RV dealers face training challenges. Brown & Brown said it has conquered those challenges using artificial intelligence (AI).
The company officially introduced its AI training program, called Sim 365, during the company’s weekend F&I school in Las Vegas.
Brown and Brown Executive Director of Training John Tabar said approximately 30 RV dealerships are already using the program.
“We had some RV dealers in on the ground floor,” Tabar said. “They participated in our other training, so they wanted to try it. We wanted to develop some simulations and personas that fit the RV industry because it is different. We had to build something that was more RV-centric, and that gave us an opportunity to do that.”
Dealership personnel from sales to F&I to service can practice customer interactions sitting in front of a computer. Trainees receive AI-based feedback through Sim 365. The feedback also is provided to supervisors.
The F&I training is free for Brown & Brown customers. Charges apply for training in other areas.
Among the dealerships that have previewed Sim 365 is Utah-based Parris RV. Director of Sales and Finance Kent Richards has demoed the program and said he sees a place for it at the dealership.
“I think it is really realistic,” Richards said. “It was quite effective, and it gave me some ideas of things that I could do better, and things that I did well. I think it is an unintimidating way of training people.”
Tabar said dealerships of all sizes are desperate for training. He said many early signups added sales and service training despite the added cost.
Supervisors can practice employment interviews or conversations with existing employees. Sim 365 provides recorded video of the interaction, a transcript and a score for the session.
Tabar said the overall score is a compilation of scores in multiple categories, including specific program mentions and how to handle conflict. Tabar said focusing on the score is not important.
“I am really excited about this training because I have seen what it can do for people,” Tabar said. “Focus on the time, not the score. This training builds confidence in people and the interactions they have with customers. As they use it, they become more confident in dealing with the customer and the situations that customer might present. I think it makes a big difference.”
Sim 365 presents dealership personnel with various situations and customer personas, ranging from easy to difficult. Tabar said employees should beware of “Susan,” a particularly challenging persona.
Tabar said some personas will be interested in dealership programs and service contracts. Some will not. Some are empty nesters, while others have small children.
“These are artificial people,” Tabar said. “They will give you traits and behaviors based on demographics, age group, anything like that. If I hire a Gen Z salesperson, and I know that a lot of my customers are baby boomers, I want to see how they are going to interact with a boomer. I can create a persona of a retired factory worker who was in the military. He is 64 years old. He lives in Pennsylvania. I can create a persona, and then they will display those traits in the simulation.”
Tabar said dealerships can customize the scoring process. Some dealerships might focus on an employee’s ability to sell additional products. Some might focus on the process itself. The simulation can be customized for each employee’s strengths and weaknesses.
Tabar said he has spent much of his career developing corporate training programs. He said AI provided the opportunity to develop training in a new way.
With traditional training methods, Tabar said most employees will forget 50% of what they learned within an hour. He said experiential learning, including role-play, helps close the gap between learning and doing. He said role-playing is not perfect.
“Usually with role-play, we are role-playing with somebody who we report to,” Tabar said, “and we do not take feedback from them the same way we would from a third party.”
Tabar said Sim 365 takes the personal nature of role play and feedback out of the equation. It also provides employees with unlimited opportunities to practice customer interactions. Employees can review feedback and immediately practice new techniques.
“Role-play is awkward,” Tabar said. “Nobody likes it, but one thing about role-playing is that it is really important when it comes to retaining information. I never know what that other person is going to say. I have to be able to learn on the fly. I have to be able to think on my feet.”
Tabar said training is essential because a lack of training leads to employee turnover, and turnover is expensive.
Tabar said 45% of employees are more likely to stay if they receive more training.
Parris RV is one dealership that will adopt Sim 365. Richards said the dealership will use the free F&I training for Brown & Brown customers. He said he would be open to using the training in other dealership departments in the future.
To learn more, email Tabar at [email protected].
