{"version":"1.0.0","episode":{"title":"“We Built an AI Department” - Why Dealers Need a Real AI Strategy Anyway | Jeff Swickard, President/CEO of Swickard Auto Group","url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/we-built-an-ai-department-why-dealers-need-a-real-ai-strategy-anyway-jeff-swickard-president-ceo-of-swickard-auto-group","audioUrl":"https://anchor.fm/s/1094c7cb4/podcast/play/115621972/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-1-17%2F418258443-44100-2-ffc25fce7e1bf.mp3","description":"Most dealers are talking about AI. Jeff Swickard is building an AI department inside his auto group.In this special episode of The Dealer Playbook, Michael Cerullo sits down with Jeff Swickard, President & CEO of Swickard Auto Group, to unpack what it actually takes to operationalize AI inside a dealership group—without breaking culture, customer experience, or your tech stack.Jeff shares how they built an enterprise data warehouse in Microsoft Azure, why integration is the real battle, and how they’re using agentic AI + sentiment analysis to protect and improve the guest experience—especially in service.What you’ll learn:Why Swickard Auto Group created an internal AI departmentHow an enterprise data warehouse solves “nothing integrates” chaosThe role of APIs + bidirectional data feeds with the DMS and vendorsUsing AI to measure call quality + customer sentiment in a high-volume service contact centerWhy hospitality is the long-term differentiator (and how tech should support it)How to drive buy-in from employees and avoid “here we go again” resistanceThe real leadership skill: prioritization, iteration, and pivoting“Buy vs. build” in automotive tech—and how to know when to switchIf you’re a dealer principal, GM, fixed ops leader, or marketing/ops exec trying to figure out what AI actually means for your stores, this is a blueprint for how the best groups are approaching it.Timestamps00:00 Welcome & Meet Jeff Swickard00:29 Why They Built an AI Department in a Dealer Group02:03 Taming the Tech Stack: Enterprise Data Warehouse on Azure03:34 AI + Hospitality: Using Sentiment Analysis to Elevate Service06:23 Building It In-House: 2.5 Years to Connect the Data Sources07:39 Getting Buy-In: Involving Employees Early & Prioritizing ROI10:33 Forward-Thinking (and Stumbling): Learning, Predictive Analytics & People13:30 Leadership Urgency: Staying Focused, Pivoting Fast & Buy vs. Build16:13 Wrap-Up, Thanks, and Podcast Outro\n"},"annotations":[{"startTime":160.48,"endTime":166.84,"type":"car","title":"Bentley Azure","url":"/cars/bentley/azure","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/07_Bentley_Azure_%289885310443%29.jpg","quote":"...e all of our customer data is housed in Microsoft Azure,  which is a hosted platform. And it's managed th...","canonicalId":"car:bentley:azure","priority":0.5,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4o-mini","data":{"explanation":"The Bentley Azure is a luxury convertible that exemplifies British craftsmanship and opulence. Launched in the late 1990s, it features a powerful V8 engine and a lavish interior, making it a symbol of status and luxury in the automotive world.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Bentley Azure is a very fancy car that can be driven with the top down. It's known for being super comfortable and stylish, often seen as a car for wealthy people who want to show off their taste.","imageAttribution":"Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA (CC BY 2.0)"}}],"speakers":[{"id":"s1","name":"Michael Cirillo","role":"host"}],"transcripts":[{"url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/we-built-an-ai-department-why-dealers-need-a-real-ai-strategy-anyway-jeff-swickard-president-ceo-of-swickard-auto-group/transcript.vtt","type":"text/vtt"}]}