Episode #1395: Today we’re looking at why dealership websites are outperforming phone calls in service scheduling, celebrating CarMax’s recognition for community impact, and heading across the Atlantic, where regulators may soon let satellites and software decide just how fast your car can go.

Dealership websites are winning the service scheduling race, according to Pied Piper’s latest study. Online requests scored 10 points higher than phone calls, showing that smoother digital processes can reduce friction, protect customer loyalty, and keep fixed ops revenue from leaking to independent repair shops.

• Pied Piper evaluated 4,163 service requests across 31 dealer groups, using more than 40 customer experience and revenue-related criteria.

• Website scheduling averaged 71 out of 100, compared with 61 for phone requests. About one-third of dealership service appointments now begin online.

• MileOne Autogroup led the rankings with a score of 80, followed by Group 1 Automotive, Berkshire Hathaway Automotive, Napleton and Bergstrom.

• AI was not the secret sauce. Top-performing groups used strong management, consistent processes and active monitoring rather than relying heavily on chatbots.

• Pied Piper CEO Fran O’Hagan said, “The only people who know it’s failing are the customers,” emphasizing the need for leaders to measure scheduling performance continuously.
  

CarMax is getting recognition for more than moving used cars. The retailer has been named a 2026 Civic 50 honoree, highlighting how employee volunteering, community investment, and purpose-driven leadership can strengthen both a company’s culture and the communities it serves.

• The Civic 50, organized by Points of Light, recognizes the most community-minded companies in the U.S.

• CarMax was honored for its employee volunteering, community investment, and broader social impact strategy.

• General Motors was the only other strictly automotive company on the list, alongside automotive-adjacent brands such as Experian and USAA.

• The recognition reflects a growing expectation that companies build community engagement into the employee experience, not treat it as a side project.

• CarMax’s Leslie Parpart said the award reflects “associates who show up for their communities with care, intention, and a genuine commitment to making a difference.”

The European Union may be preparing to take speed enforcement out of drivers’ hands. A proposed expansion of Intelligent Speed Assistance could electronically limit new vehicles to posted speeds by 2030, raising major questions about map accuracy, driver control, and what happens when the car gets the limit wrong.

• Vehicles sold in the EU already use Intelligent Speed Assistance to warn drivers when they exceed the detected speed limit.

• The proposed system would go further by using GPS, map data, and cameras to prevent vehicles from exceeding posted limits, though a temporary override may remain available.

• Accuracy is the biggest concern. Thatcham Research found current systems correctly recognized speed-limit changes only 74.3% of the time.

• Incorrect data could create dangerous situations, including vehicles suddenly being limited well below surrounding traffic speeds.

• One source described today’s warning systems as temporary, saying, “Eventually we will just fix the speed of the car so you can’t go over the speed limit.”