Client Overview
The Metro Auto Group operates 10 automotive dealerships in the Denver metropolitan area. Their sales and service departments rely heavily on phone calls for test-drive scheduling, service bookings, and lead follow-up. But many calls were missed outside of business hours, and staff were burdened with manual lead qualification.
Challenges
- After-hours calls often went unanswered or to voicemail, resulting in lost leads.
- Salespeople spent too much time calling back leads instead of selling.
- Service appointment scheduling required manual coordination, which sometimes led to overbooking or confusion.
- No-shows for service appointments were high due to a lack of reminders or confirmation.
- Customers spoke multiple languages, but staff couldn’t cover all of them fluently.
Our Solution
- We introduced a multilingual AI voice agent that answers dealership phone lines 24/7.
- The AI qualifies inbound callers: “Are you calling to buy, service, or test drive?” It gathers basic information (name, preferred time, vehicle interest) and books directly into the dealership’s DMS (Dealer Management System).
- The AI sends automated reminders (via voice or text) before service or test drive appointments, reducing no-shows.
- For complex or high-value calls (e.g., financing, trade-ins), the AI smoothly transfers the caller to a human salesperson with full context.
- We continuously optimized the AI’s script to feel warm, professional, and aligned with Metro Auto’s Dealership brand voice.
Outcomes
- Test-drive and service appointments booked through the AI increased by 30%, particularly from after-hours calls for more sales.
- No-show rates dropped by 20% because of consistent reminder flows.
- The dealership reported a reduction in staffing costs: fewer after-hours agents were needed, and sales staff spent less time on call-backs.
- Customer experience improved: many callers appreciated being able to speak to someone (the AI) immediately, even when the dealership was closed.
- The AI identified upsell opportunities (e.g., oil change, brake check) when callers expressed service intent, helping drive additional revenue.
Lessons & Best Practices
- Real-time calendar integration is essential; the AI must know available times in the DMS to propose options.
- Reminder workflows (voice/text) are powerful for reducing no-shows.
- Transfer logic must be designed so that high-value calls always reach a human, preserving sales relationships.
- Training the AI on multilingual and colloquial customer speech improves adoption and satisfaction.
How IAI – Implement Artificial Intelligence Made a Difference for the Dealerships
By working with Implement Artificial Intelligence, MetroAuto Group was able to:
- Capture more leads, especially off hours
- Improve booking rates and reduce no-shows
- Free sales and service staff from the manual call-back burden
- Drive ancillary revenue via smart upsell on service calls
- Offer a seamless, 24/7 customer experience
