25 Million Call Study

Article Added September 08, 2025

What 25 Million Calls Reveal About BDC Efficiency and Lost Revenue

In an analysis of more than 25 million dealership calls, Volie uncovered hard evidence of just how much money service departments leave on the table due to call inefficiencies. This data, pulled from both inbound and outbound calls across thousands of rooftops, reveals specific patterns and behaviors that, if adjusted, could significantly boost fixed ops revenue. For Ford dealers and Lincoln retailers using The Shop, these insights offer a valuable blueprint for BDC improvement.

Why Fixed Ops Efficiency Matters Now More Than Ever

The fixed operations side of the business is no longer just a back-end profit center. With high vehicle prices, elevated interest rates, and consumers holding on to cars longer, service departments are critical to dealership stability. At the same time, customer expectations are rising. They want quick, convenient, and accurate responses, especially when contacting a dealership.

Yet, many stores still operate with siloed systems, limited BDC visibility, and fragmented phone operations. The result is dropped calls, missed opportunities, and a slow erosion of customer satisfaction.

Dropped Calls Are a Silent Profit Killer

One of the most eye-opening takeaways from the study is that 69% of dropped service calls never lead to a service appointment. And according to Volie’s research, more than 60% of these dropped calls are not due to staff error but are instead caused by systemic issues like disconnected phone systems, poor routing, or long hold times.

On average, callers will wait 72 seconds before abandoning a call. In some cases, they wait even longer, but without a resolution, many leave and do not attempt to call back. For most stores, this behavior is invisible without the right tracking tools in place. Volie’s BDC platform addresses this by integrating call data with campaign management and reporting, allowing BDCs to monitor drop rates and follow up effectively.

Outbound Call Timing Makes a Big Difference

While Monday remains the busiest day for inbound call volume, the study found that outbound performance peaks during the lunch hour and after 5pm. BDCs that adjust their staffing and call cadences to match these high-response windows see a measurable lift in appointment conversion.

With Volie, dealers can schedule campaigns based on time-of-day performance and automate outreach that fits customer availability, rather than relying solely on static shifts or manual efforts.

Persistence Pays Off, Even When Customers Say No

A significant portion of dealers give up on outbound leads too quickly. The study found that over 26% of customers marked “not interested” in a previous outreach still came in for service later.

Dealers that follow up at least three to five times before closing a lead tend to convert more customers and build longer-term relationships. Volie’s system helps automate and track those follow-up cadences, ensuring leads are not dropped prematurely and that every potential service opportunity is pursued appropriately.

Spam Labeling Is Crushing Contact Rates

Carrier-level spam flags are another major issue. As many as 32% of dealership calls are marked as potential spam, particularly with Verizon, which flags 7% to 10% of numbers by default. These flags lead to low answer rates and hurt customer trust. Volie verifies your dealership as a legitimate business with the carriers, helping dealerships maintain healthy contact rates and brand reputation.

BDC Benchmarks That Set the Bar

According to Volie’s data, high-performing BDCs share consistent characteristics:
Inbound appointment conversion over 90%, outbound contact rates around 47%, less than 6% call drop rate, more than 6 appointments scheduled per productive hour, and daily call volume of 240 or more per agent. These numbers are not guesses or sales targets. They are based on real dealer performance captured across the country.

The Shop's Takeaway

For Ford and Lincoln dealers using The Shop, the message is clear. There is real money being lost in BDC inefficiency, but also real opportunity. With modern solutions like Volie’s BDC platform, dealers can better manage their call volume, track results in real time, and maintain consistent outreach. Most importantly, they can serve customers the way they expect to be served: quickly, professionally, and without dropped calls or confusion.

The Shop exists to connect dealers with the tools that deliver real operational value. Volie’s call study shows what’s possible when BDCs are equipped with the right technology, and it points to a future where every call counts and every connection drives revenue.