The #1 Reason Your Dealership's Calls Aren't Getting Connected

Did you know that, in 2022, the primary reason callers weren’t followed up with was because they didn’t leave a voicemail??

Let’s set the stage. You get into the dealership at 8:00 AM and start listening to calls. You notice a missed call at 7:50 AM (before the dealership is open), where the customer calls Sales twice but fails to leave a voicemail. Since they called twice so early in the morning, you assume they were trying to reach the Service Department. But when you get the customer on the phone, they express interest in purchasing one of the cars on your lot and you book a test drive for later that day. Bingo.?

With call tracking in place, dealerships like this one gain valuable insight, book more appointments, and boost staff accountability. But what about dealers without this advantage? That single component could be the difference between a lost customer and loyal customer.??

With the right tools and techniques, these missed opportunities can completely transform your dealership. Let’s dive a bit more into what connection really means.??

“Answered” vs. “connected” calls: What’s the difference, anyway???

An answered call is merely a technical pick-up signal, whether initiated by a person or a machine. But a connected call is when the customer reaches a qualified agent who can actually help address their questions or concerns.??

Sounds easy-peasy, doesn’t it? Well, with call tracking, it can be. On average, 409 calls go unconnected each month at a dealership.? That could be 409 prospects not purchasing from you. Oof.??

We understand it’s not a perfect world, though. Not every call will be connected. Let’s say your receptionist does pick up but can’t assist the caller with their inquiry or the requested agent is currently with a customer. That’s where our “warm transfer” technique comes in. The receptionist ensures there’s an actual body on the other end of the line before just blindly passing off the caller. If no one is available, the receptionist can offer to take down the caller’s name and message, promising a follow-up call, or connect that caller to a manager. After all, being stuck in an endless loop of blind transfers or worse, being hung up on, can be incredibly frustrating.??

Every customer calling your dealership deserves immediate and personalized help. If they’re frequently being placed on hold—which has an average wait time of a whopping three minutes—or not being helped at all, what do you think they’ll do next? Call the dealership down the street or leave a negative online review about your store. Capture that business by connecting every caller, every time.??

Goal: Aim for at least an 80% call connection rate.?

With inbound call volume and inventory on the rise, your team should treat every call as a potential Sales opportunity. To get to that coveted 80% call connection rate, prioritize prompt answering and implement effective phone processes.??

In practice, this means swiftly routing calls to the right department and reducing wait times with a phone bridge. A phone bridge (or “phone tree”) is the automated greeting a caller hears when contacting your dealership—Press 1 for Service, 2 for Sales, and so on. With a call tracking system in place, you can customize the greeting to match your dealership’s setup, creating more opportunities for the right team members to speak with valuable customers AND avoiding angry callers. The Car Wars team has found that dealerships with a bridge connect significantly more callers and bring in more appointments than those without one installed. (For more on bridges, go here !)?

Connected calls not only enhance customer experience but also reduce the need for follow-ups, improve your bottom line, and increase conversion rates. Caller experience is CRUCIAL in driving customers to your dealership. By increasing your number of connected calls, you set the stage for success.???

For more on this topic, discover the top connection trends impacting your dealership’s performance in our recent data study . And, if you have any additional tips or strategies for boosting connection that we may have missed, let us know in the comments below! We’d love to share them with the automotive community.??

Now get out there and #OwnThePhone !?