Podium has a new audience.

The provider of artificial intelligence-powered customer engagement tools said its AI BDC tool is now available through FordDirect, giving Ford and Lincoln dealers access to the AI Employee, known as Jerry, with exclusive pricing.

The planned integration connects the AI Employee directly with FordDirect’s Customer Journey Platform.

“With dealerships navigating staffing shortages, rising competition and growing consumer demand for immediate responses, it’s critical to respond first, maximize every opportunity and give employees the coverage they need to focus on closing on the floor,” Podium co-founder and CEO Eric Rea said. “This partnership is about delivering an end-to-end communication platform that drives measurable results.”

Podium’s AI BDC is designed to respond to every lead instantly in the dealership’s voice, personalized to the business, and trained on 10 years of automotive industry data, the company said, allowing dealerships to deliver faster, more consistent human-like customer conversations that boost sales, service bookings and lead conversions.

Podium said its data from 1,800 dealers using Podium AI show an 80% increase in after-hours appointments, a 10% increase in appointment show rates, a 70% reduction in lead response times and a 30% improvement in lead-to-sale conversions.

FordDirect CEO Dean Stoneley said the partnership with Podium “gives our dealers and retailers the ability to execute superior customer engagement, helping deliver improved customer and dealer satisfaction.”

FordDirect is a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and its dealers that gives the dealers exclusive access to digital marketing and advertising products and services.