Press

A fair number of fixed ops departments nationwide turn away customers every day by failing to do something very simple and elemental: efficiently handle phone calls and book service appointments.

In fact, according to a survey performed by Pied Piper Management Co., an average of 1 out of every 9 "secret shoppers" — or around 11 percent — who called 1,739 auto dealerships hung up without booking an appointment. Those stores were owned by 17 of the largest dealership groups in the U.S.

The big takeaway? One of the easiest ways to build customer loyalty starts with an easy and efficient process for handling phone calls, said Fran O'Hagan, founder and owner of Pied Piper in Monterey, Calif. The company helps retailers improve their sales and service processes and performance through what it calls "fact-based mystery shopping."