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Wards Auto
Some Car Dealers Good, Some Not-So-Hot at Handling Internet Leads
March 2022
Virtually all car dealers know it’s worthwhile to promptly field Internet customer inquiries, says Fran O’Hagan, CEO of consulting firm Pied Piper.
But that doesn’t mean all dealers are quick enough on the draw, as evidenced by the 2022 Pied Piper PSI Internet Lead Effectiveness Study. It measures by-brand responsiveness to mystery-shopping Internet leads sent to dealer websites.
“I don’t think there is a car dealer out there who says, ‘No, it’s not important to respond to Internet customers,’” O’Hagan (pictured, below left) tells Wards. “All think it’s important, but not all dealerships are able to do it.”
That’s because it’s easy to get consumed by in-store activities. For many dealership personnel, “you go into work, and suddenly your hair is on fire” dealing with this and that, including a hot prospect sitting across from you, he says.
Everyday duties can delay responding to Internet leads, unless the dealership has a business development center designated to handle phone calls and emails. “If there’s a BDC, there is no excuse for a delayed response,” O’Hagan says. “It’s their job.”
