Deliver a Seamless Experience That Keeps Ford Drivers Coming Back

Deliver a Seamless Experience That Keeps Ford Drivers Coming Back

The phone in your service department is the single most important source of revenue for your fixed operations. But what happens when your service advisors are with a customer, your BDC is swamped, or a call comes in after hours? Too often, that opportunity is lost to a hang-up, voicemail or the competitor down the street. Even the best-run Ford dealers and Lincoln retailers face the challenge of managing inbound call volume effectively. Hiring more staff is expensive and doesn't address the 24/7 nature of customer needs.

This is where a strategic investment in technology can completely change the game. Ford dealerships can now access STELLA AI, the intelligent voice assistant designed specifically for automotive dealerships, through The Shop by FordDirect.

Why STELLA AI is a smart investment for your Ford dealership

STELLA AI is a sophisticated conversational AI that integrates seamlessly with your existing workflow. It offers your dealership these key benefits:

• Ensuring all-hours availability: STELLA works around the clock to ensure every customer can book an appointment via their preferred method, whether it’s webchat, text or a phone call, whenever it's convenient for them.
• Enhancing the customer experience: By providing an instant, professional response that incorporates your dealership's branding and can even understand Spanish, STELLA eliminates frustrating hold times and boosts CSI.
• Improving operational efficiency: Automating the routine appointment-setting process frees your team to focus on high-value tasks like building relationships and driving customer loyalty.

Case study: Sheehy Auto Stores

See what leading dealer group Sheehy Auto Stores is achieving since integrating STELLA AI to handle its inbound service calls.

Michelle Paschell, BDC Director for Sheehy Auto Stores, shares the measurable impact on their Ford locations:

"With STELLA handling our inbound service calls, our Ford stores are now converting an average of 56% of booking opportunities into confirmed appointments — all without adding headcount or extending hours,” she said. “Our top-performing store is hitting 70%, which shows what’s possible with the right setup. That’s not just a better customer experience; it’s real, measurable service revenue that also frees my team up to do additional outreach.”

Let’s break down what this means for Ford dealerships:

• Maximized appointment conversion: STELLA is engineered to turn inbound booking opportunities into confirmed service appointments with unmatched consistency. By providing an instant, professional response 24/7, in your brand’s voice, it ensures that customer calls that might otherwise go to voicemail or be abandoned on hold are successfully captured and scheduled.
• Increased team productivity without increasing headcount: STELLA automates the routine, time-intensive task of scheduling. This frees your service advisors and BDC agents from the phones, empowering them to concentrate on high-value activities: delivering exceptional in-person service, conducting complex diagnostic conversations, and performing proactive outreach for declined services.
• New benchmarks for performance: As shown by Sheehy's top-performing Ford location, the potential for improvement is significant. STELLA provides the consistency and data needed to optimize your service drive's performance, setting a new standard for what's possible in appointment setting and operational efficiency.
• Direct impact on service revenue: Every appointment scheduled by STELLA is a direct contribution to your service drive's revenue. The platform helps catch previously lost opportunities and convert them into tangible profit, strengthening your dealership's absorption rate.

STELLA AI isn’t just a tool—it’s a strategic advantage. By bridging the gap between customer intent and dealership action, it empowers Ford stores to operate with greater precision, consistency, and care. The result is more than just increased appointments or saved time—it’s a smarter, more responsive dealership experience that meets today’s consumer expectations and tomorrow’s operational demands.