How ShortLoop helped AM Ford activate high-intent customers, converting 1 in 3 service callers

We deployed ShortLoop’s customized Phone AI for AM Ford, a family-owned dealership in Jefferson. ShortLoop’s AI was trained to handle call overflow and after-hours engagement. It answered 15% of all calls at the dealership that the AM Ford team couldn’t cover, with 13% of them during after-hours hours.

Those conversations resulted in $33,750 in service revenue and about $16,000 in sales deals.

The Customer

Located in Jefferson, Ohio, AM Ford is a family-owned Ford dealership recognized for its customer-focused service and streamlined car-buying process. Located near Ashtabula, Conneaut, Geneva, and Madison, AM Ford had to handle a growing customer base with varying call volume while maintaining the quality they promised.

As their teams tried to keep up with inbound demand, they adopted ShortLoop Phone AI to ensure the business wasn’t hurt by call overflow or missed leads during after-hours. 

The Situation

AM Ford wanted to ensure each customer was heard while also retaining the human touch. Advisors were helping customers in-store while new calls and voicemails stacked up in the background. After hours, calls from high-intent buyers or service customers went unanswered. This resulted in lost revenue and customers being frustrated.

Realizing this, we worked closely to prepare a customized AI that best fit into their workflow. 

Staff had two big problems:

• Overload during working hours: Advisors juggled calls and in-person customers, leading to delays or dropped conversations.
• No after-hours coverage: Calls made by high-intent customers to the dealership when it was closed.

The Solution

ShortLoop deployed a completely customized voice agent designed to handle customers like a new member of AM Ford’s team. Our AI kicked in after a set number of rings and interacted with customers when their staff couldn’t, including after hours.

Unlike other AI systems that work like a menu system, callers at AM Ford were greeted by ShortLoop’s Phone AI, which:

• Understands caller intent (service, sales, parts, finance)
• Operates 24/7
• Syncs with the dealership’s systems (DMS scheduling)

ShortLoop's Impact

Over these months, AI has handled 15.5% of all calls at the dealership, saving almost 16 hours of staff time across departments.

We found out that:

• Service calls and follow-ups made up the largest share of AI conversations. Of those, 32% became qualified new service leads and resulted in new jobs.

• Nearly 1-in-4 sales callers became qualified sales leads.

• ShortLoop AI also captured parts and finance callers who would have otherwise gone to voicemail, bringing in parts business.

Conclusion

Over the past four months, AM Ford has improved its operational efficiency and added significant revenue. These numbers will improve as ShortLoop enables even more customizations for its customers. 

Many dealerships face similar challenges. They have tried additional staffing or other AI as a solution. For such dealerships, ShortLoop shows how AI can act as a trained teammate, improving revenue and ensuring customers have the best experience possible.