What Is Agent Training?
Agent Training is where you teach your DriveCentric Agents how your store talks, sells, and handles common questions. Every customer-facing agent reads the same training before every message it sends.
Your agents already know how to sell cars. Agent Training teaches them your store. That part is yours.
Where to Find Agent Training
Agent Training lives on the Overview tab of Agent Hub:
Click the Agents icon in the top menu bar.
Open the Overview tab.
Scroll to Agent Training.
Each field opens in its own box. Click Save in each box before you close it.
Keep these limits in mind:
Each field holds up to 4,000 characters.
All customer-facing agents share the same training.
Changes apply to the agent's next message after you click Save.
Knowing What Training Controls
Agent Training controls what your agents say. It does not control when they send, how often they follow up, or who they contact. Those come from built-in skills and settings. If you type them into training, the agent cannot follow them.
If you are tempted to type one of these, here is what actually controls it:
"Reach out 1, 2, and 3 days before an appointment." The agent's appointment confirmations and reminders are built-in skills your store cannot change. You can control when your team reaches out in Business Rules > Appointment.
"Never call the customer by their name." How the agent greets customers comes from its communication settings, and some of these cannot be adjusted. Email your CSM team to see what is possible.
"Text them 3 times on day one." or "Follow up every day." The follow-up schedule is built into the agent's skills, not training.
"Do not text after 6 PM." This is already built in. Follow-up texts only go out between 9 AM and 6 PM, within your business hours. Keep your business hours current.
"Never use emojis," "Do not mention test drives," or "Do not give out prices." Each of these is a setting: Avoid Use of Emojis, Avoid Test Drives, and Defer Pricing. Email your CSM team to turn them on or off.
"Do not text anyone my salesperson already texted today." That is the Prevent Same Day Contact setting. Email your CSM team for adjustments.
"Do not reach out about the 2026 Tundra." Use Vehicle Exclusions on the Skills tab of the Sales Agent dashboard. You can set this up yourself.
Using Agent Self Training
Click Acquire from Website and the AI reads your dealership's website and fills in all four training fields for you. It is a fast first draft, not a finished product.
Before you rely on it:
Read and edit every field it fills in.
Running it again overwrites everything in all four fields, including your edits.
If your website is a template or a test page, fill in the fields by hand.
Writing Your Agent Guidelines
Agent Guidelines is the big picture: your tone, selling approach, key policies, what the agent should never claim or promise, and how to handle common questions. Keep timing, follow-up frequency, and on/off behaviors out of this field. Those are settings and skills.
Good example:
"You represent Hometown Motors, a family-owned store serving Springfield since 1987. Be friendly, upbeat, and brief, like a helpful neighbor, not a pushy salesperson. Your main goal is to set an appointment to see the vehicle. We take trades of any make and model. If someone asks about credit, let them know our finance team works with all credit situations and will go over options in person. Do not promise approvals, rates, or payments."
This tells the agent who you are, how to sound, what the goal is, and how to answer common questions safely.
Bad example:
"Be good and sell cars. NEVER be rude!!! Do not call customers by name, follow up 3 times a day, and no texts on Sundays. We are the #1 dealer in the country and everyone gets approved!"
This is vague, mixes in settings the agent cannot control, and makes claims you cannot back up.
Writing Your New Car "Why Buy"
New Car "Why Buy" tells the agent why someone should buy a new vehicle from you instead of the store down the road: perks, programs, selection, and experience. The agent only uses it when the vehicle is new. Keep out generic hype, expired incentives, and long OEM program lists the agent cannot keep current.
Good example:
"Every new vehicle comes with the Hometown Advantage: free oil changes for 2 years, free car washes for life, and a loaner with every service visit. We have one of the largest new Toyota selections in the area, and our whole sales team is Toyota certified."
This is specific, true, and easy for a customer to picture.
Bad example:
"We are the best. Great prices. Great people. Come see us!"
Any dealer could say this. It gives the agent nothing to work with.
Writing Your Used Car "Why Buy"
Used Car "Why Buy" does the same job for pre-owned vehicles: inspections, certified programs, warranties, exchange policies, and financing options. The agent only uses it when the vehicle is used. Keep out promises about a vehicle's condition, guaranteed approvals, and anything you cannot back up.
Good example:
"Every pre-owned vehicle passes our 150-point inspection and comes with a free vehicle history report. We offer a 3-day exchange on all used vehicles, and we work with many lenders to find options for every credit situation."
These are concrete reasons to trust your pre-owned inventory.
Bad example:
"All our used cars are perfect with zero problems. Bad credit? No credit? Guaranteed approval!"
These are promises the store cannot stand behind.
Writing Your Special Instructions
Special Instructions holds specific rules that do not fit anywhere else. If it starts with "always" or "never," it probably belongs here. Give each rule its own line. Keep out schedules, timing, and anything a setting already controls. General tone belongs in Agent Guidelines.
Good example:
Always include the trim with the year, make, and model.
Never give trade-in values over text. Invite the customer in for a free appraisal.
If someone asks about rates, a finance manager will go over options in person.
We are closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Each rule is clear, on its own line, and something only you know.
Bad example:
Never call the customer by their name.
Reach out 1, 2, and 3 days before the appointment.
Do not text people at night.
Always be nice.
Ask for the appointment. Never ask for the appointment.
This mixes in settings, built-in timing, a vague rule, and a contradiction.
Fixing Common Agent Mistakes
If your agent says something wrong, here is where to fix it:
The agent quoted the wrong doc fee: Add the correct fee to Special Instructions, or add "Let the customer know a manager will go over fees in person."
The agent said you are closed on a day you are open: Check your business hours in Store Settings. Add one-time closures to Special Instructions.
The agent said you do not offer test drives: That is the Avoid Test Drives setting, not training. Email your CSM team to turn it off.
Tips for Coaching Your Agents
Before you click Save, check that:
It is about what to say, not when or how often to send
A new salesperson would know exactly what to do with it
It is true today, with no expired promotions or old names
There are no promises on approvals, rates, or payments
Nothing contradicts another field
The most important details come first
After you save:
Read the results. Open a few Customer Cards and read what your agents sent. Every message shows up there, the same as a salesperson's.
Change one thing at a time. If something is off, adjust one line and check again.
Review it monthly. Update promotions, staff names, and holiday hours so your agents never fall behind your store.
Good to Know
Anyone who can see Agent Hub can edit Agent Training. It does not need a separate permission.
Agent Self Training is a beta feature. Review everything it writes before you rely on it.
New to AI? Start with the AI Training Basics article.
Need Assistance?
For assistance, reach out to your Customer Success Team using the Support Icon in the bottom-right corner of DriveCentric!