On the Dash:
- Every brand in the study improved its service scheduling score, lifting the industry average 7 points
- Volkswagen ranked first overall, Volvo second, with Acura, BMW, Mazda and Nissan tied for third
- Independent chains reached callers faster and offered earlier appointments than the average dealership
According to a new Pied Piper report, each auto brand improved its customer service scheduling this year. Per the report, Volkswagen dealers led the 2026 Service Scheduling Effectiveness (SSE) Auto Industry Study with an average score of 73 out of 100. The industry’s average increased by 7 points in its second year. Pied Piper evaluated 6,538 service requests via phone and website from dealerships of 33 U.S. brands and four independent chains.
Additionally, website scheduling improved the most, rising 12 points as technical issues dropped from 9% to 5%. Phone scheduling increased by 3 points, though eight brands experienced declines. Overall, 16% of callers couldn’t book appointments, exceeding 25% for five brands, while three stayed below 10%. Common problems included being placed on hold, stuck in phone trees or AI loops, or reaching voicemail. The report also noted that AI handled routine requests effectively, but about one-third of AI-to-human transfers failed.
How the brands ranked for service scheduling
Volvo placed second overall at 71 behind Volkswagen, and Acura, BMW, Mazda and Nissan tied for third at 70. Volvo led website scheduling at 79, while Volkswagen led phone scheduling at 69.
Website scheduling failure rates ranged from under 1% to 31% by brand, compared with 5% industrywide. Here’s how brands performed on several key measures:
- Booked online less than one week out more than 95% of the time: Acura, Honda, Mini, Mercedes-Benz and Mitsubishi
- Booked online less than one week out under 80% of the time: Hyundai, Lincoln, Genesis and Alfa Romeo
- Answered calls within three rings more than 80% of the time: Land Rover, Porsche and Volkswagen
- Answered calls within three rings under 65% of the time: Lincoln, Infiniti, Chrysler and Genesis
- Set an appointment on more than 90% of calls: Porsche, Volkswagen and Toyota
- Set an appointment on under 75% of calls: Genesis, Dodge, Ram, Lincoln and Alfa Romeo
- Earliest phone appointment less than two days out: Land Rover, Honda, Mini and Lexus
- Earliest phone appointment more than five days out: Ram, Lincoln and Genesis
Independents set the pace on the phone
Independent chains Midas, Pep Boys, Firestone and Meineke outperformed dealerships on key phone measures. Callers reached an advisor in 38 seconds at independents and 66 seconds at dealerships. The earliest appointment averaged 1.3 days out at independents and 2.9 days at dealers.
Dealers scored higher for the overall website experience, though independents had fewer online booking failures. Fixed ops generates 70% to 80% of dealership operating profit, according to Pied Piper.
