We recently chatted with Gary Graves, CEO of TotalCX, about the current state of call management and how he sees the future.

How has AI impacted the Call Management category?

AI, when used responsibly, will take data context, whether it's historical or in the moment, and provide insights that would be cost-prohibitive for a company to employ people to do. So if you take like the mundane process of crunching a lot of information to determine whether the outcome of an event happened or not, now that's a good way to depict how a lot of companies are using AI and how we're using AI today.

There are also companies that are using A.I. to provide a pass-through service such as chatbots and even phone engagement through artificial intelligence. And that has been necessitated by a lack of proper process for handling consumer inquiries.

We've all bought a car. And, you know, that process can be extremely cumbersomel. Even when it gets to the service side, it's always hard to get someone on the phone. It's usually a broken process that creates that.

That broken process creates an opportunity for A.I. to create a handling system for people to be serviced by a machine immediately versus waiting on hold and having a poor experience to talk to a human.

How can AI enable proactive call monitoring?

I'm not sure how many providers are doing that, but we've been doing that for quite some time. I think that a lot of them are doing it on the on the post-call side, which is good because what was being done prior was sending dealers conversations and recorded calls over to third-world countries where they could have low-cost labor to provide a price point that the dealer could stomach. They're at a great price point and I expect there to be a lot of derivative products that come down the line as a lot of these companies start to take ownership of their own AI journey.

You'd be surprised at how many companies in our space are now using, you know, ChatGPT or some derivative of Openai's or another platform that's very similar service versus investing in the talent and infrastructure, and they kind of take ownership of that model. And when you first see that is when these companies have a white outage. And if ten companies in automotive that are having issues with their servers at that time, you'll know they are.

How is TotalCX building their AI?

Well, I mean, I mean, let's face it, you know, the funding that OpenAI had to build is ridiculous. We can't we can't even begin to compete. But at the same time, there are a lot of open-source starting points. I'm going to give away some trade secrets here, so this is an exclusive for you guys. One of the things that we do is we take a hybrid approach. Instead of using these models to serve our customers or to serve our business processes directly, we use them to generate additional data that we train on. We train our own models on the data generated by these commercial models in addition to the data that we have from our own operations.

So we kind of have the best of both worlds. We have the organic, grassroots data that's indicative of the way our customers operate. And we also have the shiny new object version of it with all the bells and whistles that enriches the data. So we kind of take a hybrid approach.

Are customers comfortable communicating with AI?

If they can get what they need in a matter of minutes 3 minutes with the machine versus 9 minutes or 12 minutes or three callbacks with the human, obviously they're going to be better served by the machine. Ultimately, the best experience, though, is that when they call, they speak to someone who can help them immediately.

And that's good for all parties because now the relationship like a machine will not or the chatbot or voice bot will not perpetuate a relationship. It will facilitate the delivery of a service or establishment of an appointment and things like that. But in terms of brand building, driving customers toward loyalty building, that is something that always will have to have a human touch. And there's never going to be someone to refer to. No one says, "Yeah, you should call my machine. Over here at ABC Motors, They get my oil changed much quicker and lower cost."

What are the shortcomings of AI communication today?

Consider a scenario where someone is calling in on a recall on their vehicle and they're in the third year of the finance on that vehicle. When they're calling in because of that recall there's a chance that they're coming up their three years and they may want to transition to a new vehicle. So they may ask the question or that may be a conversation that leads to the discussion of that potential opportunity in a subsequent transfer to sales. I can't see that happening in a known AI service, you know, voice bot scenario.

What are common issues dealers have with their phone processes?

So there are a couple of different categories. So the first one is a process issue, and the process issue is typically one where they call in, they get placed on hold. They're on hold for a while and then they hang up, they call back and they ask again and then they get transferred to voicemail. They just never end up getting routed to the proper place. So that typically is a process issue in terms of how those calls are handled.

The other thing is customers having to exert an undue amount of effor to be a customer at a dealership. There are even conversations where the customer reminds the the person they're talking to, Hey, I'm the customer here and I have to call back three times in order to speak to the service manager because my car is supposed to be ready two days ago." You hear these types of conversations a lot.

So the majority of it is a lack of responsiveness, which is typically associated with a process issue of how their phone menu is set up. You press one to get here, you press three to get there. So they call back again and you hear or you have calls where the customer will state. I called back three times. I've been on hold for 12 minutes.

When you have a customer telling you about their experience in a way that's not positive, not only are they telling you, but they're also going to express their discontent when it comes to referrals or the next time they buy a car, like I'm just never going there again, or they may just take their service business elsewhere, which will also mean when the time comes to roll that vehicle, they're not going to roll it at that dealership.

