In this classic episode, we set out to find a cheap hobby, which is adorable, because we’ve never met one. Beer? Cheap until you start caring about it. Wine? Same problem, worse vocabulary. That leaves general putzing, the only hobby with no gear, no membership fees, and no measurable results, which makes it the one we’re most qualified for.

From there we drift into travel, which brings us to motion sickness, which naturally leads straight to food, because nothing settles a queasy stomach like a detailed rundown of what we like to eat. “Skittery” enters the conversation and we stand by it. We also discuss cold opens on a show whose openings have historically been lukewarm at best.

Along the way we share strong opinions about absolutely nothing and defend every one of them like it matters. It’s a well-rounded PoddiMouths episode, in the sense that it’s round and goes nowhere. Pour something cheap, get comfortable, and maybe don’t listen in the back seat.

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We meant to cover four topics. We covered one. In our defense, it was Jeep’s fault.

Jeep had an ugly third quarter: down 20% overall, the Compass down 62%, and the Wagoneer S moving a heroic 146 units. The Wrangler was the only model that grew, which we credit entirely to Jon walking into a dealership. Ram had a good quarter, which wrecked our “everyone’s broke” theory, since nothing says belt-tightening like buying a more expensive truck. Then we argued about the economy, blamed the government for trying to force-feed everyone EVs, agreed hybrids are the grown-up answer, and let Nick tell the story of driving his 4xe through a river like it was a war story.

Then Jon told the story that ate the episode. He ran his Wrangler through KBB just to see the number, and two dealers actually read the lead before they called him. We stopped the show to applaud. After that it went downhill. The Jeep store’s BDC texted to ask where he was for an appointment he’d already rescheduled, because their CRM and DMS aren’t on speaking terms. On the new date, service finished his oil change, tire rotation, and recall in under an hour. Ashley from the BDC never came down. Then she texted him: “Where were you?” Your people are too efficient, Ashley.

That turned into a full sermon: sales and service living in separate silos, why the best CRM is the one you actually use, a drive-through scanner that inspects and appraises every car in the service lane, a guy who sold 20 cars a month without leaving the service drive, and why the end-of-month deal is mostly a myth pushed by salespeople who are three cars behind. Bottom line: a bad process you stick to beats a great one you ignore.

We also teased Paramount and Skydance maybe moving to Nashville, a Watergate rabbit hole, and weird drinks, including the canned electrolytes Nick loves and his wallet hates. And Nick wants to buy his next Jeep from Carvana, if Nissan ever lets go of his lease.

Key Topics

• Jeep sales trends and model performance

• Economic factors influencing vehicle sales

• Electric vehicle market and government policies

• Dealership operations and customer experience

• Technology integration in automotive sales

Support the show⁠ (⁠https://www.patreon.com/user?u=15325671⁠)

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Visit⁠ ⁠https://www.poddimouths.com⁠⁠ to listen to past episodes, shop the merch store, and so much more!

Wanna start your own podcast? Get started with Riverside.fm by clicking ⁠⁠https://riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_1&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=poddi⁠

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to automotive sales trends and industry insights

03:59 Economic influences on vehicle purchasing behavior

07:55 Electric vehicles and market demand fluctuations

09:57 Hybrid vehicles as a practical solution for consumers

11:58 The future of EVs and hybrid technology in the auto industry

14:00 Dealership operations, customer follow-up, and sales strategies

15:58 The importance of integrated technology and CRM systems

17:47 Customer experience in service and sales departments

19:55 The significance of effective lead management and follow-up

22:04 Emerging automotive technologies and tools for dealerships

24:03 Market trends, pricing, and the impact of new models

26:09 The role of dealership culture and process adherence

28:03 Future industry developments and strategic insights

29:59 Innovative tools like vehicle inspection systems and data analytics

32:00 The importance of training and technology adoption in dealerships

34:01 Customer engagement, sales tactics, and closing strategies

35:58 End-of-month sales strategies and customer relationship management

37:58 The value of good customer follow-up and service experience

40:03 Upcoming topics: industry mergers, market shifts, and more

42:01 Fun discussions on unique drinks and industry anecdotes

We sit down to talk about the future, which was supposed to come with flying cars and cities above the clouds. So far it has delivered a router that still needs to be unplugged and plugged back in. We argue over whether touch screens or good old buttons belong in a car, and wonder if anyone can still drive stick or cook a meal without an app. Along the way we stockpile supplies for the apocalypse, blame the printing press for everything, and ask whether AI can interpret the Bible or just repeat what other people already said. We land on AI as the drunk uncle at the family cookout: confident, unpredictable, and not someone you want officiating your wedding. Somewhere in there, we also talk about social media algorithms.

Key Topics

• Impact of modern technology on daily routines

• Speculation about future innovations like flying cars and living above the clouds

• Dependence on digital devices and potential vulnerabilities

• The evolution of AI and automation in everyday life

• Practical tips for emergency preparedness and self-sufficiency Social media habits and algorithm influence

• Preference for touch screens and voice commands in cars

• Potential and limitations of AI in interpreting complex data like the Bible

• The role of interpretation in religion and how AI might influence it

• Historical perspective on technological advances like the printing press and their societal impact

• The concept of AI as a 'drunk uncle' and its autonomous decision-making

• Ethical boundaries for AI in sensitive roles like marriage counseling or religious leadership

Support the show⁠ (⁠https://www.patreon.com/user?u=15325671⁠)

or

Buy Us A Coffee at: ⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/PoddiMouths⁠ ⁠

Visit⁠ ⁠https://www.poddimouths.com⁠⁠ to listen to past episodes, shop the merch store, and so much more!

Wanna start your own podcast? Get started with Riverside.fm by clicking ⁠⁠https://riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_1&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=poddi⁠

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: Discussing Modern Conveniences and Future Tech

00:13 Introduction to social media and content preferences

02:02 The Jetsons and Predictions of the Future

04:04 Living Above the Clouds and Earth's Environment

04:10 The role of touch screens and voice commands in vehicles

08:09 The Reality of Flying Cars and Robots

10:00 AI's ability to interpret complex texts like the Bible

12:00 Food, Shopping, and Food Prep in a Modern World

15:01 The importance of interpretation in religion and AI's limitations

16:05 Stockpiling and Emergency Preparedness

20:07 The Impact of Screen Time and Digital Dependency

20:26 Historical perspective: Printing press and societal change

22:09 Skills and Knowledge We Are Losing

23:52 Driving Manual Cars and Nostalgia for Simplicity

25:05 The humorous side of AI as the 'drunk uncle'

26:58 Technological Dependencies and Giving Things Back

29:59 Ethical boundaries for AI in sensitive roles

35:12 The future of AI in physical forms and autonomous decision-making