DigitalDealer.com recently had the pleasure of interviewing Christopher Miller, Founder and Chairman of Recall Masters. Miller has more than 15 years of experience building software to automate marketing communications. From automotive to financial services and the hospitality industry, he has worked with marquee brands including Mercedes Benz USA, BMW/Mini North America, Volvo North America, JP Morgan Chase, and more.
He previously founded AdSoft Direct to provide personalized, self-service local marketing automation in the cloud for national brands. With Recall Masters he is dedicated to getting every recalled vehicle repaired, and he has built a proprietary and world-class technology platform to achieve that goal.
Miller shared how his mission-driven approach is transforming the way dealerships engage with recall customers. He discussed the company’s latest innovations, the evolving service landscape, and what’s ahead for 2025 and beyond.
Digital Dealer: What was your first job in the industry, and what did it teach you?
Christopher Miller: I started in the automotive industry generating sales leads for dealerships, with a focus on special finance and helping underserved customers with poor or mid-level credit get into a new vehicle. That experience taught me a lot about the financial side of the business, as well as marketing and communications. I also learned what kinds of vehicles work best for different buyers.
From there, I moved to the service side of the business, focusing on marketing communications and building software systems designed to drive recurring service visits and customer retention. That experience laid the groundwork for launching Recall Masters, which focuses on bringing in vehicle owners with outstanding safety recalls. I like this side of the business because it’s mission-driven. It’s a win all around: the customer gets a free safety repair, the dealership gets additional service business and potential upsells, the manufacturer meets their compliance obligations, and government safety standards are upheld.
And of course, Recall Masters benefits as well. We provide a valuable service that connects all parties and improves road safety.
Digital Dealer: What is your proudest accomplishment in the industry?
Miller: One of my proudest accomplishments has been helping dealerships understand the true value of recall customers. Before Recall Masters, these customers were often seen as low-value, with the assumption they wouldn’t return for future service or sales. Sometimes they weren’t even treated with the same care as other customers.
We’ve worked hard to shift that mindset. We showed that when recall customers receive the same experience as everyone else—complimentary inspections, car washes, shuttle service or loaners, and transparent pricing—they not only come back, but they often spend more. Our data proves it. Many approve additional repairs while their vehicle is already in the shop, which drives customer-pay revenue for the dealership and parts sales for the OEM.
Even more importantly, they return. In some cases, over 70 percent of recall customers return for future service or even to purchase their next vehicle. When dealerships focus on delivering a great experience regardless of how the customer initially enters the store, it becomes a win for everyone.
Digital Dealer: What advice would you give to someone entering the field?
Miller: First, work for Recall Masters! Joking aside, decide which side of the business suits you best: vehicle sales, service, consumer-facing roles, or technical trades. There’s a real shortage of automotive technicians, which creates strong career and income opportunities.
The industry is evolving quickly with connected cars, digital diagnostics, and autonomous vehicles. That brings both challenges and exciting opportunities. Whether you’re at a dealership, an independent shop, or working on the data side, there’s room to grow—especially if you’re passionate about keeping vehicles safe and customers informed.
Digital Dealer: What trends do you think will have a significant impact on the automotive industry in the coming years?
Miller: With the supply chain disruptions during COVID and potential tariffs looming, consumers are holding onto their vehicles longer. The average vehicle age has increased to 12–14 years, and owners are keeping them 35 percent longer than they did a few years ago.
This trend means more people need reliable service. Dealerships have a huge opportunity to build long-term service relationships. Our role is to help ensure those customers return to factory-authorized service centers where they’ll get the best parts and repairs, which helps extend vehicle life and supports safety and reliability. This also aligns perfectly with our mission.
Values & Mission
Digital Dealer: What values and principles drive your organization, and how do you ensure they are reflected in the day-to-day operations and interactions within the company?
Miller: As part of our core vision statement, we always say that all roads lead to Recall Masters. That means we prioritize collaboration, safety, and mission-driven work. We’re always open to partnering with OEMs, dealer groups, and even companies others might consider competitors—because in the end, our goal is to improve road safety and deliver value.
That same mindset drives our internal culture. Our team shares a sense of purpose that shows up in how we work, solve problems, and support each other. We’ve built a positive, collaborative workplace with strong benefits, and that’s something people are excited to be part of.
