Top 5 CRM Challenges Facing Automotive OEMs – and How AI Can Help

If your CRM is handling the basics well, why isn't it delivering real business impact?

For most automotive OEMs, the answer is simple - too much valuable data, not enough action.

Your network's already capturing the essentials: service bookings, test drive requests, parts enquiries. But turning all information into a true competitive advantage? That's where the opportunity lies.

Right now, service advisors are missing cues, sales teams are duplicating efforts, and rich customer insights are sitting idle.

That's where Salesforce Agentforce changes the game.

It's not about replacing your CRM - it's about making it work a whole lot smarter by adding an AI engine - one that helps your people move faster, connect smarter, and deliver better results.

In this article

• We unpack the five most common CRM challenges we see OEMs facing.

• Highlight how these challenges are causing them to leave money on the table.

• Show how Agentforce can help turn customer data into real, measurable outcomes.

No. 1 Fragmented Customer Journeys

🚧 THE CHALLENGE ->Let's be honest: most OEMs and dealerships are drowning in customer data, but it's scattered everywhere. Your sales team's working in one system, service is in another, and marketing's sending emails based on last month's spreadsheet. The result? That customer who just had their 100,000km service might get a test drive offer for the exact model they're already driving.  

Siloed data doesn’t just cause awkward moments – it costs revenue. When information is fragmented, obvious opportunities slip through the cracks: like the family ready for an upgrade, the ute owner shopping for accessories, or the fleet manager whose service history suggests they're ready to switch brands. 

🛠 HOW AGENTFORCE HELPS -> Agentforce brings all your customer data into one intelligent view – and makes it actionable. AI agents can be trained to access vehicle history, loyalty status, past interactions, and warranty details. That makes every message more relevant. When a customer enquires about a new model, the system can factor in their ownership history and trade-in value instantly. 

You can also design conversation flows that follow your business logic. A basic service request can turn into a discussion about accessories, extended warranties, or upcoming maintenance. The agent never has to hand over the customer or start again. It already knows the context. 

Smarter journeys. Happier customers. Real ROI.  

No. 2 Dealer Network Disengagement

🚧 THE CHALLENGE ->Every OEM knows the struggle: you've invested millions in a premium CRM – but your dealers aren’t using it. They see it as another head office tool that adds complexity without adding value. The result? Critical customer data stays locked in dealer management systems, Excel sheets, or worse – personal mobile phones.  

The cost isn't just in lost visibility. When dealers work around your CRM instead of through it, you lose the network-wide insights that drive strategic decisions. How can you optimise your model mix or target marketing spend when you're only seeing half the customer journey? 

🛠 HOW AGENTFORCE HELPS -> Agentforce bridges the gap between corporate goals and dealer realities. Build AI powered workflows that fit right into your dealer’s existing processes – no added friction, just added value.  

Free up your team with AI agents that handle routine tasks. Configure automated responses for common enquiries, set up smart lead routing based on dealer performance, and build predictive workflows that suggest next best actions.  

It’s CRM dealers actually want to use – because it helps them sell more, faster.  

No. 3 Slow Lead Response and Low Conversion

🚧 THE CHALLENGE -> In today's market, a hot lead goes cold fast. When a customer configures their ideal vehicle  online at 8 PM, they're likely shopping your competitors too. Yet across our industry, we're seeing the same story: leads taking hours (sometimes days) to reach the right dealer, enquiries bouncing between departments, and follow-ups happening long after the customer's moved on.  

For OEMs, this isn't just about lost sales – it's about wasting marketing dollars. When you're investing heavily in digital campaigns and web experiences, watching leads disappear into the dealer network's black hole isn't just frustrating – it's expensive. 

🛠 HOW AGENTFORCE HELPS -> With Agentforce, you can build AI agents that respond the moment a lead comes in. Configure them to automatically engage customers, qualify their interest, and gather essential information about their vehicle preferences – whether it's midnight in Townsville or dawn in Darwin. 

Your agents can handle initial product queries, provide model specifications, and even share current promotional offers, keeping prospects engaged until your sales team is back online. When customer sentiment suggests they're ready to buy, the system can escalate to your sales team with a complete interaction history.  

It's like having your top product specialist working 24/7 - minus the coffee breaks. 

No. 4 Poor Aftersales Engagement and Retention

🚧 THE CHALLENGE -> For OEMs, the sale is just the beginning – or at least it should be. The reality? We're losing too many customers to independent workshops and non-genuine parts suppliers after the warranty period. Every missed service is a lost revenue opportunity – and a break in the ownership cycle that could cost you the next sale.

The numbers tell the story: while most customers stay with the dealer network during warranty, retention drops dramatically afterwards. With service departments contributing significantly to dealer profitability, this exodus hits both network viability and brand loyalty where it hurts. 

🛠 HOW AGENTFORCE HELPS -> Agentforce transforms aftersales from reactive to proactive. Customers can book services, check pricing, confirm warranty coverage, and ask parts-related questions at any time. 

Want to keep customers in the genuine parts ecosystem? Build agents that handle parts enquiries, explain warranty implications, and even recommend complementary service items based on the vehicle's history. When customers ask about that timing belt replacement, your agent can explain why genuine parts matter, outline warranty coverage, and book the job – all in one conversation. 

For that extra revenue boost, configure your agents to spot opportunities in every interaction. When someone's checking their service history, the system can highlight relevant accessories or suggest value-adding services.  

It’s not just retention – it's deeper engagement, stronger loyalty, and more revenue per customer.  

No. 5 Lack of Operational Transparency

🚧 THE CHALLENGE -> Here's a familiar headache for every OEM: you've got twenty different reports from fifteen different systems trying to tell you how your network is performing. Sales figures from one system, leads from another, CSI scores from somewhere else – and none of them quite match up. When the board asks about digital marketing ROI or network-wide service retention, getting clear answers feels like herding cats.  

Even worse? By the time you've compiled all these reports, the data's already old. In a market that changes as fast as ours, last month's insights aren't good enough to drive this month's decisions. 

🛠 HOW AGENTFORCE HELPS ->Agentforce, powered by Salesforce Data Cloud brings everything together in real time – giving you a single source of truth for your entire network including lead data, sales outcomes, customer behaviour, and service history.  

More importantly, Agentforce makes the data actionable. AI agents can identify performance gaps, flag trends, and answer questions about network activity. If parts sales are down in a region, you will know why. If service retention is slipping, you will know where.  

Less reporting. More results.  

Ready to shift gears?

Let's be clear... CRM isn't just another IT tool. It's the engine for how modern OEMs compete and win in the Australian market. When your network's customer data is working as hard as your marketing budget, that's when you see real returns: higher conversion rates, stronger service retention, and genuine customer loyalty.  

With Agentforce, you’re not just solving today’s challenges – you're unlocking what’s next: Predictive engagement. Proactive retention. Smarter, faster sales.  

Ready to see what your network could really do with the right tools? Let's talk about what Agentforce can do for your network - and how we can help you make it real. Learn more