One way calls can fail at dealerships is when the representative fails to pick up the phone. Calls can go unanswered for a variety of reasons including issues with the phone system, calls incorrectly routing, or inadequate staffing. Luckily, there are several easy, practical fixes you can make to reduce the rate of unanswered calls.
Review Website and Business listings
Your dealership may be showing the wrong contact information. Check all of the locations your business posts phone numbers, including business listings and the website. This includes not just the homepage, but service, parts and finance pages. Phone numbers are often found on the vehicle details pages and specialty pages such as fleet, commercial or body shop. If a listed phone number is misprinted, your customers may never make it to their intended destination.
Check Phone Systems
Make sure all phone extensions are set up and configured correctly, and check to ensure routing is accurate. If there are any issues, your customers may not be able to reach you. It is also important to verify the volume your dealership’s phone system can handle — especially at peak call times. If your system has any difficulties doing this, increasing the capacity of your phone system is advisable.
Adjust Your Staffing
Does your reception staff work hours aligning with peak call volume hours? Do you have an adequate number of staff members to manage inbound call volumes? Review when most calls typically come in and adjust your staff accordingly. If there are simply not enough staff to handle the number of calls coming to your business, consider expanding your team to meet the demand. Additionally, make sure a staff member is always prepared to answer the phone during lunch or breaks.
Learn More
Call handling skills are essential for any business, but particularly for auto dealerships as customers prefer to call and speak to you, the experts, over other types of communication. To learn more about how improved call handling skills can help your business boost revenue watch our webinar on the topic, or contact us to receive a checklist for unanswered calls for your dealership. To learn more about Engage for Auto, Marchex’ auto-focused conversation intelligence platform, schedule a demo today.
