A comprehensive study involving millions of data points suggest that auto repair facilities drop the ball on nearly 30 percent of calls from potential customers requesting automotive services.
Conversation data from more than 8.7 million consumer calls across eleven auto services brands in the U.S., was analyzed by analysts at the Marchex Institute.
The resultant report – the Auto Services Industry Report 2019 – reveal a significant proportion of missed revenue opportunities, unscheduled appointments, and lost product sale because inbound calls went unanswered, an appointment wasn’t offered, or the service representative failed to understand the needs of the customer.
The report points out that longer-lasting cars and growing interest in used vehicles are good signs for the aftermarket, but shops will fail to capitalize on the trend if they don’t grasp the fundamentals of connecting with consumers.
Other key findings paint a picture of increased demand from consumers who put a priority on their time and efficiency. For example, the research shows that 54 percent of calls to a store are from customers calling to schedule an appointment or to buy a product. And these prospects are quick to move on if they don’t get what they need on their first try. In fact, 68 percent of callers who don’t reach a business on first attempt don’t call back.
The data also found that specific aftermarket providers can capture market share themselves by focusing on simply understanding their missed opportunities.
The Marchex Institute estimates that stores leave an average of $108,000 of revenue per location on the table each year due to poor call handling. This missed opportunity revenue figure comes from two sources: failed calls and telling the caller ‘no’ without providing a successful alternative to meet the caller’s need.
The report suggests simple solutions to phone failures, including a three-step approach to call optimization:
1) make sure your answering and routing processes are working optimally
2) make sure every interaction offers a positive experience to the caller
3) ‘own’ the conversation through a number of strategies that put callers at ease
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