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Service scheduling improves industry-wide, Volkswagen dealers lead the pack
September 2026
According to a new Pied Piper report, each auto brand improved its customer service scheduling this year. Per the report, Volkswagen dealers led the 2026 Service Scheduling Effectiveness (SSE) Auto Industry Study with an average score of 73 out of 100. The industry's average increased by 7 points in its second year. Pied Piper evaluated 6,538 service requests via phone and website from dealerships of 33 U.S. brands and four independent chains.
Additionally, website scheduling improved the most, rising 12 points as technical issues dropped from 9% to 5%. Phone scheduling increased by 3 points, though eight brands experienced declines. Overall, 16% of callers couldn't book appointments, exceeding 25% for five brands, while three stayed below 10%. Common problems included being placed on hold, stuck in phone trees or AI loops, or reaching voicemail. The report also noted that AI handled routine requests effectively, but about one-third of AI-to-human transfers failed.
