Automotive Tech Is Broken — Here’s Why | Driven Loyalty Podcast ft Adam Gillrie

Automotive technology is broken — and it’s not because dealers don’t buy enough tools. In this episode of Driven Loyalty, Jason Harris sits down with automotive technology veteran Adam Gillrie from Savvy Dealer to unpack why dealership tech stacks are still 10 years behind, how innovation keeps getting derailed, and why no amount of marketing can fix a bad customer experience. They dig into the real reasons dealer technology fails: tools built for dealerships instead of customers, endless software band-aids for broken processes, and an industry that ignores its own data. From CRMs and websites to AI, digital BDCs, and data-driven decision making, this conversation cuts through the noise and challenges how dealers think about technology, people, and process. If you’re tired of buying “tools” that promise results but deliver friction, this episode will change how you evaluate tech, measure performance, and design experiences that actually create loyal customers. In this episode, you’ll learn: • Why automotive technology innovation keeps stalling • How dealers unintentionally sabotage great ideas • Why tools don’t fix broken processes • The danger of building tech for dealers instead of customers • How data should guide decisions — not dashboards • What AI gets right (and wrong) in dealerships today • How top operators actually create loyal customers This episode is for dealer principals, GMs, marketing leaders, and anyone responsible for choosing, managing, or fixing dealership technology. ⚡Powered by Podium, redefining customer connection. Visit: https://www.podium.com/swj