Podium, a specialist in AI-powered customer engagement tools, has announced its AI BDC solution is now officially in program with FordDirect, Ford’s US business unit that supports its US dealers with data analytics and other marketing support.
Podium’s ‘AI Employee’ – known to many dealers as ‘Jerry’ – is now available to Ford dealers and Lincoln retailers in the US.
This planned integration connects Podium’s AI Employee directly with FordDirect’s Customer Journey Platform (CJP), empowering dealerships to deliver faster, more consistent, human-like customer conversations that boost sales, service bookings, and lead conversions.
“With dealerships navigating staffing shortages, rising competition, and growing consumer demand for immediate responses, it’s critical to respond first, maximize every opportunity, and give employees the coverage they need to focus on closing on the floor. This partnership is about delivering an end-to-end communication platform that drives measurable results,” said Eric Rea, Co-Founder and CEO at Podium
Podium’s AI BDC delivers on all fronts without, it says, sacrificing the human touch. It responds to every lead instantly and Pdium says it is trained on ten years of automotive industry data.
Podium says the result for the dealership is ‘more appointments, happier customers, and staff freed up to focus on other important parts of the job’.
It says proven results from 1,800 dealers using Podium AI include:
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80% increase in after-hours appointments
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10% boost in appointment show rates
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70% reduction in lead response times
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30% improvement in lead-to-sale conversions
“FordDirect is proud to expand our partnership with Podium to bring their AI-powered BDC solution into our nationwide network of Ford dealerships and Lincoln retailers,” said Dean Stoneley, CEO FordDirect. “This partnership gives our dealers and retailers the ability to execute superior customer engagement, helping to deliver improved customer and dealer satisfaction.”
Ford and Lincoln dealers can learn more at: www.podium.com/forddirect
Podium says its AI-powered solutions help dealerships and service providers respond instantly to inbound leads, automate follow-ups, and streamline communication across text, webchat, and social platforms.
FordDirect is a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and its franchised dealers with a mission of helping Ford and Lincoln dealerships sell more cars and trucks.
“FordDirect partners with Podium for AI-powered dealer conversations with customers” was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand.
