Millions of missed service calls are costing dealerships valuable revenue opportunities, according to new data from Car Wars, and the company’s CEO says artificial intelligence may help close the gap. On today’s episode of Driving Solutions, Stephane Ferri discusses the findings from the company’s 2026 white paper and how dealerships are using AI-powered communication tools to improve service scheduling and customer engagement.
According to Ferri, Car Wars tracked roughly 53 million inbound service calls across its dealership network in 2025. Of those calls, about 19 million represented missed opportunities, highlighting what Ferri described as a significant operational challenge for the industry. More than half of the missed calls, 53%, resulted in a voicemail, while 29% of callers hung up after waiting on hold too long. Despite the large call volume, only about 4 million service appointments were ultimately booked. Ferri said the data underscores the continued importance of the phone as a primary lead source for dealerships.
While most customers still call the dealership before they visit, Ferry notes that inquiries often involve service scheduling, vehicle availability, hours of operation, or sales questions. When calls go unanswered or customers encounter long wait times, many simply contact another dealership, he added.
Car Wars’ research also found that service call volume peaks between 10 a.m. and noon, the same period when customers most frequently request appointments. The overlap often creates operational bottlenecks as service advisors attempt to balance inbound calls with in-store customer interactions.
To address the issue, Ferry said many dealerships are turning to AI-powered call-handling systems that automatically answer calls, schedule service appointments, and route inquiries to the appropriate department.
“We have made [our AI] based upon the telephony in which we specialize in to make AI work more in conjunction with the dealership and their clients.”
According to Car Wars, human agents typically take about 4 minutes and 38 seconds to schedule a service appointment over the phone. But Ferri notes that the company’s conversational AI system can complete the same task in less than two minutes. He emphasized that the technology is intended to assist dealership staff rather than replace them.
Dealers can deploy AI in several ways, including answering calls after hours, managing overflow during peak service periods, or supporting receptionists by handling routine inquiries. In some cases, the system gathers customer information before transferring the caller to a dealership employee.
The technology also incorporates voice recognition to identify returning customers and connect call data directly with dealership customer relationship management systems. That capability allows stores to track call history, route sales inquiries to specific staff members, and generate alerts when follow-up calls are not completed.
Ferri said improving phone communication can also strengthen fixed operations performance, which remains a key profit center for many dealerships. Capturing more service appointments, he said, can help improve fixed absorption and reduce pressure on vehicle sales revenue.
Interest in AI communication tools has accelerated across the industry as dealerships look for ways to increase efficiency while meeting rising customer expectations. Ferri said Car Wars plans to introduce additional AI features in 2026 to further improve call handling and dealership communication workflows.
