The checklist
| Requirement | Why it matters at an independent store | What to ask the vendor |
|---|---|---|
| One inbox for every lead source | Website, listing sites, Facebook, phone and walk-ins end up in different places otherwise | Which sources come in automatically, matched to the car? |
| Instant first response | The first store to answer usually gets the conversation | What goes out in the first minute, and from whose number? |
| Follow-up that runs itself | Small teams forget day 3 | How long does follow-up run, and does it stop when the customer replies? |
| Desking on one worksheet | Payment, tax, fees and trade in one place, no calculator | Can I pencil from the lead without re-typing? |
| Inventory tied to leads | Know which cars get attention and which sit | Can I see views, leads and age per car? |
| Your own inventory website | Shoppers and AI assistants find cars on your domain | Does the site update from the same inventory list? |
| Works from a phone | Owners and salespeople are rarely at a desk | Can a salesperson do the whole day on mobile? |
| Users and pricing | Per-seat pricing discourages giving everyone a login | Is it priced per user, per store or per lead? |
| Data ownership | You may switch again someday | Can I export customers, deals and inventory any time? |
| Contract | A new vendor should keep earning your business | How long is the term, and what does leaving cost? |
Nice to have, depending on your store
- AI texting and an AI phone agent if leads arrive after hours or the floor is often busy. See AI vs. BDC.
- BHPH tools (payment schedules, past-due tracking, collections) if you carry your own paper. See BHPH dealer software.
- Spanish for the app and customer messages, if your market needs it.
- F&I menus and a compliance checklist if you sell products on the back end. See F&I software.
- A full DMS only if you run service bays or an in-house accounting department. See CRM vs. DMS.
What independent dealers can usually skip
- Features built around a large BDC team if you do not have one.
- Long implementation projects; a small store should be taking leads within days.
- Separate tools for things the main system already does, if each one adds a login and a re-type.
How to run the evaluation
- Write down your monthly lead count by source and how fast you answer today.
- Walk one real deal through each vendor's demo, from lead to desking to delivery.
- Ask every vendor the questions in the table above, in writing.
- Run the finalist on live leads for two weeks next to what you have. How to set up your dealership CRM in 7 days is a good plan for that window.
How CarSales AI answers the checklist
Using what the rest of this site already describes: leads from your website, FMYCAR, listing sites, Facebook, phone and walk-ins land in one inbox matched to the car; a new-lead play texts in seconds and 14-day follow-up plays stop on reply; desking builds the payment with your doc fee, tax and rate sheet; Inventory Pulse shows views, leads and holding cost per car; every car is on your inventory website and listed free on FMYCAR. Every plan includes every feature and unlimited users, priced per store, month-to-month, with a 14-day free trial. You own your data and can export it any time. Read the long-form CRM guide for independent dealers or see pricing.
Other buyer's guides
- Dealership CRM vs. DMS: What each system is for, and when a store needs one, the other or both.
- AI chatbot vs. BDC: Which lead work AI should take, and which should stay with people.
- All-in-one vs. point tools: One connected system or a stack of specialist tools, judged on cost, data and daily use.
- AI phone agent vs. answering service: Three ways to cover the calls nobody on the floor can pick up.
- All buyer's guides