Phone skills are one of the things that everyone thinks they have. After the first hour of training, every new employee knows what to say when they answer the phone.

“Good morning, thanks for calling ABC Motors. How can I help you today?”

“Let me check on that for you. Do you mind if I put you on a brief hold?”

“I see David is in. I’ll transfer you to his direct line if that’s alright.”

It becomes automatic, engrained, a no-brainer. But here’s where it gets a little tricky. You have to pick up your phone to use those skills.

In the Customer’s Shoes

I pray that this experience is local, and that no one else runs into the same scenario. But this is my very recent experience.

I was looking for a specific part, a fuel level sending unit. Knowing I wanted a quality part, I called dealerships exclusively. I’m no slouch when it comes to research, so I used direct lines to parts departments to eliminate the need for transfers. So, I called the first one which was the closest dealer to me. I just prefer shopping nearby.

No answer. Four rings, then to voice mail. I get it. People are busy. I waited ten minutes or so then tried again. Same thing. I left a voice mail this time.

As a customer, I didn’t stop at that. I called the next dealer but again, no answer. Getting irritated, I tried a third. This time, someone answered, took my information and the part I needed, and said they’d call me back. Still without an answer, I called a fourth store. Imagine the frustration when they didn’t answer either!!

To the Point

I’ll get to it fast. Answer the phone! Customers calling for a part aren’t your loyal base. They won’t always give you a second chance or be satisfied to sit back and wait for a call back.

And it’s not just one parts sale you’re blowing off when you don’t answer the phone. By not answering the phone, you’re essentially telling the customer that you don’t care about their business. If you’re okay with them shopping at a different dealership, starting a relationship with their team, potentially taking their service business into their drive thru, and even starting a sales conversation elsewhere, then answering every phone call isn’t important.

One manager I had early in my career became so mad when the phone reached a third ring. He would routinely impress upon all front-end staff that the phone should be answered on the first ring if possible or the second ring at the latest. By answering the phone quickly, your non-verbal communication tells customers what they’re business is worth to you.

It doesn’t matter if it’s the receptionist, the sales floor, the service department, BDC, or the parts department. Answering the phone within two rings should be the standard to achieve. And absolutely never let it go unanswered.

How It Ended

In my situation, I never received a call back from the first dealership, nor the second. The third one did return my call about 30 minutes later, and the fourth also never returned my call. One in four… simply not acceptable.

Parts managers and fixed ops directors, I encourage you to ‘mystery call’ your parts departments. I hope to heaven that they do a better job than the experience I had.