Proactive Dealer Solutions (PDS) — which was acquired by Better Car People (BCP) in June — announced the integration of Brooke.ai with Dealer-FX, blending the advanced digital voice assistant with the service lane technology provider.

PDS highlighted that this integration rolled out on Tuesday can enhance dealership efficiency, optimize customer interactions and boost service lane productivity.

It’s the first major move by PDS since it became part of BCP in a deal fueled in part by Abry Partners.

“Better Car People’s mission is to equip automotive dealerships and OEMs with digital solutions that streamline operations and enhance the customer experience. We combine cutting-edge technology with the humans needed to run it, making it the perfect partner for the market,” Better Car People’s chief executive officer Aaron Kleinhandler said in a June news release.

“BCP is creating an industry-leading omnichannel engagement platform to solve modern retail challenges. Adding such a strong technology leader as Proactive Dealer Solutions and their suite of technology products further solidifies our mission,” Kleinhandler continued.

Accomplishments during the mission now include the PDS’ relationship with Dealer-FX. Among the key benefits of the integration are:

—Enhanced customer interaction: Brooke.ai utilizes natural conversational AI to answer inbound service calls, schedule appointments, and provide instant responses to customer inquiries. With Dealer-FX integration, these interactions can be seamlessly integrated into the dealership’s service workflow, ensuring consistent and efficient customer service.

—Operational efficiency: The integration can allow Brooke.ai to automatically update service appointments and customer data in the Dealer-FX system, reducing manual data entry and minimizing errors. This process can ensure service advisors have real-time access to accurate information, enhancing their ability to deliver personalized customer service.

—Increased service revenue: By promoting additional services such as recalls and maintenance during customer interactions, Brooke.ai can help dealerships identify and capture revenue opportunities. Dealer-FX’s robust reporting and analytics capabilities further empower dealerships to track performance and optimize service offerings.

—24/7 availability: Brooke.ai can ensure that no call goes unanswered, providing round-the-clock service booking and inquiries. This integration ensures that after-hours and overflow calls are effectively managed, enhancing customer satisfaction and dealership efficiency.

“This seamless integration with another leading service scheduling technology enables us to offer Brooke.ai to more dealerships than ever before,” Better Car People founder and chief innovation officer Matthew Belk said in a news release distributed on Tuesday.

“The combination of our AI-driven voice assistant with Dealer-FX’s comprehensive service management platform enhances customer satisfaction, streamlines operations, and ultimately increases service revenue for our dealer partners,” Belk added.

Founded in 2001, Proactive Dealer Solutions partners with dealers to drive gross profit and service revenue by transforming the dealership’s culture through people, processes, and technology. As a single-source solution, its comprehensive, customizable training, coaching, and lead management programs can support a range of clients from single-store solutions to national programs in the automotive, RV, marine and powersports industries.

PDS helps dealers and OEMs build customer and brand loyalty through a customer retention strategy focused on delivering an excellent customer experience across the entire organization.

Proactive Dealer Solutions CEO Patrick Reininger discussed the future now that it’s a part of Better Car People.

“I am delighted about the union of two companies and what it means for the industry. The combination of BCP’s lead engagement platform, generative AI for SMS/Email, and best-in-class BDC operation will result in automotive’s most advanced and experienced AI platform, offering solutions for SMS, email, and voice for both sales and service,” Reininger said in the June news release.

“Industry-leading AI technology supported by well-trained agents ensures that 100% of a dealer’s engaged customers have a timely and personalized experience. Dealers should be excited about what this means for them and the potential for the industry as a whole,” Reininger added.

BCP’s comprehensive engagement solution includes phone, email, chat, and text. Its collaborative intelligence platform solutions include omnichannel and cross-channel engagement for sales, service, and parts.

BCP combines live agents and technology to handle customers quickly and carefully.  More than 2,500 dealers across the United States currently partner with Better Car People.

Financing for the acquisition was partially obtained through Better Car People’s recent partnership with Abry Partners (Abry), an established private equity firm with a 30-year track record of success in fueling business growth.

According to Kleinhandler, this partnership represents a significant step forward in the growth trajectory of BCP.

“We are excited to embark on this partnership with Abry, a respected firm that shares our values. This collaboration will significantly enhance our capacity to deliver exceptional service and cutting-edge solutions to our clients as well as provide funding for further acquisitions,” Kleinhandler said.

Abry Partners principal Rashard Green led the investment.

“Abry is thrilled to be partnering with the Better Car People team to support the acquisition of Proactive and future growth initiatives,” Green said. “We are committed to the automotive sector and believe that Better Car People’s technology and value-added services are essential to the future of auto retailing.

“The combined platform creates a scaled market-leader with holistic end-to-end customer engagement capabilities for automotive OEMs and retailers,” Green went on to say.