From “AI-Native Bank” to “AI-Native Dealership”: What Automotive Retail Can Learn from Santander’s Vision

When Santander recently shared their transformation strategy, one phrase stood out: “Becoming an AI-native bank.”

Not “AI-first.” Not “experimenting with AI.” But fully embedding AI into the DNA of their organisation.

In collaboration with OpenAI, Santander rolled out ChatGPT Enterprise to 15,000 employees in just two months, with plans to reach 30,000 by year-end. AI now powers 40% of their contact centre interactions and increases developer productivity by up to 30%. For Santander, AI isn’t a project. It’s a core capability shaping operations, decision-making, and customer experience at scale.

Why this matters for dealer groups

Automotive retail faces similar challenges to banking: high customer expectations, competitive markets, and the need to deliver more with fewer resources. The “AI-native” approach translates perfectly to dealer holdings – but the key is to treat AI not as an add-on, but as the operating system for customer engagement and efficiency.

How dealer groups can go “AI-native”

1. Put your data at the centre – unify customer, vehicle, and service data so AI can work with a single source of truth.

2. Integrate AI into every customer touchpoint – from lead handling to aftersales updates, ensure the experience is fast, consistent, and personalised.

3. Empower your teams – use AI-powered assistants for sales, service advisors, and managers so they can focus on high-value work.

4. Automate the routine – let AI handle status updates, appointment booking, and FAQs to free human capacity for relationship building.

5. Measure and optimise continuously – track ROI and customer satisfaction, and fine-tune your AI models as your data grows.

The results you can expect

Just as Santander improved contact handling and productivity, dealer groups can expect:

• Higher lead conversion rates
• Shorter response times
• Fewer missed opportunities in sales and service
• Lower operational costs without sacrificing customer satisfaction

How Novaco makes it happen

At Novaco, we specialise in building AI-native dealership environments. Our virtual assistants work across your website, WhatsApp, and internal systems, handling everything from sales lead qualification to workshop status updates.

We bring the technology, the integrations, and the guardrails that ensure your AI is accurate, brand-aligned, and ready to scale.

If Santander can do it for millions of banking customers, your dealership group can do it for thousands of buyers and service customers every month. The competitive edge will belong to those who go beyond “trying AI” – and become AI-native.