03
February
2025

Why Do My Appointments Not Show Up?

Unlock the secrets to boosting your customer appointment show rates! Discover how building rapport over the phone, responding quickly to leads, and maintaining communication can transform your dealership's success. Learn the essential steps to make every interaction count and ensure your customers show up ready to buy!

Why Do My Appointments Not Show Up?

There are many things that attribute to whether or not your customer will show up. One of the things you should always first consider is the level of rapport you built with the customer during your phone call. 43% of buyers say they are more likely to select a dealer if they have a favorable impression of the sales representative. While it’s not quite the majority of customers, it’s still an impressive portion of customers. It’s easy to forget that what we say and how we say it matter and following a process while still letting your personality shine through are the keys to building rapport over the phone. It is not and never will be answering every question the customer asks.

You need to control the call and create a relationship with the customer by selling the perks of purchasing from your dealership, addressing the customers’ needs and ultimately by providing them with a financing or vehicle solution. Lack of rapport building is one of the main reasons a customer will not purchase from you.

Up next would be considering how quickly you called the customer if they were an internet lead. 78% of the time, customers will purchase from the dealership that responds first, and we know customers visit 4.2 websites during their purchasing process. If you contact the customer within the first 5 minutes, you can expect to reach 70-80% of those customers. The early bird gets the worm isn’t just a saying, it absolutely applies to calling your leads. While texting is great, it cannot replace human interaction, and it will not allow you to build the rapport we just spoke about. Don’t be afraid of the phone, and if you want to sell more cars, you will need to work on that anxiety – because you won’t succeed without making phone calls.

If you are selling to challenged credit customers, then of course we have to consider how reliable the customer is and if they are a viable candidate. You can do this by asking them some questions about their situation, make sure they seem like a good fit. If you are going to have the customer complete an application ahead of time, do NOT call them with the application status/approval. Instead, ensure the customer that protecting them and their identity is of the utmost importance, and we cannot discuss approval until they are in the dealership. This prevents the customer from using you to get approved and then going to your competition, which they will do.

How close the appointment is to today would be something else to consider. Same day appointments are more likely to show then something set a few days out. If it’s early in the day ask “when are you available, I have time right now or later today...” and then pause. Stick to choices and always try to set something as close to today as possible. If you have to go a few days out, do not forget to stay in contact with the customer, including asking them questions to keep them engaged between now and their appointment date.

One of the most popular podcast topics on my show, Elevate with C&M Coaching, was an episode on Closure. Closure is one of the most important parts of your phone call. This step allows you to create a bridge between you as a human being who sells cars and your customer. You will begin this step by giving the customer your contact information, having them write it down is best but I also suggest texting it. This creates a personal connection. Next, repeat their appointment time and ask, “can I count on you to let me know if anything changes?” This plants an accountability seed. Avoid using the word “cancel” or “reschedule” as these plant a different idea in their head: a way out. Make sure you obtain an email address; this is the easiest way to ask for referrals or talk about a referral program. It’s also backup if their phone gets disconnected. Lastly, text or verbally give them your address. Please do not use another dealership as a landmark!

After you hang up with the customer, send them a text. Include your name, contact information, dealership name & location, plus their appointment details. If there is anything the customer needs to bring with to their appointment, include that. Think about this text as a prep for their appointment. It also helps solidify it in the customer’s mind.

The last piece of advice I have for you would be to place a reminder call the day before the appointment. You can increase your show ratio by having a manager confirm also, but at least 1 person should contact the customer to confirm the appointment day and time, what to bring and who the appointment is with. I would also send a text the morning of the appointment welcoming the customer in and reminding them again to let you know if anything changes. If you are setting an appointment on the same-day, you do not need to place the reminder call, but I would still send the text. It helps to lock the customer in.

All of these tips can help you increase your show ratio, but honestly how you handle that initial phone call will always be the most important. I encourage you to find a call trainer that can help your dealership write a word track tailored to your goals and one who will monitor those calls for success. Accountability is key and consistency is extremely important. The more you stick to a process and flow, the easier all of this will be. Best of luck!

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Categories: Dealer News Stories

Maggie Pugesek

Maggie Pugesek

A passionate expert in phone skills & internet leads since 2010, Maggie Pugesek specializes in customizing word tracks and processes to fit the needs of individual dealerships. C&M Coaching, focuses on improving call quality for Sales, BDC, Collections & service departments. Maggie also offers free training and tips on her podcast, Elevate with C&M Coaching. Maggie has spoken at previous national dealership conferences, Compliance Unleashed and directly to dealer 20 groups.

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