CRISP stands for Connect, Request & Invite, Set, and Pursue – key metrics driving successful dealership operations. By focusing on these metrics, dealers can quickly and effectively enhance both Sales and Service phone performance to boost overall appointments booked and bottom-line revenue. Here’s a refresher on what each metric represents:

• Connect (C): The percentage of customers who get connected ear to ear with a qualified agent and hang up with their questions answered. A connected call does NOT mean the phone was answered or the customer spoke to a receptionist who transferred them to a voicemail. 

• Request & Invite (RI): The percentage of calls where potential customers are extended an invitation to the dealership for a test drive or service appointment. 

• Set (S): The percentage of firm appointments successfully set from calls. A firm appointment is when the potential buyer agrees to a firm time and date rather than a rough time frame. 

• Pursue (P): The percentage of follow-ups made to stranded leads. This could include customers who hung up on hold, customers who left a voice message, vehicle status updates, declined service follow-ups, appointment reminders, follow-ups to no-shows, and more.   

How Does Your Dealership Compare to Car Wars’ Benchmark?

After analyzing the data from the top 20% of dealerships, Car Wars identified the latest benchmarks for both Sales and Service performance. Car Wars also analyzed the average CRISP metrics across all partnering dealerships over the past 12 months for an overview of where dealers currently stand and where to improve.

These benchmarks provide a clear picture of where dealers stand compared to the top 20% of Car Wars partners and the industry average. The Sales benchmarks reveal top dealers connect with 80% of their callers, successfully invite 75% of sales opportunities into the dealership, convert 45% of those calls into firm appointments, and pursue 100% of their stranded leads. In comparison, the average dealership connects with 62.69% of callers, invites 55.87% to the dealership, sets firm appointments with 31.25% of them, and pursues 43.64% of stranded leads.

On the Service side, the top Car Wars dealerships connect with 85% of their callers, invite 95% of potential customers into the dealership, set firm appointments for 75% of those calls, and pursue 25% for follow-ups.

Tips to Improve CRISP Metrics  

• Connect: Utilize phone bridges so each customer gets connected to the right department without getting transferred and left stranded on hold. The average hold time is 3 minutes! 
• Request and Invite: Provide staff with word tracks for common objections like price concerns. Request the customer come in for an appointment and you can discuss pricing once you get them into your dealership. 
• Set: Try the Whittle and Shepard technique. Start by asking the customer if the beginning or end of the week works best for their schedule. Next you can ask if mornings or evenings are usually better for them. Then offer two firm appointment times for the customer to choose from. 
• Pursue: Follow up with every soft appointment and see if you can set a firm time and day as their soft appointment approaches.

By committing to the CRISP methodology, your dealership can start seeing improvements in your Sales and Service phone performance. Car Wars proven strategies and tools will empower your team to connect more callers, invite more customers, set more appointments, and pursue more leads, driving significant growth in ROI. 

To learn more about Car Wars’ advanced reporting and AI-fueled call insights, fill out your information HERE and your Car Wars representative will reach out to you shortly. They will help you implement the CRISP methodology and achieve these recommended benchmarks to set you apart as a top-performing dealership on the phone.