It is important to partner with the right vendors, especially when it comes to entrusting your dealership’s fixed operations to a business development company or BDC. On this episode of Inside Automotive, host Jim Fitzpatrick is joined by Ujj Nath, the chief executive officer for myKaarma, an industry-leading communication and payments operating system, to discuss the efficiency-boosting effects of technology on BDCs.
BDCs are nothing new in the automotive industry and have been used for years to increase profits and efficiency in the service department. However, what sets myKaarma apart from other firms is its modernized format. “In the old days,” explains Nath, “what would happen is, if you call the BDC…it will ring multiple phones like a hotline, and the first agent that picks up will answer it and that’s it.” Now, however, companies communicate with their clients through a variety of channels, including texts, website chats and emails.
This shift has helped businesses connect with more consumers. Unfortunately, it has also made it more difficult for business development companies to manage communications since the number of messages has drastically increased, an issue compounded by the fact that many are only equipped to take phone calls. Considering that today’s customers prioritize speed and convenience when scheduling service appointments, the problem becomes clear. The last thing dealers want is to lose prospective service clients because their scheduling system was too confusing or because the BDC agent took too long to answer the phone. One of the best solutions for this issue is myKaarma’s BDC Inbox.
The inbox seamlessly condenses all forms of communication, including text, email and voice calls, into a single conversation type. The message is then transmitted to the BDC agent, who can simply read the information and route the customer to the necessary dealership department without having to accommodate for different conversation channels. “Our BDC Inbox; think of it as the body and the suspension on top of our communications platform,” explains Nath. Dealers and their fixed operations departments are also able to see myKaarma work in real-time, keeping up to date with how customers are interacting with technicians or BDC agents.
This system drastically improves the efficiency of both fixed operations and BDC teams since agents are spending less time on the phone. Nath notes that dealers who work with myKaarma see the number of service department appointments rise by 10%, with call volumes often cut by half. Phone conversations made through myKaarma’s platform are also recorded, allowing dealers and customer representatives to know exactly what was discussed with clients should issues arise. The BDC Inbox also allows for channel switching, giving retailers control over how they respond to consumers.
The myKaarma platform is a powerful software suite with a proven track record of boosting BDC efficiency and fixed operations revenue. Nath notes that even more tools are planned for the platform, including an artificial intelligence plugin that will further speed up client communications. To learn more about how myKaarma can boost service results, visit the company’s website here.
*This article first appeared on CBT News here.