The New BDC Metrics

New and used car sales typically get all the attention of a dealership, but the service department plays a critical role as well. The Fixed Ops part of the business will be there to stand behind the sales department, and the BDC, or Business Development Center, makes all this possible. With a functioning BDC, service, and sales team, your dealership can flourish. But you have to know what to track, and how. We’ll take a look at the old BDC metrics, and the new ones – so you can ensure your dealership is operating at the highest potential.

Old BDC Metrics

With daily service-related inbound calls outnumbering sales calls by 7-to-1, its no question that the service calls are a way to generate more profit and retain more customers. Previously, BDC metrics were minimal and basic, and the data was pulled from multiple different softwares and products, which made the information difficult to retrieve, review, and share. Phones were used to track the number of inbound service calls, spreadsheets were used to track how many appointments were made, and then a DMS or CRM was used to actually book the scheduled appointment. There was no way for the BDC agent to know if the customer showed up for the appointment – except by actually stepping out to the service lane.

New BDC Metrics

Thankfully, BDC software has come a long way. We now have fully robust software telephony systems that measure every detail about a call as soon as it’s made, which is automatically collected and stored within the dealership’s DMS and schedulers. The agents no longer have to make trips to the service lane, either – the system will automatically record if the customer came in for the appointment. Once the RO is closed, the system will assign the final value to the services that were provided. You can also monitor how the appointments were made, and how many were scheduled through the BDC. between BDC-scheduled appointments that have a specific time and date attached and every other appointment.

What can be measured?

There are many data points that can be measured now in the BDC, but a few of the most important are:

·         Appointments – Track the percentage of inbound scheduled appointments, which have validated address, email, and mobile numbers for the customers. The collected mileage and scheduler availability is also visible.

·         Call Types – Status, requested advisor, the type of service (recalls, repairs, maintenance), market area, and transportation types are all examples of information stored within the call.

·         Agent Productivity – Track how your agents are performing, if they are suggesting TMR and presells, and promotions. Identify areas where training may be needed, as well as visibility into forecasting future schedule needs. And, your agents can work from anywhere with the ability to employ remote employees.

·         Reporting – All data is automated, replacing the need for manual spreadsheets. Basic and advanced performance metrics are tracked, including real-time ROI evaluations, and retention and revenue growth.

Tracking Agent Productivity to Increase Profitability

We’ve all been affected by the staffing shortage that has occurred over the last few years. Thankfully, with BDC software, dealerships can now employ agents that work from home, hybrid, part-time, or anywhere else. This greatly expands the employee pool for dealerships.

With the ability to track and monitor calls from anywhere, BDMs can measure agent productivity for remote employees. They can monitor live calls, track the agent’s progress during the calls, and make sure they are discussing any promotions with the customers.

These metrics can also identify patterns such as mileage trends, so you know which mileage bands are bringing in the most revenue – allowing you to be proactive in contacting customers when they near these numbers.

Since these metrics are all automatically tracked, it saves thousands of hours each month for your team and ensures the data is accurate.

Be Confident In Your Numbers

With the BDC software, you can track agent and dealership productivity, which allows you to manage and optimize your schedule. You can track and monitor all customer interactions as well as agent skill levels so you know where you need to improve training. The result of this is a better customer experience and an increased ROI. With the right tools, dealerships can now transform the BDC from an expense center into a profit center.