The automotive industry has used business development centers (BDC) for decades. Unfortunately, many dealerships make common mistakes that compromise BDC workflows. New technology, now including artificial intelligence, helps car dealerships get more out of their BDC, automating tasks such as lead management, appointment scheduling, and call handling.
Many dealership AI BDC solutions are built around leads and sales, but the service department also offers key revenue opportunities. BizzyCar provides a suite of automotive BDC products to help dealerships leverage AI to improve fixed ops revenues and increase customer engagement.
What Can Car Dealerships Expect from AI BDC?
The advent of AI-powered BDC saw AI chatbots calling potential customers, but the technology has advanced substantially since then. AI now automates a number of repetitive aspects of service outreach and appointment coordination, allowing team members to focus exclusively on nuanced tasks that demand human attention.
For example, AI handles routing, incoming and outbound calls, first responses, follow-up sequences, appointment scheduling and confirmation, and cold lead reengagement. When the customer is ready to close a deal, AI hands leads off to the sales team to complete the transaction. AI also logs scheduled appointments and key customer details into the dealership’s CRM, providing the sales team with necessary documentation for follow-up.
In short, AI BDC software streamlines mundane, time-intensive processes so the sales team can get more done.
Will AI BDC Software Replace Human Team Members?
AI software isn’t intended to replace a dealership’s BDC but to support it. For instance, BDC AI proactively follows up with customers, providing appointment reminders and thanking them for their time. These small gestures dramatically improve customer satisfaction yet often slip through the cracks when the dealership is overwhelmed by call volume.
Similarly, AI is available 24/7 to respond to customer inquiries. Speed matters when it comes to booking an appointment, and letting AI get the conversation started on holidays, weekends, or after hours helps ensure a human ultimately has an opportunity to complete the sale. Sales BDC acts as a support system, not a BDC team replacement.
When the BDC Agent Should Pass Things Off to a Human
AI works best when there’s a single “right answer.” It can easily look up product information such as whether a particular vehicle is in stock or if the service bay is available at 3 pm on Tuesday. AI can also track routine maintenance windows, identify vehicles with open recalls, and contact customers directly to schedule appointments.
Currently, AI isn’t as good at handling complex situations with open-ended answers, like identifying what’s needed to get the sale or recognizing when a customer doesn’t know precisely what they’re looking for. At that stage, the lead is transferred to the sales team to bring more nuance to the opportunity.
Explore how BizzyCar improves fixed ops revenues for dealers.
The Benefits of Automotive AI Technology
Dealerships look to AI to improve five key areas: response times, coverage, scalability, consistency, and reporting. Here’s a brief look at the importance of each:
Faster Response Times
Most leads contact multiple dealerships, and the first to helpfully respond has the greatest chance of getting the sale. AI also doesn’t get busy or called away to other tasks, ensuring prompt reminders and follow-ups.
Wider Coverage
AI responds in seconds, even late at night or on a weekend, providing a significant competitive advantage. Investing in AI ensures dealerships stop missing calls.
Scalability
Dealerships want to improve productivity without increasing headcount. AI helps current agents do the work of more, increasing revenues without a corresponding increase in staffing.
Messaging Consistency
Customers want a consistent experience across all channels, and AI helps ensure seamless brand messaging, including tone and content, minimizing potential confusion.
Improved Reporting
AI BDC tools store everything, allowing dealerships to track KPIs such as messages sent, appointments booked, no-show rates, and total sales. Call transcriptions can also be used to facilitate coaching.
How AI-Powered BDC Solutions Like BizzyCar Can Increase Service Appointments
Automotive BDC usually emphasizes sales, but service appointments present a tremendous opportunity for dealerships. Approximately 74.5% of inbound calls offering revenue-generating opportunities to dealerships are for fixed ops, not sales, and 60% of those calls do not result in a booked appointment. Dealerships are missing out on massive amounts of potential revenue.
BizzyCar designed two lines of products to help the automotive industry claim those funds. The first is a comprehensive recall management solution that uses open recalls to reengage lapsed service customers. The second, Service Engine, automates reminders for routine vehicle maintenance like oil changes, tire rotations, and first service visits.
Both products leverage autonomous interactive texting to contact customers via SMS, leading to higher response rates than emails and phone calls. Customers can book appointments directly on their phone for added convenience.
Each BizzyCar product also offers seamless integration with leading CRM, DMS, and service schedulers, boosting volume without adding manual work. All communication addresses the lead by name, with car information such as make and model for a more personalized experience. BizzyCar even verifies part and bay availability before booking appointments, ensuring dealerships are ready when customers arrive.
Most importantly, BizzyCar offers an excellent ROI. We guarantee an ROI of at least 4:1, with the average closer to 8:1. Many dealerships see even higher returns. When you choose BizzyCar, the result is more booked appointments, lower no-show rates, and busier service bays.
Discover How AI BDC Drives Service Revenues
AI BDC won’t replace the sales or service departments, but it can streamline operations to generate more cash flow for dealerships of all sizes. Automation improves coverage, speed to response, and appointment volume without overtaxing existing staff. Our products also don’t require extensive employee training or have steep learning curves.
Book a BizzyCar demo today and see how our software can bring more service business through the door.