Staying Relevant with Dealer/GM Fred Emich | AI, Texting, and the Phone Call Debate: What Still Wins in 2026

This one was different, we recorded an in-person (we are both within minutes of each other in CO!)  episode in a studio (yes, the kind rappers use 😄) with a dealer/general manager from a 100+ year family dealership story that started back in 1922. Meet Fred Emich from https://www.emichauto.com/ We get into what most leaders don't talk about: the daily pressure to stay relevant, how to keep people invested across multiple rooftops, and why the service department deserves way more leadership attention than it usually gets. Then we go deep on tech adoption, how to vet new tools, why "shiny object" purchases fail, and the non-negotiable rule: if your team won't use it day-to-day, don't buy it.  We also tackle the big debate: "customers don't want calls anymore." Spoiler: they don't want robocalls… but they do want real explanations when it matters, especially in service. If you're trying to modernize your dealership without sacrificing the human connection that built your reputation, this episode is a roadmap. Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki Podcast | 🎧 https://apple.co/38lmHM1 🎧 https://spoti.fi/3uQ2nd1 | [email protected] | 954-873-8029 | edealersolutions.com | Meet me! bit.ly/3J7011t  |  Loyalty-Based Selling Strategies on CBT News | https://bit.ly/3JlcXAx 🔥Check out our sponsors!🔥 Reynolds and Reynolds is a leading automotive DMS platform that helps dealerships run more efficient, connected, and customer-focused sales and service operations. LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability. Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships. ZukiTalk helps service advisors by making clear, consistent MPI calls that educate customers and increase approvals.