"Doesn't mean goodbye" — Recapturing "lost" customers through fixed operations | Kristine Lentz, Urban Science
About this episode
Urban Science’s Kristine Lentz reframes “defection” as a diagnostic opportunity, not a failure—customers who bought elsewhere can be tracked in near real time using OEM sales data delivered nightly. She explains how Urban Science’s Traffic View breaks defection down by lead source and, crucially, by days-to-sale to pinpoint when follow-up drops off (often around days 8–14). Lentz argues AI should fill timing gaps, while humans provide empathy and relationship-building. She also highlights using fixed operations to win back lost customers through service offers and feedback loops.
Is your dealership losing customers you thought were gone for good? Every automotive professional knows the sting of a "lost" sale, but what if those defections weren't permanent goodbyes, but instead, opportunities for powerful comebacks through fixed operations?
In this episode, Kristine Lentz, Product Operations Manager at Urban Science, reveals how using precise data can transform your view of customer defection from a failure to a strategic advantage.
What you will get from this episode:
- Understand why traditional "defection" metrics might be leading you astray.
- Discover how leveraging sales data can pinpoint exactly why and when customers leave.
- Learn how to use fixed ops as a potent reactivation tool for "lost" customers.
- Redefine your follow-up strategies to recapture customers and build lasting relationships.
- Strategically deploy AI in your sales process to close crucial gaps.
Kristine Lentz is the Product Operations Manager at Urban Science, bringing years of expertise in leveraging data to drive actionable insights and improve dealer performance.
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Timestamps00:00 Intro
00:42 Defection Defined
02:43 Finding the Leak
04:35 Days to Sale Insights
05:32 AI as a Partner
07:26 Empathy Still Matters
08:57 Facing the Fear
10:26 Stop Chasing Sold Leads
10:59 Service Reactivation Play
12:31 Data Plus Human Response
13:55 Outro
defection
"The first one is when dealers hear the word defection. They often think failure. Why is this the wrong way to look at it?"
Here, “defection” doesn’t mean someone is lost forever. It means a shopper you were contacting bought from another dealership instead. The idea is to treat it like useful information, not just a mistake.
In this context, “defection” means a lead that dealers are working but that ultimately purchased from a competitor. The key point is that it’s not necessarily a failure—it's a signal that the customer moved elsewhere and can be addressed with better follow-up and fixed operations strategy.
CRM
"So all dealers, they're working a bunch of leads. And this is a collection of leads that is in their CRM, they're probably still following up with, that's actually purchased elsewhere at a competitor."
CRM is the dealership’s computer system for keeping track of leads and customers. It helps them see who they contacted and what happened next.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is the system dealers use to store leads, track follow-ups, and manage customer communications. The discussion emphasizes that defection can be identified by looking at what’s in the dealer’s CRM versus where the customer actually purchased.
Urban Science
"...know from Urban Science. Urban Science has something special. So I know everyone says that, but we really do."
Urban Science is a company that provides dealership-focused data. In this episode, they’re presented as helping dealers spot when a customer bought from another brand or store.
Urban Science is the data and analytics provider being discussed as a way for dealers to identify defection quickly. The speaker claims Urban Science supplies near-real-time sales data from OEMs to help dealers see competitor purchases that happened very recently.
OEMs
"...we have sales data that we get every night from all the major OEMs."
OEMs are the car brands themselves—the companies that make the vehicles. In this segment, the claim is that the data comes directly from those brands.
OEMs means Original Equipment Manufacturers—the automakers that build the vehicles (like the brands dealers sell). The speaker claims Urban Science receives sales data from major OEMs, enabling fresher insights into recent competitor purchases.
30, 60 or 90 days old
"...we're not looking at data that's 30, 60 or 90 days old. This is so lead in your CRM that purchased at a competitor yesterday."
They’re saying older reports (like data that’s a month or more behind) aren’t very helpful. If you learn about the customer’s purchase too late, you can’t respond effectively.
This phrase contrasts stale reporting with timely intelligence. The speaker argues that dealers shouldn’t rely on CRM or analytics that are weeks or months behind, because defection is most useful when identified quickly after the competitor purchase.
exclusive contracts
"These are exclusive contracts we have at the OEMs. And so when you have that, you're able to see..."
Exclusive contracts means Urban Science has special agreements to get certain information. The point is that this data access is claimed to be unique.
“Exclusive contracts” refers to special agreements Urban Science has with OEMs to access certain data. In the segment, exclusivity is used to support the claim that this information isn’t available elsewhere in the same way.
lost customers
"So when we know these people have purchased elsewhere, and it happens for a couple different reasons. So the first reason, right, it could be price inventory."
“Lost customers” are people who came looking at your dealership but ended up buying from someone else. The goal is to figure out why they left so you can bring them back with better service and follow-up.
The episode is framing “lost customers” as shoppers who bought elsewhere, even though they were in the dealer’s target area. The key idea is using data to understand why they defect and how to win them back through better follow-up and fixed-operations strategy.
lead sources
"So we break it down by sources. So there's sources that you might think, Hey, these are, you know, not great. We don't even do anything with these. We throw those leads aside."
