Does Your BDC Have Issues?

[Jerry Thibeau]

I just had a conversation that left me wondering where dealerships find some of the people they hire.

I just called an internet manager to discuss his lack of improvement and here is how the conversation went:

Me: "Your people are not improving, what's going on?"

BDC Manager: "I think the script is too advanced for my people. From now on I am going to have some of the calls ring directly to my cell phone. The ones they handle, I am going to just have them get a name and number and I'll call them back."

Me: "Let me tell you why that is a bad idea. When people call your cell phone and you are busy it will go to voice mail. When that happens, less than 50% of the customers will leave you a voice mail. When your BDC staff off-lines the call, the customer will call the next dealership, your team should attempt to make the appointment on the first call."

BDC Manager: "This is too advanced for my BDC, I feel it would be better if I call the customer back."

Meanwhile, his BDC has yet to listen to one coached call we have provided for them. As seen by info below (I cutoff the names to protect the guilty).



Me: "Your issue is not a knowing problem, it's a doing problem. If you can't get your people to listen to the training we provided, they are not going to get better." Matter of fact, I would fire your BDC staff and let the salespeople take the calls, they can't do any worse than your BDC.

End of conversation!

This is a classic example of a problem that exist in many dealerships. Here's a BDC manager that wants to micro manage every aspect of his department, yet he won't hold his team accountable to learn a damn script. This dealership is spending money on a BDC that is clueless and it's costing them money in lost business and the added expense of having a staff of incompetent people collecting a paycheck!

Here are four articles I am going to write in 2013:

Do a better job hiring the right people!
Do a better job training your people!
Measure their performance!
Hold them Accountable!

This isn't rocket science!

End of rant! Your feedback?

 

[benmynattnissan]

Jerry, This issue isnt just in BDC this issue is through out the entire dealerships world wide! It comes from the top just think if his BDC team is that bad I am sure he isnt much better, and who ever trained him probably doesnt even have thier job today. Sales teams are just as bad but this is an upper level management issue you get what you pay for you pay for low educated undriven staff that is what you will get. When dealerships start stepping up in the cashflow incentives and show apperication you will see a better quality BDC person when a BDC person is treated good you will see a good performance. Dealerships are forgetting (or still have that stinking thinkin that BDC is just a bunch of people smiling and dialing the convos go deeper then that) BDC department is one of your most valueble departments and if you dont take the time to spend the money in that department you will have a failing BDC department. End of Disscussion!

 

[Jeff Kershner]

"think the script is too advanced for my people. I feel it would be better if I call the customer back."

This is classic Jerry. I know your scripts and to say "they're too advance" is humorous.

Thanks for taking the time to vent. That's what we are here for. I need to vent more often myself. They seem to bring up the best discussions.

This sounds too common. A BDC is tough business and takes real leadership. It's why most dealers fail at it.

I've never seen a BDC succeed where top management / owner / principle wasn't completly onboard, believed in it and was effective in transferring their believe to his management team.

It sounds like you're talking to the wrong person at this dealership and quite possibly this individual needs to go back to the floor.

People never improve unless they want to improve. And even then, most don't know how to improve. The question here is, do they truly want to improve? Many dealers / upper management will say yes, but they're lying.

So what do you do Jerry?

Do you fire them as a client and move on to a dealer what wants to improve or do you allocate your own personal additional bandwidth to see if you can get them to improve?

 

[Jerry Thibeau]

When dealerships start stepping up in the cashflow incentives and show apperication you will see a better quality BDC person when a BDC person is treated good you will see a good performance.

More pay does get you better people, but I know I could get the job done with people for under 30K per year.

 

[Jerry Thibeau]

Jeff,

Right now people are buying their gym memberships so they can have that lean buff body by spring. Yet they are not willing to put forth the effort to make that happen. This is exactly what happens in a dealership. They purchase the training and then think their people will magically become better. WRONG!

Leadership does have to make it a priority! Hold people accountable, make them do the work!

 

[benmynattnissan]

Ok well if you can get the job done with a few peeps under 30k (in rochester) then hey great!(although i would go work a sutherland global before i do grunt work long hours and weekends for under 30k) but apperently that isnt working because your complaining. I can bake a cake with 3 ingredients but do you think its gonna taste good?

 

[GrantG]

People never improve unless they want to improve. And even then, most don't know how to improve. The question here is, do they truly want to improve?

Well said Jeff....Here's a question for you all,

Where does a dealer employee go for training and help? Everything I have learned about Internet Sales/Marketing has been self taught. My Dealer has given me ZERO training budget or resources. In order to reach our department objectives I need more training. Outside of these forums, where does somebody get that?

 

[Jerry Thibeau]

Ben,

Everyone wants to drive a Prosche and live in a nice house! The problem, most are not willing to work their ass off to live the dream. People have to start somewhere and the BDC is a starting job at a dealership. I can hire people all day for $10 bucks an hour and pay them a bonus for appointments that show. I have dealership after dealership getting results with people making under 30K.

I am sure the lot guy wants to make six figures, but does that mean he should just because he works hard? There are limitations to what one should make for a certain job.

Sorry to give you a hard time, but I've seen you complain about pay in the past. Don't like what you're making? Find a new job, work harder, do something, but don't keep complaining about it!

Yes, I am fired up today! Nobody better spill a drink on me tonight or I'll kick their ass! I am ready to rumble!

 

[Jerry Thibeau]

Well said Jeff....Here's a question for you all,

Where does a dealer employee go for training and help?

This place is a good start. Go to my website and register for free scripts.

 

[Jeff Kershner]

Well said Jeff....Here's a question for you all,

Where does a dealer employee go for training and help? Everything I have learned about Internet Sales/Marketing has been self taught.

My Dealer has given me ZERO training budget or resources. In order to reach our department objectives I need more training. Outside of these forums, where does somebody get that?

Grant, not uncommon for a dealer to NOT provide training. And the training they do provide usually have little structure behind. Even worse, the managers feel as if they have it all figured out and never attend any training themselves.

Here's one for ya, and this happens all the time. A dealer actually signs up for training but as soon as they have a bad month and decide to cut the budget, guess what goes first?

Training.

Completly backwards.

Why do dealers do this? I mean, I know why they do it but I don't understand why.