Better Car People

If you’ve been in the automotive industry for any length of time, you already know how challenging it is to keep up with customer expectations. The modern customer wants fast, seamless interactions, whether they’re shopping for a car, scheduling a service appointment, or simply looking for information. The problem, however, is that most dealerships don’t have the manpower to respond instantly to every lead, answer every phone call, and meet the growing demand for fast, effective customer service.

That’s where Better Car People comes in.

Since its founding in 2010, Better Car People has been dedicated to helping dealerships connect with customers in a way that is both efficient and professional. But what truly sets the company apart is that it doesn’t rely solely on automation or artificial intelligence. Instead, Better Car People focuses on blending advanced technology with real human intelligence to create an experience that feels personal and engaging.

Recently, Better Car People took a major step forward with the acquisition of Proactive Dealer Solutions, a company with over 30 years of experience in automotive sales and service training. This move signals a new era for Better Car People, as it now has the resources and expertise to provide dealerships with a level of service that goes beyond simple automation.

By combining cutting-edge AI, highly efficient automation, and trained human agents, the company has built a system that helps dealerships capture more leads, schedule more service appointments, and increase overall sales without placing additional burdens on their staff.

“We are addressing one of the most significant pain points in the industry today: the challenge of responding to customer inquiries quickly and effectively,” says Syl Raymond, Chief Strategy Officer of Better Car People. “In an environment where slow response times can mean lost sales, having a solution that guarantees fast and high-quality engagement is a game changer.”

Meeting Customer Expectations in a 24/7 Digital World

Running a dealership today is far more complicated than it was even a decade ago. With the rise of digital communication, customer expectations have evolved dramatically. No longer do people wait patiently for a callback or assume that a delay in response is normal. Instead, they expect immediate engagement, whether it’s through email, text, or phone calls.

A common scenario plays out at dealerships across the country: A potential customer submits a lead through the dealership’s website at 9 PM. They’re interested in a specific vehicle, they have questions, and they’re eager to get a response. However, the sales team has already left for the day, and by the time someone follows up the next morning, that customer has already moved on. Perhaps they’ve found another dealership that responded faster, or maybe they’ve decided to delay their purchase altogether. Either way, the opportunity is lost simply because the dealership wasn’t able to engage with them in real time.

This isn’t just a rare occurrence; it happens constantly. Studies have shown that if a lead isn’t answered within the first ten minutes, the chances of converting that customer drop significantly. Given that many dealership teams are already stretched thin, expecting them to be available 24/7 is simply unrealistic.

That’s where a service like Better Car People’s First Quality Response (FQR) becomes invaluable.

But sales isn’t the only area where dealerships struggle with customer engagement. The service department also faces major challenges, particularly when it comes to handling inbound phone calls. A large percentage of customers still prefer to schedule service appointments over the phone, but many dealerships lack the staffing to handle the volume of incoming calls. As a result, calls go unanswered, customers are placed on hold for extended periods, and many eventually give up and take their business elsewhere.

These missed opportunities add up quickly. Every unanswered call is potentially lost revenue, whether it’s a missed service appointment, an unbooked repair, or even a customer who decides to trade in their vehicle elsewhere because they couldn’t get the information they needed.

“We have designed our solutions specifically to tackle these issues head-on,” says Matthew Belk, Chief Product Officer. “By leveraging the power of AI for speed and efficiency while keeping human agents in the loop for more complex interactions, we ensure that every customer gets the response they need— when they need it.”

The result is a system that improves customer satisfaction and drives measurable results for dealerships.

Enhancing Dealership Success

Better Car People has built a suite of tools that address both sales and service challenges in a dealership. These solutions integrate seamlessly into existing dealership operations, providing immediate improvements.

First in line is First Quality Response (FQR), one of the company’s flagship solutions, designed to ensure that no sales lead ever goes unanswered.

When a potential customer submits a lead—whether through the dealership website, a third-party listing, or an OEM platform—FQR guarantees a high-quality response within ten minutes, regardless of the time of day. Unlike automated email replies that often feel impersonal, its responses are crafted to be manufacturer-compliant, personalized to the customer’s specific inquiry, and structured to encourage the customer to take the next step, whether that’s booking an appointment or visiting the dealership in person.

The impact of FQR is significant. In a study conducted across ten dealerships, eight of them saw a measurable increase in sales, ranging from three to eight percent, simply by implementing FQR. In contrast, the two dealerships that did not adopt the solution saw their sales decrease by 7.5 percent during the same period. These numbers underscore just how critical response time is in converting leads into actual sales.

On the service side, Better Car People offers Brook AI, an intelligent voice assistant designed to handle inbound service department calls.

Brook AI ensures that every call is answered, eliminating the frustration customers feel when they are placed on hold or sent to voicemail. More importantly, Brook AI is capable of scheduling up to 40 percent of service appointments automatically, freeing up dealership staff to focus on more complex customer needs.

However, what makes Brook AI truly unique is its ability to seamlessly integrate human agents into the process when needed. If a customer requires additional assistance, the AI can instantly route the call to the appropriate team member. Additionally, if a customer hangs up before completing their appointment booking, a live agent follows up immediately to re-engage them.

“Our proactive approach has led to a 50 percent success rate in recovering potentially lost appointments, resulting in a significant increase in service department revenue,” says Belk.

Balancing AI and Human Interaction

One of the biggest misconceptions about AI-driven solutions is that they remove the human element from customer service. In reality, Better Car People has designed its platform to do the opposite. While AI handles routine tasks and ensures fast response times, human agents step in whenever personal engagement is required.

What sets Better Car People apart is the quality of its human agents. These are not generic call center employees following a script. Instead, they are individuals trained specifically in dealership operations, customer engagement techniques, and automotive sales and service processes. Because of this expertise, they can provide a level of service that feels natural, knowledgeable, and genuinely helpful to customers.

By striking the right balance between technology and human interaction, Better Car People delivers an experience that is both efficient and personal. Customers get the quick responses they expect, but they also receive the depth of service that only a real person can provide. This approach not only improves customer satisfaction but also drives long-term loyalty and repeat business.

Driving the Future of Dealership Engagement

As the automotive industry continues to evolve, Better Car People is committed to staying ahead of the curve. The company is investing heavily in AI development to make its systems even smarter and more responsive. Additionally, its recent acquisition of Proactive Dealer Solutions positions it to offer an even broader range of training and support services for dealerships.

“The ultimate goal is to redefine what dealership customer engagement looks like,” says Raymond. “By combining the speed and efficiency of technology with the personal touch of human agents, we are setting a new standard for how dealerships interact with their customers.”

In an industry where customer expectations are higher than ever, having the right tools and strategies in place can make all the difference. Better Car People isn’t just keeping up with these changes—it’s leading the way, ensuring that dealerships can provide the kind of fast, effective, and personal service that keeps customers coming back.