Digital Dealer: What do you enjoy most about your role, company, and/or the automotive industry?
Miller: Even though my background has been in automotive finance for the past 25 years, I love that I had the opportunity to start Recall Masters—and with it, the feeling that we’re doing something meaningful. We’re a company with a cause, and that gives me a reason to get up every morning and feel proud of the work I do.
That sense of purpose carries through to our team and culture. We’ve created a positive work environment where people feel good about what they’re doing. Everyone’s happy to come in each day because they know they’re helping make a difference.
We’re not just a strong business—we’re a business with a mission.
Recall Masters
Digital Dealer: What at Recall Masters are you most excited about in 2025?
Miller: Recall Masters has always specialized in identifying second, third, fourth, and even fifth vehicle owners and tracking down the right contact info, even if the vehicle changed hands multiple times. We source data from over 50 providers, including DMVs, telecoms, and utilities, to ensure we have accurate names, emails, and phone numbers. Then we deploy multi-touch campaigns via direct mail, email, SMS, phone calls, and digital ads to schedule their recall appointments.
What’s especially exciting is how we’re expanding. Since only about 20 percent of vehicles on the road currently have an open recall, we launched the R+ Gift Card Program to engage the remaining 80 percent, including customers due for service, lapsed clients, and prospects who’ve never visited a dealership. It’s a way to help dealerships re-engage their entire market.
Digital Dealer: Tell us about your core offerings and how automotive dealerships are best leveraging those.
Miller: Our most successful dealership partners fully embrace our program. That means targeting recall vehicle owners using a coordinated campaign across direct mail, email, texting, and phone calls—letting us schedule the appointments for them—and also taking advantage of our R+ gift card program.
That program lets us reach vehicle owners who haven’t been in recently, are overdue for service, haven’t visited the dealership before, or might be nearing lease expiration and looking to get into a new vehicle. We also help by setting up a dedicated recall department page on the dealership’s website. So even if someone is organically browsing online, we’re meeting them where they are, giving them a quick way to check their recall status and take action.
With our ongoing recall monitoring service, consumers can sign up to be alerted monthly if a new recall appears for their vehicle. So it’s a full-scope solution—not just targeting customers offline, but also handling inbound web traffic and managing outbound appointment scheduling and phone calls. In a lot of ways, we act as a safety net for the dealership, supporting both their digital and traditional efforts to engage customers.
Innovative Technology
Digital Dealer: Can you highlight any recent innovations or strategies that set your company apart in the market?
Miller: On the data side, as I mentioned earlier, we’ve always been strong at identifying multiple owners of a vehicle and tracking open recalls. But now, we’re really expanding into predictive analytics and AI. We’re not just looking at what’s wrong with the car today—we’re forecasting what’s likely to go wrong based on where the vehicle is in its lifecycle.
So, whether a vehicle is two, three, or five years old, or has 30,000, 60,000, or 100,000 miles, we can now predict with strong accuracy which parts are likely to fail or what repairs may be needed soon. This helps dealerships plan ahead and helps consumers avoid costly breakdowns.
It’s a natural evolution from repairing known defects to supporting preventative maintenance in a highly personalized way. Small repairs today can prevent major problems tomorrow, and that keeps vehicles safer and more reliable.
We also use this data to open meaningful communication touchpoints. Even if a customer doesn’t have an open recall, we can say, “Here’s what’s likely to happen based on your vehicle’s lifecycle.” That’s real value.
We don’t call this marketing—we call it communication. We’re not just trying to sell something. We’re helping consumers make smart, informed decisions. That builds trust, and that’s how we stand out.
Digital Dealer: What can dealerships expect from your company in the near future?
Miller: In the coming months, we’re rolling out predictive AI-powered services that provide detailed insights on each vehicle’s likely repair needs. This will keep customers informed and help dealerships deliver targeted, personalized communications.
We’ve also brought on new data providers that further cement our role as the industry’s best-in-class service provider. Plus, we maintain full compliance with all relevant regulations—including GLBA, the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, the California Consumer Privacy Act, Sarbanes-Oxley, and TCPA—so dealerships can trust us to handle data ethically and responsibly as we expand our communication capabilities.
We’re also working closely with manufacturers to share parts failure and repair data that can help improve vehicle design and safety from the ground up.
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