Centralized Service BDC Made Possible with Volie-The Niello Story

The Niello Company, a legacy auto group in Sacramento, California, successfully launched a centralized service BDC with Volie, improving efficiency and customer experience across its 10 dealership rooftops and body shop. Representing luxury brands such as Porsche, Audi, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, Volvo, Acura, and Volkswagen, Niello recognized the need to centralize service operations for better call management, appointment scheduling, and overall customer service.

The Challenge: A Disjointed Approach to Service Calls

Before implementing a centralized BDC, each dealership handled service calls independently, leading to significant inefficiencies:

• Long hold times and excessive voicemail messages.
• Inconsistent customer experiences across locations.
• Difficulty managing inbound and outbound call volumes effectively.
• No clear tracking or performance reporting on call handling.

As the company grew, it became clear that some stores were struggling to keep up, causing missed opportunities and customer dissatisfaction. To address these issues, Niello needed a scalable, data-driven solution to streamline its service communication strategy.

The Solution: Building a Service BDC with Volie

• In early 2024, Niello took a phased approach to launching its service BDC, starting with one store and gradually expanding across all rooftops. Their implementation strategy included:

  1. Appointing the Right Leadership – Niello selected Carl Figenshu, an experienced service advisor, to lead the BDC, ensuring a strong foundation for success.
  2. Piloting at the Highest-Volume Store – The company tested the BDC concept at its busiest BMW dealership, using manual tracking before transitioning to an automated solution.
  3. Implementing Volie’s BDC Software – Volie enabled scalable growth, improved call tracking, and enhanced transparency through:
     • Automated reporting and performance metrics.
     • Real-time tracking of inbound and outbound calls.
     • Efficient handling of voicemail follow-ups and customer callbacks.
  4. Gradual Expansion – Over six months, Niello scaled its BDC to all dealerships, hiring internal team members to maintain brand knowledge and expertise.

The Results: A Game-Changer for Niello

1. With Volie, Niello’s service operations saw immediate improvements:

   • Near-100% inbound call answer rate, reducing reliance on voicemails.
   • 40–50% outbound call answer rate, leading to a 40–50% appointment booking rate.
   • Improved appointment show rates due to proactive reminders and follow-ups.
   • Higher team efficiency, with BDC agents averaging 40 appointments per day.
   • Stronger store integration, as upper management visited dealerships regularly to align on service strategies.
   • Effective after-hours call management, preventing lost customer opportunities.

Key Takeaways for Dealerships Considering a Service BDC

• Leadership is crucial – A knowledgeable manager with a fixed operations background is essential for success.
• Start with the biggest challenge – Tackling high-volume stores first ensures quick wins and a strong foundation.
• Leverage the right technology – Volie’s centralized platform provided the necessary automation and transparency.
• Prioritizing employee training and engagement – Hiring from within and offering ongoing education helped the BDC team succeed.
• Use data to drive decisions – Real-time tracking enables continuous optimization and accountability.

Conclusion: The Future of Service BDCs with Volie

The Niello Company’s transition to a centralized service BDC with Volie has revolutionized its customer service strategy, leading to increased appointment conversions, improved communication, and streamlined dealership operations. What started as a cautious rollout has now become a core component of Niello’s fixed operations success.

With all stores now using Volie, Niello continues to refine its service BDC, ensuring consistent, high-quality customer experiences across all luxury brands. For dealerships considering a BDC transformation, Niello’s journey proves that the right leadership, strategy, and technology can drive measurable success.