How has COVID impacted dealership phone processes?

There's a friend of mine has a saying. He's an industry veteran and he says that good habits are developed in bad times and bad habits are developed in good times. So the inventory shortage, chip shortage, and everything that happened post-COVID and during the market adjustment and all the record-breaking profit that the automotive retailers experience, I mean, I think that could be called a good time.

You know, so a lot of bad habits were cultivated because they didn't have to have a lot of effort. People were buying cars sight unseen especially trucks, because there was just a tremendous shortage. Now we have dealership groups that are calling us now that the feeding frenzy is over and they're trying to improve their customer experience because they're having a large number of disgruntled customers all associated with the level of service they receive and responsiveness to service concerns.

How vendors can help with phone processes

I think there are vendors in the space that are, looking to help a lot of it. This isn't a new problem. This cycle, it happened during Cash for Clunkers and any other type of market event that changed the dynamic of supply and demand.

So we're here again. And I think that it's up to us vendors who are in the sales cycle for our car dealership customers to innovate and help them toe the line on their processes and tighten them up. And I think, you know, now dealers are becoming more receptive to it.

How does TotalCX approach phone training?

We approach it internally first and foremost because we have to eat our own dog food. That's why we changed our name. And now we've created a Chief Experience Officer position and all of our customer success people became Experienced Managers because if we want to teach something, then we also have to live with those same values.

So in terms of phone training, the first thing to do is to have a baseline. You have to understand what you're dealing with because not every dealership has the same issues or the same problems. So establishing a baseline and analyzing calls by department for a week or so will give you a good baseline to understand, you know, what's happening with that dealership.

You don't want to put a Band-Aid on it or some Novocaine or just smooth the issue over. You want to get down to causality. What is the root cause of this issue and what can be done to address it? This is sometimes it's as much as a cultural issue that stems from the top-down management style in automotive that's been pervasive for years, where the GM is driving down to the sales manager, this is your number. You hit this number. You'll make this number or find a new job. That translates down to the salespeople who have the same mindset. If it doesn't seem to be a promising opportunity or profitable deal I'm not going to give it a lot of attention. That means that the value of each customer is now being read by the salespeople.

This is all stuff that you can see and measure based on, you know, the conversations and the outcomes from these types of transactions. But we really have to understand the root cause. So we always start with root cause analysis and then, you know, create a custom approach to helping that dealership group, you know, solve their issues.

The importance of phone analytics

I think that there are more numbers than just op line and gross profit that matter and also indicate health and growth. If you think about it in any car dealership, most of them have a six-figure per rooftop marketing budget, or something even more than that.

So they spend all this money to create all this opportunity. And how much money and effort do they spend to ensure that they're handling that attention, that traffic that they paid for to produce the outcome that they're actually trying to get? So they're paying attention to spend over here, and the outcome over here in terms of the balance sheet.

But all the things that happen in between, that's where the CRM companies and companies like us come in to try to help give additional context and perspective of what's happening between those two milestones.

What are successful dealers doing today?

They're they're a little more progressive. So we also use Google Analytics inside of our platform to understand, you know, user adoption, how our dealers use our platform so we can see what areas they leverage, what areas they don't, and in what frequency to help us create a better platform and also to give our Experience Managers some context and to help advocate for better usage.

But the people who are the raving, die-hard fans are the people who use the platform in totality. And one of the downsides of our platform is that it's powerful. We have the richest analytical offering in automotive hands down. And the problem for that is that there isn't necessarily a person or a job position in a dealership that has trans-departmental powers to fully leverage the platform.

You have all these different stakeholders who may or may not work together productively like they're supposed to inside a dealership. So the dealership groups that have the most invested into our platform are the people who have empowered someone to go across sales, finance, and service and parts to make sure that all of these departments are, meeting the same bar of customer service and customer experience.

How should dealers use an outsourced BDC?

I don't think it's a long-term solution because I think that at the end of the day, you want the dealership to own the relationship. Our outsourced BDC is a domestic product, meaning all of the agents are American citizens working here, typically in a contiguous 48, and they all handle typically like overflow while a dealer has a moment to take a breath and try to design a better process or a better outcome.

It may be because they're buying stores hand over fist because there are a lot of transitions in the marketplace right now. And so as they're onboarding all of these dealerships, there tends to be processes that are broken in this new acquisition. And the best way to fix it temporarily is to just outsource it to ABC.

And then we'll kind of walk that back as we help them establish and stand up the proper processes to support it themselves. So think of it kind of like roadside assistance, if you will, for overflow phone calls for dealership service and sales.

