Key Takeaways
- An automotive servicing company called customers with price quotes and needed approval before starting repairs, but many customers did not answer in time.
- INFORM® Branded Calling showed customers a verified business name and reason for the call before they picked up.
- Calls answered with a duration of a minute or longer rose 11%, and unique answers across all calls rose 7%.
- Successful resolutions rose by 25%, and hang-ups on answered calls fell by 4%, giving agents the confirmations they needed to move vehicles through the shop.
Why Do Automotive Service Calls Go Unanswered?
One prominent automotive servicing company kept hitting a roadblock: they weren’t reaching their customers in a timely manner because calls went unanswered. Once a technician diagnosed a vehicle, an agent called the customer with a price quote and asked for approval to perform the service. Until the customer said yes, the vehicle sat in the bay.
Many calls went unanswered, and agents could not get approvals in a timely manner. The calls were important and time-sensitive, but they arrived from a number the customer did not recognize. The reality: most people do not answer an unknown number, especially during a workday.
What Does a Missed Approval Call Cost a Service Operation?
A missed approval call creates a chain of delays. The vehicle sits in the bay. The technician cannot start the repair. The agent must dial again, leave a voicemail, or try a different channel. Meanwhile, the customer, who may be waiting on their car, has no idea why the shop is trying to reach them.
Each of these steps adds cost:
- Idle capacity. Bays and technicians wait on approvals instead of completing work.
- Repeat dialing. Agents spend time on redials that could be directed to other customers.
- Customer frustration. A customer who finally sees several missed calls may feel uncertain about the status of their vehicle.
- Slower turnaround. Every hour spent waiting for approval pushes back the pickup time.
How Does Branded Calling Help Customers Recognize the Call?
INFORM Branded Calling displays a verified business name and a reason for the call on the customer’s screen. With INFORM with Logo, companies can also include their logo. For this company, customers could see who was calling before they answered. That context turned an unfamiliar number into a call from a service provider about their vehicle.
Customers who expect an update from their service shop have a reason to pick up when they can confirm who is calling. Branded calling gives them that confirmation at the moment they decide whether to answer.
What Results Did the Company See?
After adopting INFORM Branded Calling, the company saw gains across engagement, contact, and conversion:
- Engagement rate: 11% lift in calls answered with a duration of a minute or longer
- Contact rate: 7% lift in the percentage of unique answers across all calls
- Conversion rate: 25% lift in successful resolutions
- Talk rate: 4% decrease in hang ups on answered calls
Together, these numbers show a clear pattern. More customers answered. Those who answered stayed on the line long enough to review the quote, and fewer hung up before the conversation took place. More calls ended with the approval agents needed to start the work.
Why Do Longer Calls Matter for Price Quote Conversations?
A price quote call takes more than a few seconds. The agent explains the diagnosis, lists the recommended services, states the cost, and answers questions. A call that lasts a minute or longer indicates that the customer stayed engaged through that conversation.
The 11% lift in calls answered with a duration of a minute or longer, paired with the 4% decrease in hang ups, suggests that customers treated the call as worth their time. When customers know who is calling and why, they are less likely to end the call before the agent can explain the quote.
What Did Happy Customers and Efficient Agents Look Like in Practice?
For customers, the change was simple. A call from their service provider looked like a call from their service provider. They could take the call, hear the quote, and approve or decline without chasing voicemails.
For agents, the change showed up in the workday. Fewer unanswered calls meant fewer redials. Agents could resolve approvals on the first conversation more often and spend their time on the next customer in the queue. The result was a smoother process for both sides: happier customers and higher operational efficiency.
What Should Service Teams Track Beyond Answer Rate?
Answer rate alone does not show whether a call did its job. Teams that depend on customer approval should track a wider set of measures including decline rate, reach, calls per individual, and more. You can see all these by upgrading to INFORM Advanced Analytics.
Start Getting Results with Branded Calling
Ready to help more customers recognize and answer your calls? See how INFORM Branded Calling helps your agents reach customers, get the confirmations they need, and keep work moving. Get started.
INFORM Branded Calling Frequently Asked Questions
Who can use branded calling? Branded calling can benefit businesses of any size that make outbound calls. This includes retailers, banks, car companies, call centers, and concierge services. If your business contacts customers, we help ensure those calls are answered while strengthening your brand reputation.
How many devices does First Orion cover? There are nearly 400 million phones in the U.S., including iPhones and Androids. INFORM Branded Calling reaches customers on any connected device in the U.S. and Canada. Our branded calling solutions work across every major U.S. carrier, including T-Mobile, Boost Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T, as well as select carriers in the U.K., the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Belgium, and Germany.
Is branded calling easy to activate? Yes! With INFORM, there’s no complicated integration or special software needed. Since it’s carrier-based, your branded calls reach iPhone and Android users across all major U.S. networks and over 22 million customers in Canada. Need something more custom? We also offer an API for businesses that want to automate.
What’s the difference between INFORM Branded Calling and traditional caller ID? Traditional caller ID is outdated and inconsistent. It relies on a patchwork of databases, and often customers don’t even see it. INFORM enables you to control how your business shows up with caller ID. You can even customize calls by department, such as sales, service, or delivery.
How do I register my business number? It’s easier than you think. Start by registering your number through the First Orion customer portal. Our free business number registration makes it simple! We guide you through the process to ensure your business is verified and your calls are not mislabeled. Register your number(s).
What networks does First Orion serve? All the big ones: T-Mobile, Boost Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, and more, and select carriers in the U.K., Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Belgium, and Germany through the Global Exchange. With First Orion, you don’t have to worry about how your calls appear across different carriers. We’ve got it covered for both U.S. and Canadian subscribers with Rogers and Bell carriers.
Related Resources
5 Ways Branded Calling Boosts Customer Trust and Engagement Rates
How a Recruiting Service Cut Repeat Dialing and Grew Talk Time by 63.5% with Branded Calling
How Branded Calling Scales with Your Business
Protecting Your Call Reputation Before It Costs You Customers
