After-hours auto leads handling is one of the most expensive and hard-to-manage aspects of running a dealership. Customers are more likely to buy if the response to the email, phone call, or text message is rapid – with your best odds being within the first five minutes. Staffing a late-night BDC at your dealership can be quite difficult to justify with rent costs and utility bills in mind. But with an external auto BDC like Strolid, you can have a stress-free answer to this common question: “How do I convert late-night leads into profits?”
Why After-Hours Leads Matter
While most customers will be willing to call or email you during your workday, being able to respond to community members who work late, are busy throughout the afternoon, or do their emailing and texting after dinner can vastly increase your return. After-hours lead response is a service few dealerships offer, yet it can be an excellent way to distinguish your location beyond the standards of the area.
And the rewards for having diverse hours of lead follow-up are proven. As we touch on in our chasing new leads vs. focusing on current leads guide, a customer is much more likely to make a purchase if their call, text, or email is answered within five minutes. During late or very early hours, a quick response can help your customer remember your prestigious service, increasing their likelihood of scheduling an appointment or considering a visit to your location.
The Challenges of After-Hours Lead Response
There are a few problems that stand in the way of after-hours auto leads handling, though. They include:
- Staffing. To best catch evening or night leads, it’s important to have a dedicated night crew. This can mean you’re stretching your current employees thin or required to hire after-hours recruits to handle the work for you (which means you’ll also have to train them on topics like when a lead is a lead.
- Housing.  If you’re hiring agents for the night shift and want them to have an office space, that will increase daily costs for electricity, Wi-Fi, and amenities..
- Training. In addition to the pressure of training additional employees to take up night slots, there are a few differences to keep in mind when taking an after-hours lead, such as directing the customer to the right online portal for their appointment.
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PROVEN TRACK RECORD, EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS
Why Is an External BDC a Cost-Effective Solution Compared to In-House Coverage
For all of the above reasons, an outsourced auto BDC might be the answer you’re looking for. Rather than needing to find the qualified individuals who are able to work during evenings and nights to quickly respond to late leads, a team from Strolid can cover those times for you with a prepared and well-trained staff.
Having the team ready to go is just one of the benefits of working with our services. Here are a couple of additional benefits you get to look forward to.
Improved Lead Management and Follow-Up
While in-house automotive BDC services can have excellent returns on leads, Strolid is proven to bring the profits back to every dealership we work with. On average, our appointments close 30% above the industry benchmark, so you can be sure to catch as many leads as possible using our team.
Flexibility and Scalability to Meet Your Needs
If you're concerned about what automotive BDC costs, we can help you strategize and plan. We offer several unique plans to help you meet your needs, whether you require comprehensive coverage or targeted assistance. With a free consultation and a brief analysis of how we can best serve you with our after-hours auto leads handling services, we'll talk with you about how many staff members you'll need, what CRM integration will look like, and the details of our tracking methodology, so you can see what we bring to your business.
Enhanced Customer Experience and Satisfaction
We have consistently proven ourselves as an external auto BDC that keeps your customers happy, but what about bringing them back afterward? Thanks to our quick response time, we promise customer retention at 20% of the cost of acquisition. By crafting a tight community of happy customers, you'll receive more positive reviews and word-of-mouth, creating stable growth from all aspects of your dealership.
Tips for Implementing an External BDC Successfully
As an outsourced BDC for car dealers, signing up for our services can be an incredible way of reducing stress for both you and your employees. Before you choose one of our attractive offers, let’s discuss some of the ways that you can make the process smoother.
Do you track more traffic by email, phone, or social media? By having those analytics available, we can get you more information during our consultation.
Investigate legal matters
Some obstacles, like the legal status of the new FCC lead generation ruling, can make working with an external BDC even more useful. Check for any FCC regulations that may limit your lead opportunities. That way, we won’t need to adjust them for you – though we are happy to help explain the restrictions to you
Know your CRM:
While we can do a lot to help simplify the integration process, taking the time to organize your backend – and figure out how to connect your backend with ours – can save some time once we begin working together.
Figure out what timeslots you will need covered:
Do you want 24/7 dealership BDC services, or do you just want night hours that watch your business while you’re away? We at Strolid can handle any shift, whether you’re looking to downsize your in-house BDC and move that bandwidth to another part of your business, or you want to slowly build up your BDC and use our services to bolster late nights.
Of course, if you make an appointment to consult with us, we’ll do whatever we can to ensure our services meld flawlessly with your current structure. We value your time and energy, so we’ll make late-night leads our priority, while you do what you do best – bring customers in and see them drive off in a new or used vehicle.
PROVEN TRACK RECORD, EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS
Strolid Makes After-Hours Auto Leads Handling Simple
The capacity to handle after-hours auto leads is a luxury few dealerships strive for, and yet the benefits are real. By investing in an outsourced BDC that can take care of these calls, texts, or emails for you, you can access a market of customers that few other businesses care for. Late-night shoppers who get a human response to their message as soon as they send it are much more likely to continue investing in your business. By taking the steps required to add a more personal touch to their afternoon, evening, or night, you can see a massive increase in lead conversion and retention.
So don’t delay! Talk with a Strolid representative today about the possibility of implementing evening, night, or early morning agents for lead conversion. We bring years of expertise, a proven track record, and a versatile office; let us help you take the next steps in your dealership’s growth.
Handling The HEAT Since 1987
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How quickly do external BDCs respond to leads?
External BDCs prioritize lead generation and response, so you can expect most to respond within five minutes. This gives you a significant advantage – studies show that if your agents can contact a lead within the first five minutes, they’re 21 times more likely to convert into a sale.<sup>1</sup> With a dedicated BDC like Strolid, you’re much more likely to reach that important time threshold.
Will customers know they're speaking to an outsourced BDC?
No, typically, customers will not be informed that they are speaking to an outsourced BDC unless they ask. In most cases, a BDC (like Strolid) will act as a dealership’s spokesperson, informing the customer as much as possible about a lead before directing them to the dealership’s representatives. Unless the customer has a question outside of the purview of the BDC, they won’t necessarily know about it being third-party.
Can an external BDC integrate with my CRM?
Yes, external BDCs like Strolid are trained to integrate directly with your CRM to maximize ease of access and keep your systems working correctly. We are experienced with many of the most popular CRM systems and can guide you through how to properly integrate with us without disrupting your current configuration. We can also offer guidance on how to optimize your CRM for improved efficiency.</
How much does an external BDC service cost?
An external BDC’s cost can vary, depending on the package your business selects and the preferred duration of the service. For instance, Strolid BDC Service starts as low as $499 per month at the time of this writing, which is our basic packstop coverage package. For more information about how we can meet your goals, contact us for your free consultation.