Customer Relationship Management Tool
Over the years, fluidity in the CRM category has been the norm, so when dealers rate a provider well for consecutive years, it’s a testament to the company’s staying power. This year, dealers recognized four companies, including a new top dog and two newcomers to the category.
Customer Relationship Management Tool
The Customer Relationship Management category experienced some interesting shifts this year. Over the years, fluidity in the CRM category has been the norm, so when dealers rate a provider well for consecutive years, it’s a testament to the company’s staying power. This year, dealers recognized four companies, including a new top dog and two newcomers to the category.
While the Diamond Award winner – eLEAD CRM – is a second-year award winner, this is the company’s first Diamond Award with a score of 106.1. Last year, the company made an impressive first appearance in the Dealers’ Choice Awards with the Platinum Award. “It is always an honor to be recognized. It’s an even higher honor when there are so many other competitors in the space … We take the everyday great ideas that come from our dealers and innovative creative teams and implement them quickly and correctly,” said Hugh Hathcock, owner of eLEAD CRM.
Taking home its first-ever Dealers’ Choice Award is a company that’s only been a nominee for a few years now. However, CAR-Research must be making an impact to take home a Platinum Award for its CRM tool.
DealerSocket claimed the Gold Award for CRM in 2011, marking the company’s third consecutive year as a provider rated above average. Last year, the company received honorable mention in fourth place and won Gold in 2009.
A newcomer to the awards, but not to the CRM product space, Autobase, scored above the group average and claimed a fourth-place honorable mention in this ever-competitive category.
Company | Award | Score |
eLEAD CRM | Diamond | 106.1 |
CAR-Research | Platinum | 105.2 |
DealerSocket | Gold | 97.5 |
Autobase | 96.4 | |
Group Average | 96.3 |
Vol. 8, Issue 4
More Dealer Ops

How to Avoid Phone Scams | Dealer Debrief 09/10/2026
Are you taking the necessary steps to protect your dealership and customer data from phone-based scams? This week's Dealer Debrief breaks down how!
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: August Auto Sales
Gas-powered engines still dominate the U.S. vehicle market, but hybrids are gaining ground as consumers look for ways to cut their gas costs.
Read More →
Dealership Profits Decline
While new and used retail sales stagnated, dealerships have been particularly supported by fixed operations and finance-and-insurance profits, according to a new report.
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: Defection Data & EV Updates
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence discusses how to use defection data to your advantage and the latest on EV sales and charging infrastructure.
Read More →
How Defection Data is Bridging the Dealership Conversion Gap
Lead volume is flat, cross-shopping is up and brand loyalty is in retreat. As confident sales teams keep losing buyers they thought they had, daily industry sales data is showing dealers exactly where their funnel is breaking and how to fix it without buying a single new lead.
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: Where are you losing customers?
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence discusses the hidden leaks in dealerships where you might be losing customers without even realizing it.
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: Improving Your Inventory Management
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence covers a new survey that shows what service technicians really want and two launches that could help improve your inventory and vehicle life cycle management.
Read More →
Ladies and Gentlemen, This Is a Dealership: Why the Fundamentals Still Decide Who Wins
A teaching moment by a legendary football coach happens to apply perfectly in the auto retail space. Learn what it is and how to use it to your store’s advantage.
Read More →
Dealer Ads and the FTC
The agency has made it clear in recent enforcement actions and warnings, in auto retail and other industries, that advertised prices must include all nonoptional costs to the consumer.
Read More →
Used Autos Supply Dwindles
The March shopping surge, despite high prices, cut into inventory by the most since the thick of the pandemic, Cox Automotive analysts calculated.
Read More →