Car dealers missing midweek calls, study suggests
Car dealers in the UK are missing customer telephone enquiries because they don't have enough staff to deal with the calls, according to new research.
Telephone answering specialist Moneypenny found that dealerships are missing the most calls midweek, with their phone lines busiest at 3pm on a Tuesday.
The company analysed calls to its automotive receptionists, finding that departments including sales, parts, bodyshop and services received the highest volumes of telephone traffic on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 3pm and 11am -- suggesting that dealerships are the most under-resourced at these times.Ben Stevens, automotive business development manager at Moneypenny, commented: "The high volume of calls are occurring at times when dealerships might expect the shop floor to be at its quietest, when in fact they are still receiving a lot of interest from customers over the telephone. What we can draw from this is that people are inquiring into vehicles they may be thinking of buying, or booking their services and MOTs in, around their working day.
"This is really important for car retailers to understand -- that a lot of their calls are occurring when they might think they have the staff resources to cover them -- when in fact, they haven't. Not only could this result in lost business from new sales and parts, but also reduces the level of service they give to existing customers.
"It might seem trivial on the surface, but over time these missed calls can add up to a lot of lost revenue across a dealership's departments, as well as adding to a reputation of giving poor service when a call goes unanswered. By better understanding a customer's needs and behavior, retailers can start to take steps to providing the great customer service many are striving to achieve."
