The F1 Playbook

Winning on Speed, with Gary Foote, CIO at GM Performance Power Units

The F1 Playbook

Gary Foote, CIO at GM Performance Power Units

The F1 Playbook

Winning on Speed, with Gary Foote, CIO at GM Performance Power Units

Why Podium

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Podium vs. Numa

See how Podium and Numa compare on AI call handling, service appointment booking, sales lead response, AI customization, and customer communication for automotive dealerships.

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How Billingsley Hyundai booked 36 service appointments in 30 days with Podium

Billingsley Hyundai was missing service calls and losing appointments after hours. With Podium’s Voice AI, customers can get answers to common questions and book service appointments directly into the dealership’s scheduling system. In just 30 days, Billingsley achieved a 100% call answer rate and booked 36 AI service appointments.

Podium helps us catch the calls we used to miss. It’s been a saving grace.

Peyton Blessing, Service Manager

Billingsley Hyundai

Podium helps us catch the calls we used to miss. It’s been a saving grace.

Peyton Blessing, Service Manager

Billingsley Hyundai

Podium

Numa

App Store Rating*

4.7

32K+ ratings

4.0

21 ratings

Google Play Store rating*

4.4

3.5K+ ratings

4.6

25 ratings

*App Store and Google Play Store ratings as of October 2026

How Podium and Numa compare

See how each platform helps dealerships answer customer calls, book appointments, manage sales and service leads, and improve customer communication.

1. AI customization and control

With AI Studio, dealership managers can easily customize Jerry, Podium’s AI Employee, using plain-language instructions. Teams can flag incorrect responses in the inbox and update Jerry’s responses and workflows without developer support. Dealerships can also customize Jerry’s voice, including using a voice modeled after a dealership employee. Dealerships using AI Studio have seen 26% higher conversion.

Numa lets dealerships configure AI call handling, routing rules, and appointment workflows. Its team helps dealerships set up and test these features, and dealerships can choose from different AI voices.

2. AI sales engagement and test drive booking

Jerry responds to sales leads 24/7 across text, chat, and phone. He checks dealership inventory, answers vehicle questions, recommends available options, and books test drives, even after hours. Conversations stay in Podium’s inbox, where sales teams can review messages and step in when needed.

Numa for Sales answers incoming sales calls, checks dealership inventory, responds to vehicle and trade-in questions, and books test drives. It can also recommend alternative vehicles when a shopper’s preferred model isn’t available. Sales conversations are recorded in Numa’s Sales Inbox.

3. Inbound Voice AI and service appointment booking

Jerry answers calls 24/7, handles customer questions, and books service appointments directly into Xtime and Tekion. With support for more than 200 service operation codes, Jerry can handle a wide range of service requests without transferring customers to an advisor. In fact, he’s resolved 87% of calls without a transfer.

Numa’s Voice AI answers service calls 24/7, handles customer questions, and books appointments during the call. It checks appointment availability and updates supported dealership systems, including Xtime and Tekion.

4. Automated follow-up and customer outreach

Jerry follows up with shoppers who haven’t responded or scheduled a test drive, answering questions and helping them book. He also reaches out to service customers about upcoming maintenance and recommended work they haven’t scheduled.

Numa automates service reminders, repair status updates, and customer follow-up. Its Opportunity Agent helps dealerships reconnect with customers who declined recommended services or left work unscheduled.

5. Customer communication, reviews, and payments

Podium brings calls, texts, webchat, and other customer conversations into one inbox. Jerry responds to customers by phone and text, while Podium helps dealerships request reviews, draft AI-powered review responses, and collect payments by text or in person.

Numa’s Smart Inbox brings calls and texts together, with AI assistance for drafting replies and managing customer follow-up. Its LiveCSI feature helps dealerships identify unhappy service customers, and Numa also supports payments by text.

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Podium vs. Numa at a glance

Before Podium

Podium

Numa

AI customization

Self-service AI Studio; custom voices

Configurable workflows and voices

Inbound Voice AI

24/7 answering; 87% resolved without transfer

24/7 sales and service calls

Service booking

Xtime and Tekion; 200+ service codes

Live booking with DMS integration

Sales AI

Inventory questions, lead response, test drives

Inventory questions and test drives

Automated follow-up

Proactive sales follow-up and service outreach

Service reminders and declined-work follow-up

Customer communication

Unified inbox across calls, texts, and chat

Smart Inbox for calls and texts

Reviews and feedback

Automated requests and AI review responses

LiveCSI customer satisfaction monitoring

Payments

Text and in-person payments

SMS payments

Feature availability and integrations may depend on the dealership's systems and purchased products.

Speak with a Podium expert

Choose Podium if:

You want AI to answer calls, book service appointments, and follow up with sales leads 24/7.
You want to customize AI responses and workflows yourself through AI Studio, without developer support.
You want Jerry to respond to customers across text, chat, and phone, while your team can jump in whenever needed.
You want lead management, customer communication, reviews, and payments in one platform.

Choose Numa if:

Your dealership is primarily focused on service department communication and repair-order updates.
You want to monitor customer satisfaction and identify unhappy service customers through LiveCSI.
You want automated repair status updates tied to changes in your dealership’s service system.

What switching to Podium looks like

Podium’s onboarding team helps your dealership transition from Numa, connect your existing systems, and get your team ready to use Podium.

1. Prepare your customer data

Work with Podium’s onboarding team to identify the customer contacts, lead information, and other available data needed for your new setup.

2. Set up Podium

We’ll connect your supported dealership systems, configure your communication channels, and set up Jerry, your AI Employee, to respond to leads, answer calls, and book appointments.

3. Train your team

Your sales and service teams learn how to manage conversations in the inbox, review AI activity, and make adjustments to Jerry’s responses and workflows.

4. Go live

Your dealership can start answering calls, responding to leads, booking appointments, and following up with customers through Podium.

Speak with a Podium expert

Frequently asked questions

Is Podium an alternative to Numa for car dealerships?

Yes, Podium offers a more comprehensive platform for dealerships looking to manage sales and service conversations in one place. Jerry answers calls 24/7, books service appointments and test drives, engages sales leads, and follows up with customers automatically. Plus, Podium brings lead management, customer communication, reviews, and payments together in one platform.

What’s the difference between Podium and Numa?

Both platforms offer Voice AI, service appointment booking, sales engagement, and customer communication. Podium lets dealerships customize AI responses and workflows through AI Studio and brings lead management, reviews, and payments into one platform. Numa offers sales and service AI, with a strong focus on fixed operations, customer satisfaction monitoring, and service follow-up.

Does Numa offer live Voice AI?

Yes, Numa’s Voice AI answers sales and service calls 24/7 and books appointments during conversations. Podium’s AI Employee, Jerry, also answers calls around the clock in a human-like voice and has resolved 87% of calls without a transfer.

Can Podium’s AI book service appointments?

Yes, Podium’s Voice AI, Jerry, books service appointments directly into Xtime and Tekion. It supports more than 200 service operation codes, allowing customers to schedule a wide range of services without speaking to an advisor.

Can dealerships customize Podium’s AI without developer support?

Yes, with AI Studio, dealership managers can update Jerry’s responses and workflows using plain-language instructions. Teams can also flag incorrect responses in the inbox and make updates themselves without developer support.

Can Podium replace Numa?

Yes, Podium can replace Numa for dealerships looking to manage sales and service conversations in one platform. Jerry answers calls 24/7, books service appointments and test drives, responds to leads, and follows up with customers automatically. Podium also brings lead management, reviews, and payments together, giving dealerships more capabilities in one platform.