How fast does your dealership answer a lead?

A shopper who fills out a form at 9 PM is usually looking at more than one lot. The store that answers first gets the conversation, and the conversation gets the test drive. That isn't a slogan. It's been measured.

What the research says

A Harvard Business Review study of more than 2,000 U.S. companies found that firms that contacted an online lead within an hour were nearly 7 times as likely to have a meaningful conversation with a decision maker as firms that waited even one more hour, and more than 60 times as likely as firms that waited 24 hours or longer.^[1] The same study found the average first response took 42 hours.

Leads also cost more every year. Across Central Florida, cost per lead for dealers rose about 14% year over year in 2026.^¹ When every lead costs more, a lead that waits until morning is money left on the table.

Test your own store in 10 minutes

1. Pick a car on your website. Use a personal email and phone number your team won't recognize.
2. Submit the vehicle inquiry form at 7 PM on a weekday. Note the time.
3. Send a text or chat from the same page if your site offers it.
4. Write down when the first human reply arrives, by email, text and phone. An auto-responder that says “we got your message” doesn't count.
5. Repeat on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.

Then do the same test on two competitors. That comparison is usually the most useful number you'll get all month.

What good looks like

• Under 5 minutes, nights and weekends included.
• The reply answers the question that was asked: is it available, what's the out-the-door price, can I see it Saturday.
• It offers a specific time for a test drive, not “let us know when you'd like to come in.”
• Texts go only to shoppers who ticked a separate consent box. Florida's telemarketing law (FTSA) makes unconsented texts a lawsuit risk.
• Prices quoted in the reply match the all-in price the FTC expects in your ads.

How to get there without hiring

Most stores can't staff a BDC at 9 PM. You don't need to. An instant reply by text (for opted-in shoppers), email and callback can answer the basics, offer test-drive times, and hand the conversation to a salesperson in the morning with the full thread attached.

If you'd rather not test it yourself, we'll do it for you. We contact your store like a shopper, time the reply, and send you how it compares. See how our follow-up works.