A shopper finds a car on your website at 9 PM and sends a question. Whoever answers first usually gets the test drive. The research shows most dealers are not answering first, and many are not answering at all.
What the mystery shop found
In 2018, Digital Air Strike mystery shopped more than 1,500 US dealerships over four months, sending leads through dealer websites and Facebook Messenger. Read the study coverage.
- 18% of dealers never responded at all
- Only 16% responded within 15 minutes
- The average response time was more than 24 hours
- 40% of leads came in while the dealership was closed
- Shoppers who heard back within 10 minutes were 3 times more likely to visit
That last number is the one that matters. A fast reply is not a nice extra. It's what turns a website click into a person standing on your lot.
Why after-hours leads slip away
If four in ten leads arrive when the store is closed, the BDC can be great and still miss them. By the time someone calls back the next morning, the shopper has already heard from two other stores, and one of them may have booked the test drive.
This isn't a people problem. Salespeople are with customers on the floor, the BDC has a call list, and nobody is checking leads at 10 PM on a Sunday.
Why text works for car shoppers
In PERQ's 2017 Car Buyer Insights report, 24% of dealership website visitors said they prefer to be contacted by text, compared with 8% who prefer a phone call. Most still preferred email. See the report coverage.
The takeaway is simple: reply by text and email, not just a phone call. A text gets read in minutes. A missed call from an unknown number often doesn't.
What a good first reply looks like
Here's an example, not a real customer. A shopper asks about a used SUV at 9:12 PM:
Hi Maya, this is Jason with Brightline Motors. The 2023 RAV4 XLE is still here, 18k miles and one owner. Want me to send the details?
It confirms the car is available, gives one useful detail and asks one easy question. From there the goal is to answer what she asks, find out about a trade-in, and offer two test drive times.
- Confirm the exact vehicle is still available
- Send the details: miles, price, history report and photos
- Ask about a trade-in and when they want to buy
- Offer two specific test drive times
- Confirm the appointment and send a reminder the day before
What an AI agent should leave to your team
An AI sales agent is great at the first reply, the questions and the follow-ups. Some things still belong with a person:
- Monthly payments and rates. Those depend on credit, so they come from your finance team.
- Final price negotiation. Jason can share the listed price, then books time with a manager.
- Credit approvals. Never promise them by text.
- Upset customers. These go straight to a person.
With Jason, you set those rules once. When a shopper asks about one of them, Jason hands the conversation to your team with the full chat attached, so nobody has to start over.
A follow-up schedule for shoppers who go quiet
Most shoppers don't buy the day they ask. A simple schedule keeps you in the conversation without being pushy:
- Day 1: a second text if there's no reply to the first
- Day 3: a short check-in, with a similar car if the first one sold
- Day 7: a new arrival or price change that fits what they asked for
- Day 14 and 30: a light touch, then stop if they're still quiet
We go deeper on timing in why leads go cold.
Get permission and keep it easy to opt out
Text only shoppers who gave you their number and agreed to be contacted, and include a simple way to stop, like replying STOP. Texting rules change, so check your setup with your compliance team or attorney.
The bottom line
Car shoppers reward speed. If every lead gets a helpful reply in minutes, day or night, more of them book a test drive with you instead of the store down the road.