“Lead sources” are the different channels or origins where shoppers come from (e.g., specific campaigns, websites, or referral paths). The segment explains that dealers may dismiss certain sources too quickly, but the data can reveal whether those shoppers are actually buying and whether follow-up processes are needed.
traffic view
"I've had dealers when they start with us on traffic view, that's when they can break it down and actually see everything in there. They'll say, cut out these lead sources..."
“Traffic view” is presented as a solution feature that helps dealers break down lead sources and see what’s actually happening in their market. The speaker emphasizes starting with a broad look (first month) and then drilling down to identify which sources are real opportunities versus noise.
days to
"One of my favorite things that we show in our solution traffic view is days to"
The speaker begins introducing “days to” as a metric shown in their solution (likely related to time-to-purchase or time-to-appointment). In dealer marketing analytics, time-based metrics help identify how quickly leads convert and where delays or drop-offs occur.
follow up process
"But we know that the follow up process with salespeople isn't usually as long as we want it to be... we typically... drop off on day five..."
Follow-up is how you contact someone after they first show interest. This part is saying that most teams don’t follow up as long as they think, and that you can measure when it starts to hurt results.
The “follow up process” refers to how dealerships contact leads after the initial inquiry. The discussion highlights that follow-up duration is often shorter than sales teams claim, and that conversion/loss patterns can be measured to optimize it.
NADA
"...everyone's talking about AI, we're at NADA right now. Yes, please tell me."
NADA is a big U.S. organization for car dealers. Bringing it up suggests the advice is meant for dealership operations and sales teams.
NADA is the National Automobile Dealers Association, a major industry group for U.S. dealerships. Mentioning it frames the discussion as dealer-focused and likely tied to dealership best practices and training.
personal touch of it and the relationship building aspect
"Yes, that is totally true. The personal touch of it and the relationship building aspect is always going to be important."
They’re saying that customers still want a real person involved. Even if you use tech to help, the relationship and personal communication matter.
This emphasizes that even with automation/AI, dealership sales still relies on human relationship-building. The speaker argues there’s “never a time” where the personal touch isn’t important, implying AI should support—not replace—salespeople.
AI as a partner (not replacement)
"need that. AI is amazing and it's supposed to be our partner. I don't think it's supposed to be our replacement, right? Did you hear that? Did you, did you hear that? It's not meant to be our replacement."
They’re saying AI can help with tasks, but it shouldn’t replace people. Customers still want real human help, especially when they’re upset or need understanding.
The discussion frames AI as a support tool for dealer/customer workflows rather than a full replacement for human interaction. In practice, AI can help triage, summarize, and suggest responses, while humans handle empathy, complex issues, and final decisions.
fear of being too aggressive
"there's a real fear of being too aggressive. But then there's this mindset..."
Sometimes people worry that if they keep contacting you, it will feel annoying. The point here is that you can follow up in a way that’s helpful, not pushy.
The speaker calls out a common sales/marketing hesitation: fear that follow-up or outreach will feel pushy. The episode argues that a customer-first approach (offering value and respecting their situation) can prevent that fear from undermining conversion.
two oil changes for free
"they can say, Hey, I'll give you the first, you know, two oil changes for free. If you come to us..."
They’re offering a small free service (like the first couple oil changes) to make it easier for the customer to try the shop. It’s a way to get them in the door and start building trust.
This is a service incentive used to reduce the customer’s risk and encourage a first visit. In fixed-ops strategy, “first service” offers are often used to convert a defection situation into an ongoing service relationship.
fixed operations
"all of the conversations tend to be around variable operations. Fixed operations can be a real reactivation driver."
Dealers often have two big money areas: selling cars and running the service/parts side. This segment is saying the service/parts side can help bring customers back instead of letting them disappear.
In a dealership context, “fixed operations” usually refers to service and parts departments—work that’s tied to scheduled maintenance and repairs. The point of the discussion is that fixed ops can be used to re-engage customers who stopped buying vehicles.
reactivation driver
"Fixed operations can be a real reactivation driver. Yes. It can be an acquisition driver."
A “reactivation driver” is an activity or department that brings lapsed customers back into the dealership relationship. In this segment, fixed operations (service/parts) are framed as the lever that reactivates customers and keeps them from going fully to a competitor.
building back sales
"they actually are building back sales, building back relationships and even surveying through that time."
“Building back sales” refers to regaining lost revenue by re-engaging customers who previously stopped purchasing. The speaker ties it to reconnecting after service visits and using feedback to improve the next interaction.
surveying
"even surveying through that time. Right. So they say, Hey, you know, you came in for that oil change."
“Surveying” means collecting structured feedback from customers during the reactivation process. The episode suggests surveys help identify specific reasons for churn (missed calls, unanswered questions) so the dealership can correct behavior and improve retention.
data activated human response
"So all of those things can come in and the more information we have, the better we can do. Data activated human response."
“Data activated human response” describes using customer data to trigger timely, personalized outreach—rather than relying on generic marketing. The speaker highlights the balance: data informs the action, but the response should still feel human and tailored.
"How can those listening and watching connect with you? So you can connect with me on LinkedIn."
LinkedIn is a website/app where professionals connect and share updates. The guest is just giving a way to find them online.
LinkedIn is mentioned as a professional networking platform for connecting with the guest and company. While not automotive-specific, it’s part of how the episode invites listeners to follow up.
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