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Phone Ninjas — DealerRefresh Vendor Library
Phone Ninjas, founded in 2010, is an automotive-specific phone coaching and training company that provides ongoing one-on-one coaching, mystery shopping,…
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Phone Ninjas, founded in 2010, is an automotive-specific phone coaching and training company that provides ongoing one-on-one coaching, mystery shopping, and scripting services to car dealerships to improve phone handling, appointment-setting, and show rates across sales, BDC, service, and parts departments. Their proprietary Phone Skills Index (PSI Score) has become an industry benchmark for evaluating dealership call effectiveness. They operate on a month-to-month model with no setup fees, delivering weekly call reviews and personalized feedback to dealership staff.
What you do with it
provide ongoing one-on-one coaching, scripting, and weekly call reviews to improve phone-handling skills, so they can higher appointment-setting rates and show rates across departments
When a dealership's sales, BDC, or service staff struggle to convert inbound phone calls into appointments
mystery shop dealership phone interactions and score them against an industry benchmark (PSI Score), so they can an accurate, actionable baseline that exposes gaps management cannot see internally
When a dealer needs an objective view of how their team actually performs on live calls
deliver an outsourced, structured coaching cadence that replaces or supplements in-house training, so they can consistent skill improvement without requiring a six-figure in-house trainer
When a dealer lacks the internal management bandwidth or expertise to hold salespeople accountable for phone skills development
Community evidence → Stable
The DealerRefresh community — composed largely of dealer-side voices and industry insiders — expresses broadly positive sentiment toward Phone Ninjas, citing its mystery shop service, coaching model, and industry recognition (e.g., a NADA Spotlight Award) as credible signals of product quality. Several voices note that the platform works well when dealership management actively enforces participation and follow-through, with the founder himself acknowledging that coaching tools only produce results when management holds staff accountable. One dissenting voice raises a meaningful concern: scripted language trained by Phone Ninjas can become over-used and difficult to unlearn, suggesting the scripting approach may create rigid habits rather than adaptive skills. Overall, the community treats the vendor as a respected and legitimate option, though effectiveness is framed as contingent on dealership buy-in.
Coaching effectiveness depends on dealership management follow-through3 mentions
Strong industry credibility and peer endorsements7 mentions
Scripting can become over-reliance on trained lines1 mention
Mystery shopping and PSI Score as useful diagnostic tools2 mentions
Appointment-setting improvement as the core value proposition4 mentions
Cost-effectiveness relative to in-house training alternatives2 mentions
Talent and leadership investment (e.g., Elise Kephart hire)2 mentions
60 mentions · 35 positive · 1 negative · Scored from 20+ years of candid DealerRefresh discussion. Scores shift as new conversations happen.
POSITIVE
"My Review of Phone Ninjas - Mystery Shop Service - 10/10 ★ - Phenomenal"
My Review of Phone Ninjas - Mystery Shop Service - 10/10 ★ - Phenomenal →
POSITIVE
"Elise Kephart has been hired as VP of Training for Phone Ninjas, a company serving automotive dealers, after a six-month search for someone with dealership experience and strong work ethic. The thread consists almost entirely of congratulatory replies from community members expressing enthusiasm for both Kephart's hiring and the company's prospects in 2012."
Meet the New VP of Training for Phone Ninjas →
POSITIVE
"Phone Ninjas was given a Spotlight Award as one of the 5 best products at NADA by PCG... Because we have a Great Product! Brian also is a huge advocate for Phone Ninjas promoting us to his clients."
Is paying for an award false advertising? →
POSITIVE
"community members recommend Phone Ninjas as an alternative solution. After a demo call with Jerry Thibeau of Phone Ninjas, Neil determines that while inbound phone training is valuable"
BDC training help →
POSITIVE
"I should hire you to sell for Phone Ninjas! This is exactly why we at Phone Ninjas are helping dealers improve."
What a 1932 Factory and Your Dealership Have in Common… →
POSITIVE
"we did have some great traffic stop by the Phone Ninjas booth and I am confident my investment in Digital Dealer will be repaid ten fold"
Digital Dealer 12 - #DD12 - What did you think? →
POSITIVE
"Your Phone Ninjas bill is a lot less and we give you something of value!"
Carfax Pricing →
POSITIVE
"I would love to see you do this study with our top 25 Phone Ninjas clients! The appointment % would have been a lot higher than the 16% average."
Industry 1st! - Driven-Data Just Dropped a BOMB →
POSITIVE
"Phone ninjas can work great if utilized properly at the dealership."
