Artificial Intelligence is already beginning to transform business as we know it. The time is now for rent-to-own to get real about this new technology – here’s how
Kind of cool, sort of scary, artificial intelligence (AI) has undeniably arrived. AI has already become commonplace in applications like Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa, generative chatbots like ChatGPT, and the suggested selections in your Netflix queue. But the business world is still delving into the myriad ways this skyrocketing technology may be applied to help companies run more efficiently, more effectively, and ultimately, more prosperously.
According to recent data from Forbes, 35% of global companies currently report using AI in their business, 42% report exploring AI use in their companies, and more than half of companies plan to incorporate AI technologies this year. That means globally, over 77% of companies are either using or exploring the use of AI.
And there are many reasons why: Among other things, AI has been shown to help businesses enhance hiring, raise productivity, improve operations, reduce costs, personalize customer service, and master data complexity. A survey by McKinsey & Company showed 63% of companies that incorporated AI into their operations last year also reported revenue boosts. And a report from Gartner Research projects businesses adopting AI will have twice the market share and ten times greater efficiency than their competitors this year.
So where is RTO along the AI-adoption spectrum? APRO conducted a Fast Five survey of our members this spring concerning AI, and found:
- 3% of responding companies are actively using AI in different ways
- 30% of companies are actively exploring the concept and capabilities, and experimenting with AI internally
- 58% of companies are not yet actively exploring AI use
- 8% of individual respondents are actively using AI tools themselves
- 28% of individuals are not yet exploring AI
- 40% of respondents aren’t sure how AI can be applied to rent-to-own
The survey showed a unanimous desire to learn more about artificial intelligence and its possibilities for our industry, so APRO organized and hosted a resource-filled AI Advantage webinar, led by Bruce Ellis, Ed.D., Director of Professional Development with the Texas Computer Education Association.
Correcting Artificial Beliefs
Ellis began his presentation by dispelling a few of the myths that commonly come up around the hot topic of artificial intelligence:
MYTH 1: AI is going to steal our jobs.
While Ellis acknowledged that AI will likely replace some jobs, he noted that new positions are emerging for humans to test AI tools, like chatbots and robots.
“AI is not going to be replacing people,” he assured. “But people using AI are probably going to be replacing people who don’t use AI. You should think about AI as a skillset to add to your toolbelt; you should determine the new skills you’ll need in order to interact with AI or use AI, because that will give you an advantage over your competition.”
The Fast Five survey showed APRO members agreed – 25% of respondents think AI will extensively expand our capabilities, and another 25% think many team members will have to be reskilled or upskilled. But 23% aren’t so sure about job retention; they believe AI will eliminate more jobs than it creates.
MYTH 2: AI is smarter than humans.
Ellis told webinar participants how important it is to remember that AI was developed by humans, who fed it A LOT of data. So AI isn’t smarter than us; it’s just faster.
“AI has been fed research papers and books and videos and all sorts of things, but it has no wisdom on its own,” stated Ellis. “It’s up to humans to use AI as a tool, pull content out of the box, and build something with it.”
MYTH 3: All AI is the same.
Different AI tools will produce different results, so Ellis urges trying out several kinds of AI tools to see which will provide what your business seeks.
“Sometimes you’ll get the same results, and other times you’ll get different results,” he notes. “But like Ford and Chevy owners, everyone has thoughts about which is the best. So when someone says, ‘Try this’ or ‘Try that,’ just remember it’s the best tool they know of based upon how they’ve used it – which may or may not be the same for you, your company, or your objectives.”
MYTH 4: AI is always objective and unbiased.
Newsflash (not): The internet is full of information that is biased or just plain untrue. And because AI is “thinking” and learning on its own based upon its input, the better the quality of the questions and tasks you choose to put into the product, the better the responses it will give you.
“Regardless of what AI tool you use,” affirms Ellis, “if you don’t have a skilled worker using that tool, then you won’t get much out of it.”
Putting the AI into RTO
Many of APRO’s survey respondents weren’t sure about how artificial intelligence might benefit the rent-to-own industry. The good news is, there are literally dozens of potential ways rental dealers might consider incorporating AI into their business, including using AI to help:
- Automate inventory management
- Optimize pricing strategies
- Manage employee schedules
- Generate performance metrics
- Conduct market analysis
- Forecast sales trends
- Customize marketing messages
- Improve product recommendations
- Create promotional materials
- Refine email marketing
- Optimize website content
- Simplify financial auditing
- Enhance customer service interactions
- Streamline payment processing
- Track product deliveries
- Monitor customer satisfaction
- Analyze contract performance
- Assist in dispute resolution
How are your RTO colleagues already putting AI to good use? APRO asked, and a few brave AI early-adopters answered!