AI is going to change everything

Yeah, I tell you, A.I. is going to change everything. It's going to change the world. Specifically to our market, The things that we've been doing since our initial partnership with Google back in 2017, when we brought live transcription like transcribing a call as is happening with keyword alerts. For example, if somebody says the safe words "pepperoni pizza", t somebody gets a text message. Like so we've been doing that for a long time.

And we had, you know, we had a technology advantage over our competitors because they just couldn't seem to get there. But now just like like that, you know, they're there, but not because of their own innovation. It's because the climate has totally changed, which is awesome, because now that applies pressure to everyone in the marketplace to continue to innovate in order to differentiate and disrupt and stay relevant.

And for us, like that's that's that's the kind of pressure, you know, we respond to. So it's gonna be pretty fun.

It’s 5:37 PM on a Friday. You just received a notification that your parts have been delayed. And your customer was scheduled to be there any minute.

What now?

This is just one of the many ugly scenarios that confront you in the parts department. Headaches like these somehow have a way of finding you, like a moth to a flame.

How do you effectively manage these situations without losing a customer’s trust? (or your GM’s trust?)

Are there ways to avoid these uncomfortable scenes and keep customers happy?

The truth is there is a lot you can do to better control the situation. And Mel Smith & Ken Harrison will show you how this webinar.

Improving employee engagement is a vital initiative in dealerships today. As the market ebbs and flows, interest rates and inventories fluctuate, an agile team can help you maintain some consistency. Additionally, a recent Gallup State of the American Workforce study discovered that engagement was a key component of successful companies. In fact, businesses with engaged employees were 21% more profitable.

One of the key factors of employee engagement was coaching. According to Gallup, employees in today's workforce desire more ongoing conversations instead of a yearly performance review.

At first glance, this implies fewer formal discussions and more informal conversations. However, this is not the case. To coach correctly and provide ongoing feedback, you need to have formal systems in place. Let's delve into what I mean.

Quotas and Metrics

An employee must know what "good" looks like in your dealership. This requires you to define success with a list of quotas and metrics. A quota is a measure of success. For example, "Appointment Set %." A metric is the specific number you expect the employee to achieve within the quota. For instance, you could define 60% appointment set as world-class, or a five-star rating.

Mapping out these quotas and metrics is a valuable exercise for managers. You can define the attributes of an exemplary job role and determine what is needed to enhance performance in each quota. A coaching session with an employee is not an "ad-hoc" effort but a directed conversation designed to help them improve.

Measuring Actuals vs. Quotas

You can't identify performance gaps without a formal, clear set of quotas and metrics that define success. Employees need to know what "good" looks like. You need to establish processes and reporting from your CRM, etc., that capture actual performance within the quotas defined above. This clear data then paves the way for informal, ongoing conversations. Both parties know what needs improvement, and your coaching can be tailored to their specific needs.

Coaching your team is a powerful way to improve performance. You can identify gaps in performance and leverage andragogy by assigning relevant, contextual activities and training. Because it's relevant, the employee has a better chance of absorbing and applying the coaching.

A Formal Process for Coaching

Effective coaching requires a consistent process. For example, it may begin with a review of the quotas vs. actuals, followed by a conversation on what the employee wants to improve. This should be a conversation, not a preaching session. You are there to guide the employee, not dictate what you want them to do.

To create an environment conducive to this open two-way conversation, you should have a formal process in place. The employee shouldn't have to guess how the session will progress. They need to know that the coaching session has clear expectations.

Creating a formalized process with clear data can foster an environment where managers and employees can focus on development. When the employee drives this coaching session, they become more invested in their career growth, promoting engagement. This engagement is the "secret sauce" your dealership needs to weather any economic storm and become more profitable.

Are outdated parts costing you?

Here are 7 ways obsolete parts suffocate store profits: 

• Tied up capital
• Space wastage
• Reduced efficiency
• Soured customer relations
• Deteriorating value
• Costly holding expenses
• Missed revenue

So…how do you fix all this? 

Watch our latest webinar and find out. Mike Rich & Mel Smith of RevolutionParts delve into the challenges obsolescence presents in the Parts Department. 

Efficiency is the cornerstone of a successful service department. With the increasing complexity of modern vehicles, automotive technicians need to maximize their productivity to improve customer experience and increase profitability. Whether you're a service manager looking to enhance your team's performance or a technician aiming to optimize your workflow, implementing strategies to improve efficiency can yield substantial benefits. Let’s explore some effective ways to enhance tech efficiency.  

