Many of my dealerships have heavy call volume yet it seems when reviewing the reporting many customers are still struggling to reach a person who can help them. In my opinion a missed phone call goes directly to the next dealership or even worse an independent.

The problem affects sales, service, parts and the BDC differently. Some stores are adding centralized call centers, overflow teams and AI voice tools. Others believe the real issue is basic staffing, accountability and training—not technology.

Who should own the missed-call problem inside a dealership? Is it enough to measure answer rate, or should stores also track whether the call reached the correct department, resulted in an appointment and ultimately produced revenue?

Before dealerships invest more money generating traffic, should they first prove they can consistently handle the demand they already have?