Keep the Phone Ringing: Utilizing Your Phone System as Technology Evolves

The digital world is constantly changing, guided by new technology and evolving expectations from customers and businesses. But new technology doesn’t always mean eliminating old processes or tools. It can mean evaluating your existing processes to make small adjustments to stay successful.

The last ten years have radically changed how you communicate with customers. Technology like text and chat are now commonplace, providing flexible options to engage with customers. However, phone calls are still the second most preferred purchase path in the automotive industry, even as more customers begin those purchases online. The importance of properly managing calls with customers isn’t going away, so let’s review two key elements of effective telephone interactions.

Use Available Information to Properly Handle Calls

According to Invoca, 41 percent of automotive customers call to get more information about the product, and 33 percent call to gather more information about the purchase process. 

Even if your dealership offers the exact vehicle a customer wants, a bad first impression could put an easy lead at risk. To help both your employees and customers get the most out of every phone call, make sure your team is properly prepared and equipped with the right information. Greet customers by name or reference their recent visits or inquiries to make the call feel more personal.

If a customer previously called or engaged through your online chat, you should be able to reference those conversations. This sets up your team for more efficient and productive calls. The better your team is able to utilize and gather information, the smoother their calls will go, and the faster your customers will move through the sales cycle.

Find Ways to Improve After Each Call

Not every call will follow the exact same steps or prompts; and occasionally, your team may struggle to handle a conversation appropriately. Take time to review calls with your team to identify where the conversation went off track as a way to empower them for future situations. If you are able to record and playback calls, sit down with your employees and pinpoint specific areas for them to improve. Examples include:

• Appropriately greeting customers and confirming available information.
• Building out customer profiles to include call details in addition to marketing, chat, text, or prior call engagement.
• Identifying common misunderstandings during sales or service appointment scheduling.
• Accurately transferring calls to the right team members to get customers the answers they need.

Ensuring employees are able to learn from their previous phone calls will allow them to lead more effective conversations and keep the sales process going, all while making sure your dealership processes are being followed.

While the digital world has continued to transform, there is still value in how your dealership handles phone calls, and still plays a key part in your dealership’s operations. Make sure you are providing your team the tools and coaching they need to deliver a great phone experience.

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