Invest in Continuous Training and Education

This one goes without saying. In the ever-evolving automotive industry, staying updated on the latest technological advancements is crucial. Providing regular training sessions for your technicians ensures that they are familiar with the latest diagnostic tools, repair techniques, and vehicle systems. In addition, actively encouraging technicians to pursue certifications from reputable organizations like ASE enhances their expertise and confidence in tackling complex repairs. A knowledgeable technician can diagnose and resolve issues more efficiently, leading to reduced turnaround times and satisfied customers.

Demand an Organized Workspace

A cluttered and disorganized workspace can significantly hamper technician efficiency. Establishing a clean, well-organized environment helps technicians locate tools and parts quickly, saving valuable time during repairs. Consider investing in quality tool storage solutions, labeling systems for parts, and designated workstations for specific tasks. An organized workspace minimizes distractions, enhances focus, and promotes a smoother workflow.

Utilize Digital Diagnostic Tools

Gone are the days of trial-and-error troubleshooting. Advanced diagnostic tools and software have revolutionized the automotive repair industry. Equipping and training technicians with these tools streamline the diagnostic process, enabling them to pinpoint issues accurately and efficiently. Integrating technology into the diagnostic process not only saves time but also improves the accuracy of repairs. It will be interesting to see how artificial intelligence evolves here.

Effective Communication and Collaboration

Clear communication and collaboration between technicians, service advisors, and customers are essential for efficient operations. Implement a system that allows technicians to communicate their progress and findings to service advisors seamlessly. Service advisors can then relay this information to customers promptly. Transparent communication ensures that everyone is on the same page, reduces misunderstandings, and prevents unnecessary delays. Additionally, promoting a collaborative environment allows technicians to share insights and problem-solving approaches, leading to faster and more effective repairs.

This is where service leadership can really make an impact. It’s essential that you take the time to build your team.

Implement Standardized Workflows

Developing standardized processes and workflows can significantly improve efficiency. These workflows ensure that technicians follow a consistent process, minimizing the risk of errors and reducing repair times. Standardized workflows are particularly useful for new technicians, as they provide a structured approach to learning and performing tasks.

I was recently building a technician scorecard with a service manager. He mentioned that there were some changes that needed to take place in the shop to make it easier for techs to improve productivity. This is a good activity for a service manager to do. Think of your shop like a freeway. Where are the pinch points? How can you reduce their foot traffic and streamline the shop?

In today's fast-paced automotive repair industry, efficiency is a non-negotiable factor for success. If you want to improve your fixed ops absorption, improve efficiency. These strategies not only lead to quicker repairs and improved customer satisfaction but also contribute to a more productive and harmonious work environment. As technology continues to shape the industry, embracing these efficiency-boosting techniques will undoubtedly keep automotive technicians ahead of the curve.

This presentation delves into the topic of financial stress and its impact on business revenue and growth. Financial stress can have a profound effect on employees' well-being, and this, in turn, can impact their productivity and performance at work. We explore the various ways in which financial stress can impact businesses, including increased absenteeism, higher healthcare costs, and decreased productivity - which together cost American businesses billions of dollars in loss every year.

To mitigate the negative effects of financial stress on businesses, we examine various strategies that employers can adopt including financial wellness benefit offerings such as educational programs, counseling services, and professional support.

The presentation also emphasizes the importance of understanding the root causes of financial stress, such as personal financial difficulties, high levels of debt, and financial illiteracy. By recognizing these causes, employers can better address the issue of financial stress and create a more productive and healthy workplace for their employees.

Can anyone solve the technician shortage problem in automotive? No. It’s just a fact that there aren’t enough technicians. But rephrase the question. Can you solve the technician problem at your dealership? We think so.

This is going to be the topic our CEO, Jared Hamilton is going to tackle at the 2023 DrivingSales Executive Summit. Like all of Jared’s other keynotes, this one will be based on research, and we could use your help.

The solution to the technician shortage problem at the dealer level requires an understanding of the current technician motivations and mindsets. We want to uncover what it would take to make your dealership the most desired place for technicians to work in your market, giving you the ability to recruit and fill your open technician positions.

This technician study will be focused on four factors we feel can give us the insight we need to be able to tackle the technician shortage problem.

The first factor is how to recruit. We need to understand the motivating factors that would cause technicians to switch from one dealership to another. How can you create an appealing compensation and benefits package?

Next is non-monetary motivation. What are the factors other than compensation that would motivate your techs to perform at a higher level? Can we prioritize these motivations in order to create the most effective environment for recruiting new techs and retaining current ones?

Along with non-monetary motivations, what are the frustrations technicians are having with their current employers? How can you mitigate these frustrations and improve your technician culture?

