When Your Vehicle Is a Supercomputer: Why Education Matters for Customers and Dealers

A colleague in Michigan shared a story that is becoming more familiar every day. Last winter she paid to reactivate remote start in her vehicle app. Although the subscription appeared to process without incident, the feature did not work. Frustration ensued as well as some choice words shared with the app.

Fast forward to her next service appointment. She brought it up with the service advisor and was told “Oh that is a known glitch, you have to call the team that manages the app.”

Promptly following directions, she made the call, the team opened a ticket and a few days later it was solved. To the manufacturer, this is working as intended. To my friend, it was a cold winter where her OEM left her unsupported, and where the dealership was left out of the solution.

This is not a glitch, it is a gap between customer expectations and the journey as designed. And, the gap is growing more significant as vehicles continue evolving into supercomputers on wheels.

Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs) and Connected Cars promise over-the-air updates, personalized features, predictive maintenance, and seamless digital integration. With Gartner predicting 95% of new vehicles sold globally will be connected by 2030, journey gaps in subscriptions is a big concern.

It’s one thing when an app doesn’t load on your phone. It’s another when that uncertainty applies to your car.

And when the support system isn’t ready? That disconnect becomes more than inconvenient; it becomes costly

Customers need clarity, not complexity

For buyers, features like driver-assist packages, EV battery management apps, or subscription-based upgrades feel confusing. Even worse, unnecessary. A recent S&P Global Mobility “2025 Connected Car Study” shows that 68% of consumers are unwilling to pay for connected services, down from 86% in 2024. The reason: both cost and lack of awareness (S&P Global, 2025).

Trust also plays a key role. A KPMG Global Automotive Executive Survey finds that over 90% of automotive leaders are increasing budgets for privacy programs and data management practices, recognizing them as critical trust factors (KPMG, 2024).

Brands that invest in intuitive onboarding through proactive outreach, digital explainers, and live support see higher activation rates and stronger loyalty. Forrester, in its “Future-ready workforce strategies for automakers,” highlights that skill gaps in software integration and diagnostics are among the biggest inhibitors of both innovation and customer satisfaction (KPMG, 2024).

The takeaway is clear, customers need simple to use features, guided education no matter their technical prowess, and the peace of mind that their data is secure.

Dealers must evolve from mechanics to digital diagnosticians

Dealer service personnel are the trusted face of the brand. Yet most were trained as mechanical experts, not software engineers. A KPMG report “Shifting Dynamics on the Road Ahead” warns that up to 3.8 million skilled manufacturing jobs may remain unfilled globally between 2023-2033, especially in roles essential for Software Defined Vehicles (software, sensors, embedded systems) (KPMG, 2024).

The path forward is training. OEMs and their partners must provide service teams with new tools and curricula including digital troubleshooting, connected system workflows, and guided scripts to explain updates to customers. With the right support, technicians transform from repair-only roles into trusted technology advisors.

What has to be true when cars are supercomputers?

In case you missed it, the promise of connected vehicles is already here.   When the ecosystem works together, it shows across to customers.

My colleague would activate there feature in the app, and boom, it works right away.  If there is a hiccup, the service advisor or the app team have the same message, with a clear path to resolution and guiding the next step with confidence.   Trust is not lost but instead reinforced.

Behind the scenes, the app team experts (typically a contact center) coordinate closely with product engineers in a real-time, collaborative issue resolution sharing model.  The dealer becomes both a client and a partner in the process, setting expectations and showing the customer the system works for them regardless of who they call or where they go.

In that moment, the vehicle stops being the source of stress, and becomes the connected experience that customers expect.

For that to work, the process has to catch up with the technology:

• Education is built-in, not bolted on. Customer and dealer training must be planned alongside product launches, not as afterthoughts.
• Support is omnichannel. From call centers to chat to augmented reality in the service bay, help has to meet people where they are.
• Partnerships bridge the gap. OEMs cannot shoulder this alone. BPO partners, training vendors, and digital CX leaders bring scale and expertise.

The industry is entering uncharted territory. As vehicles evolve into digital ecosystems, success hinges not only on engineering horsepower but on human readiness. Education is no longer a side program. It is the fuel that makes the entire engine run.

That’s exactly where Percepta is focused. We’re working every day to close the gap between what’s engineered and what’s experienced. Our teams support connected vehicle owners through real-time app troubleshooting and subscription enablement, while also backing dealers with coordinated escalation paths and shared resolution models. Through solutions like technical support and back-office optimization, we help OEMs deliver support that actually supports—no matter where the question starts.

Because when cars are supercomputers, customer care becomes tech care—and getting it right is no longer optional.

Is your organization ready to help customers and dealer personnel thrive in the era of the Software Defined Vehicle?

Connect with us to explore strategies that turn complexity into confidence.