“Retailers need to understand their business needs, rather than chase AI for AI’s sake.”

—John Harmon, Managing Director at Coresight Research

Vibe Coding Is Real. Here’s What It Means for Your Dealership

Spoiler: You don’t need to be a Python wizard to benefit.

Vibe coding is the 2025 way of saying, “I told AI what I wanted—and it built it.” Think of it like pairing your dealership instincts with a tireless junior developer who doesn’t sleep, doesn’t sass, and doesn’t need coffee breaks.

You describe the problem—AI builds the prototype.

What This Means for You
Retail pros are already doing this (whether they call it “vibe coding” or not). Instead of wrestling with spreadsheets or hiring a developer to custom-build a dashboard, they're using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and GitHub Copilot to:

• Build internal tools (like a real-time appointment load visualizer)

• Analyze review sentiment by pulling Google or DealerRater data

• Visualize campaign performance across platforms

• Create quick dashboards for underperforming models or sales regions

• Automate repetitive DMS exports into readable, sortable formats

How to Start (Even If You're Not Technical)

1. Pick a tool that talks back: Cursor and Copilot work great inside code editors. ChatGPT or Claude work from your browser.

2. Describe what you want: Example: “Build a dashboard that shows how many new leads came in yesterday by salesperson, and flag any who haven’t been contacted.”

3. Include your data or layout: Got an export from your CRM? Upload it. Want it to look like a TikTok-style feed? Say that.

4. Ask it to connect the dots: AI can now generate the interface and the analysis code in one go.

But Don't Get Lazy.
Vibe coding won’t replace foundational skills. You still need to understand your business model, your data, and what “success” looks like. Without that, you’ll vibe yourself into a mess of hallucinated fields and bloated code.

Use It Like a Multitool.
Want faster workflows? Custom reports? Instant prototypes for marketing ideas? Vibe coding is your new best friend, as long as you stay the boss.

🚗 Dealer Use Cases You Can Try This Week:

• “Build a tool that scans reviews and alerts me to any that mention wait times.”

• “Create a leaderboard showing which sales team members responded to leads fastest last week.”

• “Analyze our CRM export and show which email templates correlate with test drive conversions.”

The Bottom Line:
Dealers who learn to describe what they want and let AI build it are going to outpace those still emailing Excel files and asking “what if.” You don’t need to be a coder—you just need to know your business and start asking better questions.

Use AI to clean up your writing—without making it boring.

Ask your favorite AI tool to review a draft email, text, or announcement. But instead of saying “proofread this,” try this prompt:

This lets AI do what it’s great at (catching errors), while you keep what matters—your voice. Because around here, dealership pros aren’t robots, and your writing shouldn’t sound like one either.

Innovation That Works—And Why It Sometimes Flops

For our very first panel at this year’s ASOTU CON, Greg Uland (Reynolds & Reynolds), Ed Roberts (Bozard Ford Lincoln), and Alan Brown (Sam Pack’s Five Star Chevrolet) came together to unpack the good, the bad, and the ugly behind innovation.

From AI to automation to culture shifts, their message was clear: technology only sticks when it’s paired with process, buy-in, and purpose.

Whether it’s rolling out a parts robot or implementing service videos, the conversation covered what it really takes to get fresh ideas and new practices to take root.

If you’re new to AI tools, or just trying to get the most out of the ones you’ve already got, this session is the one for you.

Watch the full panel discussion here.

• Perplexity can now craft reports, spreadsheets, dashboards, and more. 📊

• Google Photos is revamping its editor with more AI features. 📸

• Pen and paper are making a comeback as schools work to prevent students from using AI tools like ChatGPT to cheat. 📘