The Big Hang Up: Your Phone Is Ringing…But Are Your Customers Hanging Up?
- Anthony Sudon
- Nov 12
- 3 min read
30-Second Takeaway: A 2024 study analyzing nearly 3,000 automotive dealerships found that 31.8% of unconnected calls result from customers hanging up while on hold after an average hold time of 3 minutes and 5 seconds. Meanwhile, 28% of car buyers who make a phone call will purchase a vehicle, making every dropped call a potential lost sale. While your customers are hanging up in frustration, your competition is answering on the second ring with branded caller ID and immediate assistance.
The Phone Experience Your Customers Are Actually Getting
61% of car buyers call dealerships after completing their online research. They're not browsing anymore. They're ready to move forward. Yet here's what many of them encounter:
3 minutes and 5 seconds average hold time before reaching a human
31.8% hang up while waiting and move on to your competition
Calls showing as "Unknown" or "Spam Likely" that customers won't answer
Non-text-enabled lines when customers prefer to text
Up to 72% of dealers don't ask for appointments during sales calls
Your Competitor's Secret Weapon
While you're losing customers to long hold times and unlabeled caller ID, some dealerships have figured out the phone experience advantage:
Branded caller ID that shows the dealership name and builds instant trust
Text-enabled lines that let customers communicate in their preferred way
Quick connection protocols that minimize hold times
Appointment-focused call scripts that convert conversations to showroom visits
The Monday-Thursday Advantage
Car Wars' analysis of 2024 dealership call data revealed that Monday is consistently the busiest day for inbound calls, with volume tapering through the week.
The dealerships winning more phone business aren't just answering faster. They're optimizing staffing patterns around peak call times and using this knowledge to their advantage while competitors wing it.
The Invisible Competitive Gap
Most dealers think their phone experience is fine because they don't hear about the customers who hang up and call someone else. You only hear from the ones patient enough to wait through your hold system.
But your competition across town? They might be answering in 30 seconds with a friendly, "Hi, this is Mike at [Dealership Name], how can I help you find your next vehicle today?"
While you're putting customers on hold to "check inventory," they're immediately connecting customers to product specialists who can answer questions without delay.
The Real Cost of Phone Friction
28% of consumers who call a dealership will purchase a vehicle.
A hung-up call isn't just a lost lead, it's a lost sale worth thousands in commission and gross profit.
Even more painful: 38% of consumers will stop doing business with a company after one bad call experience. You don't get a second chance to make a first phone impression.
What You Don't Know Is Costing You
The dealership that consistently beats you for phone ups isn't necessarily spending more money or having more inventory. They might just be:
Answering faster with better-trained staff
Using branded caller ID so customers answer calls
Text-enabling all lines to meet customer communication preferences
Professionally training their team to convert calls to visits
Stop Guessing, Start Knowing
You can't fix phone experience problems you don't know exist. While you assume your hold times are reasonable, your competition might be operating with completely different standards and winning customers because of it.
Want to know exactly how your phone experience compares to your toughest competitor?
For a limited time, purchase an Applied Concepts Engagement Intelligence assessment and receive a complete phone experience analysis of one local competitor at no additional charge. Find out if your competition is answering faster, connecting better, and converting more callers into customers.
Or
Call 800-393-CARS (2277)
Join Applied Concepts at NADA 2026
Sources:
Car Wars 2024 study of nearly 3,000 dealerships
LSA/Google data
Marchex study of 307,000 calls to 650+ dealerships
Invoca/Dealix studies
