on its commitments has a better chance of earning repeat business and potentially becoming the preferred choice for a customer's AI agent in the future.
Start Small, and Start Smart
Realizing AI's potential requires more than adopting the latest technology. Dealerships need reliable data,
strong security measures, clear operating rules, and the right expertise to guide implementation.
Legg recommended starting with high-volume, low-risk tasks that consume time but don't require complex human judgment.
Appointment scheduling and
routine follow-ups are examples of where dealerships can begin, evaluate results, and build confidence before expanding into more sophisticated applications.
Human oversight remains essential, particularly when decisions involve sensitive customer situations, financial risk, or the need for empathy. AI should support good judgment, not eliminate accountability.
Equally important is preparing employees for change. Education, hands-on experience, and internal champions can help teams understand how AI fits into their roles and where it can make their work more valuable.
The Opportunity Ahead
The discussion at the Automotive News Canada Retail Forum reinforced that AI is moving beyond experimentation and into the everyday realities of dealership operations. Its immediate benefits include faster processes and greater efficiency. Its longer-term potential reaches into customer engagement, service capacity, and entirely new ways of doing business.
Legg's advice to dealers was straightforward: don't wait for the future to arrive before preparing for it. Identify an opportunity, establish the right foundation, learn from experience, and build from there. The dealerships best positioned for the future won't simply be the ones that adopt AI. They'll be the ones that use it to give their people more time, their customers better experiences, and their businesses more opportunities to grow.