Kate Addy
Creative Director, Countryside Rentals Inc. dba Rent-2-Own
“ChatGPT is a turbo boost for my projects! It’s a breeze to use and, honestly, pretty fun. AI helps me jazz up callto- actions, whip up irresistible product descriptions, and craft headlines that stop the scroll. The greatest perk? Having a never-ending well of responses at your fingertips. AI is a game-changer, and I’ll consistently rely on it! (This quote refined using AI!)”
Dan Fisher
President, Majik Enterprises International Inc. dba Majik Rent-To-Own
“We are experimenting with AI. Initially, we’re using it in two ways:
“One – employee reviews. We’re using a thread on ChatGPT, have ‘trained’ it on our core values, and shared some ‘good’ examples of reviews we’ve written. As we move forward, we can feed it bullet-points about a particular individual throughout the review period, and have ChatGPT structure the output in our preferred context – based upon the ‘good’ examples – and within the framework of our core values.
“Two – employee documentation. Similarly, we’ve ‘trained’ a separate thread using the same methods– here are our core values; here are some examples of well-written documentation. Then we feed it bullet-points about a situation and receive a consistent output that is not affected by who is writing the documentation.
“As with any AI, it’s extremely important to review the output, incorporate necessary changes, and let the specific thread know why what it gave us was good to go or needed some work.”
Chris Kale, Jr.
Operating Partner, Happy’s Home Centers Inc.
“While it’s not a perfect solution, ChatGPT gives our administrative team a place to start when creating or updating internal policies.”
Frank Rotert
Vice President of Operations, Ace Furniture & TV Inc. dba Ace Rent-To-Own
“As we begin to experiment and integrate artificial intelligence into our operations, it’s becoming evident that its potential benefits touch almost every aspect of our business. From advertising to marketing, inventory control, and even creating training materials, we’re just beginning to uncover the incredible possibilities AI holds for us.”
Michael Strong
Owner, Mike Strong Inc. dba Mike’s Rent-To-Own
“Primarily, we’ve used AI for basic policy language. For example, we developed a framework for severe weather policy. We took the language generated from AI and used it as a starting point, then made it our own. You can’t just say Write this policy for me and throw it in your book. But it’s really a nice way to generate ideas for what you’re trying to do. The same thing works for marketing – it provides a great starting point for basic ad copy.”
Getting going todAI
The integration of artificial intelligence into business operations is much more than a trend; it’s a transformation positioned to redefine the mechanisms of business. And every transformation brings with it new opportunities – to improve, grow, and thrive. So by welcoming AI into your operations, you’re opening up a treasure trove of fresh potential.
In addition to some helpful AI “cheat sheets” (downloadable for APRO membersc at www.rtohq.org/educational-resources/#ai-knowledge),, Bruce Ellis left APRO webinar attendees – and all APRO members – with a singular mandate: Begin using artificial intelligence now.
“See which chatbot looks the best to you, and start playing around with it,” he advised. “Figure out, Could it do this? and How would I do that with it? Begin building your AI skills, because it’s going to give you an advantage over your competitors who aren’t thinking about AI yet. Schedule time today to experiment with it, share what you learn with your colleagues, and stay in the know.”
Stepping into AI
STEP 1: Get a friend, launch a bot
Grab a colleague. Open up ChatGPT. Tell your coworker that you’re both going to ask ChatGPT for help on a work thing. (It doesn’t have to be business; it can be learning how photosynthesis works, or what a data lake is and why it’s important, or a new way of evaluating applicants.)
Doing this with somebody keeps it fun, keeps you brainstorming, and keeps your mind from sliding backward into fixed mindsets. Most importantly, it keeps you talking like a human, which is the best predictor of success.
Learning ChatGPT like this will help you understand and get a feel for what an AI-powered workday looks like – which will help you establish new benchmarks and expectations for your team.
STEP 2: Begin with the end
Asking, “How can AI help us?” comes at it from the wrong direction. It’s too broad. When you’re considering a home-improvement project, you don’t begin by going to Home Depot and learning what every tool does in order to determine whether to gut your kitchen or improve your landscaping.
You focus on what you want to accomplish. Then you get the right tools to make that happen the best way possible.
It’s the same with AI – focus on the value you want to drive, then use AI to make it happen.
STEP 3: Train, train, train
Train your team. Use somebody you trust, and make sure that you’re not confusing “training” with “show and tell” by somebody in your organization.
Meaning, if you’re going to get into shape, there’s a big difference between engaging a personal trainer and just asking some jacked dude for help.
Training is a skill, and with AI, it involves behavioral change. It’s not simply showing what buttons to push.
The best part of this is, it will change your life. Learning and mastering AI will genuinely change the way you do everything.
Source: Conor Grennan’s AI Mindset – Top Down Genai: Three Principles for Leaders
