Despite the increasing popularity of digital channels, most car shoppers still contact dealerships by phone. Businesses can optimize marketing messages, improve customer experiences, and reduce hidden costs using call analytics. For example, a dealership might discover that most customers want text message updates on their vehicle’s service status, prompting them to implement a proactive communication system.
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Customer Satisfaction Index
How a dealership responds to inbound customer calls is one of the most important factors influencing their decision to shop with or purchase from the dealer. A positive, human engagement experience during this first interaction with a dealership is more likely to turn shoppers into buyers than a hostile or indifferent response. This is why more dealerships rely on call analytics to improve customer satisfaction metrics and boost marketing ROI. When dealerships regularly review the reports of their inbound phone calls, they can spot critical issues that need to be addressed. For example, suppose a call analysis report indicates that a low percentage of callers could speak with a representative and set an appointment. Call analytics for car dealers also reveal the quality of the sales conversation, including whether a rep developed a good rapport with the caller and how well they handled the customer’s questions and needs. This information can help a dealership determine which aspects of the sales process require more training and consistency. For instance, if a dealership discovers that many customers call for service status updates during weekday lunch hours, they can implement a system to send those updates via text message, reducing the number of inbound service calls.
Customer Loyalty
Car dealerships understand that customer loyalty is a significant component of future sales. Loyal customers are less likely to shop with competitors, more inclined to generate service and other fixed-ops revenue and provide high-ROI referral business. Developing and maintaining this loyalty requires attention to detail regarding call handling and engagement. This is why it’s essential to use a robust call analytics platform with behavior prediction technologies to predict when your high-value customers will be in the market and immediately engage them to prevent missed opportunities. When consumers are in the market for a new vehicle, they will often research inventory, prices, and models online before picking up the phone to speak with a dealership representative. If they are disappointed by the experience, it is only a matter of time before that buyer takes their business elsewhere. That is why car dealerships must improve their call handling and engagement. Using a dynamic number insertion platform, an expert call-tracking provider can reveal the offline blind spot in most dealership marketing campaigns. This allows for in-depth analysis of every call a dealership receives and can identify the critical metrics for each call. This data can improve the overall customer experience and drive greater conversions and revenue for the dealership.
Conversion Rates
A call tracking and monitoring tool transcribes customer conversations and enables dealership managers to listen to calls to identify the most common first point-of-contact scenarios. In turn, this information can help managers optimize sales scripts and enhance training for dealership staff. When a dealership’s callers contact their business via phone, they want their questions answered and problems resolved immediately. Putting car shoppers on hold can make them go with the competition down the street, shop for another brand, or move on to a competitor’s website or social media channel. The Appointment Set Rate metric is one of the most important metrics a dealer can track to understand how effective their team is at turning calls into sales opportunities. It measures the number of inbound phone calls that reach someone in a dealership’s sales department and are scheduled for an appointment or consultation. Dealerships can improve their appointment set rates by ensuring that all sales-related calls are routed to an available sales associate, not the receptionist.
Similarly, they can ensure the right people can handle each service-related call. For example, suppose a dealership finds that customers calling with vehicle status updates often contact the dealer because their phone calls are ignored. In that case, they can send these updates via text to increase customer satisfaction and retention.
Service Lane Performance
Auto buyers today view service departments as an extension of a dealership brand. They strongly agree that their experience in a dealership’s service department is crucial in deciding where to purchase their next vehicle. With this in mind, dealerships must maximize the potential of their service lanes. This is especially true during inventory shortages when revenue from service-driven sales is a critical source for sustaining operations. The first step is understanding how a dealership’s service lane processes compare to its competitors. Once a dealership has a solid handle on its service lane performance, it can make improvements to increase efficiency and amplify capacity. For example, suppose a dealership learns that most calls to schedule appointments occur during weekday lunch hours. In that case, it may modify its staffing and scheduling policies to serve customers better and minimize the number of calls that result in frustration for the client.
Additionally, the technology used by the dealership to track callers produces a nightly report of high-value service customers, including their current payoff and equity levels. In that case, the dealership can use this information to identify customers likely to buy a new vehicle. The dealership can then have a sales representative contact the customer to discuss new vehicles and value propositions.
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