Help How do I engage with customers when I cant get ahold of them! →
POSITIVE
"I would not mind using her at Phone Ninjas for the leads we get."
AVA (Automated Virtual Assistant): anyone used it? →
POSITIVE
"When I sell Phone Ninjas, I try and get dealers to jump on a webinar with me at that moment."
How do I notify Sales Managers about a new accessory available? Licensed Product →
POSITIVE
"We will also have a booth at DD13, so come by and say hi to myself, Lindsay and Jennifer from Phone Ninjas. Look forward to seeing you in Vegas!"
DSES, DD13 and Vegas →
POSITIVE
"Jerry Thibeau accuses CallSource of unethically copying Phone Ninjas' branding in their marketing materials after he had recently demonstrated his product to them"
Pirates Amongst Us! →
POSITIVE
"J Picciotti promotes Phone Ninjas, a telephone coaching system designed to train dealership sales associates and management to be more confident and assertive on calls, with both virtual and in-house training options available."
How is Your Training Going? →
POSITIVE
"Since I started [URL="http://phoneninjas.com"]Phone Ninjas[/URL] in 2009, I have seen my fair share of success stories, but the one I am about to share with you is a classic."
From Bad To Great! →
POSITIVE
"DealerOn promoted a webinar featuring Jerry Thibeau from Phone Ninjas and other industry experts discussing how dealership Internet departments can improve their lead response capabilities"
Webinar: Expert Panel - Are You an Internet Ninja Warrior...Or a 90 Lb. Weakling? →
POSITIVE
"Moon successfully created a refreshed, professional look for Phone Ninjas (formerly Phone-Up Ninjas), earning praise from community members"
A Big Thanks →
POSITIVE
"Phone Ninjas is running a Q2 contest offering an all-expenses-paid Hawaii trip (airfare, six nights lodging, and $1,000 cash) for one employee and their spouse, with entries based on 5.0 scores earned through their mystery shopping program"
Hawaii Anyone? →
POSITIVE
"At Phone Ninjas we hear a lot of sales people struggling when asking for the appointment, so I decided to do something about that. I am proud to announce that Phone Ninjas just released a new feature that will allow phone shoppers the ability to easily schedule their own appointments once off the phone with dealerships."
Coolest Lead Response Tools →
POSITIVE
"I've tasked Elise with creating a Phone Ninjas video series on how to properly brand yourself on YouTube"
Branding Yourself on YouTube! →
POSITIVE
"I also practice that technique when hiring people who work for Phone Ninjas. You get a more qualified person who will get the job done properly you'll make more money for your business by hiring the right person."
Inventory & Marketing Manager Worth →
POSITIVE
"Jerry Thibeau from Phone Ninjas would be a worthwhile investment for you. He posts here often and has tons of great things to share with dealers."
Internet Lead Follow-up →
POSITIVE
"At Phone Ninjas, we are suggesting the following to keep your dealership prospering during these difficult times: 1. Schedule an appointment to bring the vehicle to your customers office or home."
Coronavirus - the Automotive Industry and your Dealership →
POSITIVE
"Go to Phone Ninjas Member Login... This will help with training. This free login will be available until end of November. Good Luck!"
How to Get the "Blank Stare" from a Salesperson →
POSITIVE
"Phone Ninjas, a company providing phone and internet training to over 400 automotive clients, is actively recruiting a National Sales Trainer"
Phone Ninjas is Hiring! →
POSITIVE
"This thread promotes a RefreshFriday webcast featuring Phone Ninjas' Mike Hoyser, who analyzes actual sales calls to identify where dealership sales teams are underperforming"
Get your Phone up Game up | Mike Hoyser →
POSITIVE
"Phone Ninjas, run by Jerry Thibeau, is widely recognized as a solid and potentially the best phone training program available for dealership staff"
BDC Phone Training →
POSITIVE
"Chris Vitale promotes Phone Ninjas' onsite and virtual dealership training programs as a solution for improving dealership performance, highlighting enhanced sales skills as the first of four key benefits."
Enhancing Your Dealership's Success with Onsite & Virtual Dealership Training →
POSITIVE
"The consensus leans toward Phone Ninjas being a credible, dealership-specific resource, particularly valued for its continuous coaching philosophy over traditional single-event training."
Community Review: Phone Ninjas →
POSITIVE
"Phone Ninjas announced the winner of their Q2 sales coaching contest, which required a perfect 5.0 score and drew 118 entries."
Hawaii Winner Crowned! →
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