Finally, compensation. We need to understand the most motivating pay plans. What does the ideal pay structure and compensation level that would encourage technician performance look like? What are the drivers that you could offer that would make a technician take less compensation (i.e. Flexible hours)?

So how can you help? In order for us to uncover these factors, we need technicians to take a survey. All answers are anonymized, so the techs don’t need to worry about employee blowback. Technicians can access the survey here.

You will also want to attend the DrivingSales Executive Summit to see the results. I’m sure there will be lots of conversation around this topic. DSES is at the Cosmopolitan this year. You can learn more here.

You CAN solve the technician problem at your dealership. Please invite your technicians to complete the survey and join us in Las Vegas as we uncover the insights.

It’s no secret that more people are going electric, and the number of EVs on the road is rising. Many dealers are concerned about how this could impact the dealership and alter how these vehicles interact with Fixed Ops.

Join Liesl Larouche, Senior Manager of Strategic Alliances, and Mike Rich, VP of Marketing with RevolutionParts, to learn how the rise in EVs could affect Fixed Ops and what your dealership can do to capitalize on the shift.



In recent years, the automotive industry has faced a significant challenge in recruiting and retaining technicians. According to the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), the technician shortage has reached a critical level, with many dealerships struggling to fill open positions and keep their current technicians engaged and committed to their jobs. This issue has led Dick Parrish, Dealership Management Consultant with NADA, to author a blog post titled "Build a Career Path to Recruit and Retain Technicians," which highlights the need for dealerships to establish a clear career path for technicians and provide them with the training and support they need to grow and succeed in their roles.

The clear solution to this ongoing problem is DrivingSales Human Capital Management (HCM). Our innovative product was designed from the ground up to help dealerships attract, onboard, retain, and develop their technicians, or any role for that matter, ensuring that they have a strong and competent workforce capable of meeting the demands of the modern automotive industry. Let me elaborate on how DrivingSales HCM can help solve the problems identified in the NADA blog post:

1. Attracting top talent: One of the key challenges in recruiting technicians is attracting top talent to your dealership. With DrivingSales HCM, you can create a compelling employee value proposition that showcases the benefits of working at your dealership and the opportunities for career advancement. This includes things like training and development programs, competitive pay and benefits, and a supportive and inclusive culture, whereby goals and expectations are laid out quantifiably. By highlighting these elements in your recruitment efforts, you can attract the best technicians to your dealership and stand out from the competition.
2. Developing a clear career path: According to NADA, technicians are more likely to stay with a dealership if they have a clear career path and know what they need to do to advance in their roles. DrivingSales HCM can help you establish a career development plan for your technicians, laying out the steps they need to take to progress through the ranks and reach their full potential. This includes things like daily and monthly scorecards, performance reviews, training programs, and regular check-ins with supervisors to ensure that technicians are on track and receiving the support they need.
3. Providing ongoing training and support: To keep technicians engaged and motivated, it's important to provide them with ongoing training and support. With DrivingSales HCM, you can create a comprehensive, personalized training program that covers everything from technical skills to customer service and leadership development. This can include videos, slideshows, PDFs, or any combination of those, as well as opportunities for technicians to learn from more experienced colleagues and participate in cross-functional teams. By investing in your technicians' development, you can keep them engaged and committed to your dealership.
4. Managing performance and retention: Finally, DrivingSales HCM can help you manage the performance and retention of your technicians by providing tools for tracking and measuring their progress. This includes features like daily and monthly scorecards, performance evaluations, goal setting, and feedback mechanisms, which can help you identify areas for improvement and provide support to technicians who may be struggling. By using these tools to monitor your technicians' performance and address any issues that arise, you can improve retention and ensure that your dealership has a strong and committed workforce.

Overall, DrivingSales HCM is a powerful tool for dealerships looking to recruit and retain technicians in today's competitive automotive market. By providing a clear career path, performance management tools, and ongoing training and support we can help you attract and retain top talent, ensuring that your dealership has the skilled and competent technicians it needs to succeed.

When you are ready to learn more about how we can help you, visit us at www.DrivingSales.com or send me an email directly at jd.mixon@drivingsales.com. We look forward to working with you and your team to help you meet and exceed your goals for 2023 and into the future. 

Service departments are experiencing an increase in phone traffic. With this good news, however, is a disturbing trend. More and more customers are dropping before they are connected to a live person.

What can dealerships do to capitalize on their phone traffic and generate more service revenue? In this webinar, we discuss the latest fixed ops phone analytics and provide tactics on how you can improve your phone processes.