An Urban Science/Harris Poll survey finds 74% of U.S. auto dealers are unsatisfied with their ability to track sales leads but only 14% believe AI tools can help.

Dealers rank AI third for sales follow-up, putting greater trust in their own sales teams (57%) and BDC staff (22%). Only 15% of dealers say they are “extremely confident” that their sales process converts leads effectively, but 57% say they are “very confident” and only 5% say they are “slightly confident.”

Asked which lead metric they would most like to improve, dealers prioritized “lead-to-sale conversion rate” (49%) over “lead quality” (22%) and “response time” (16%).

“To boost conversion rates, dealers first need a clear understanding of what is driving their sales teams’ wins and losses, including daily defection insights,” writes Eric Demont, a global product director for Urban Science. “Once they have visibility into defection patterns, dealers can use that information to drive store performance by making targeted improvements to their follow-up, training and marketing workflows.”

A corresponding survey of U.S. car buyers and lessees found the majority (72%) expect to be contacted within 24 hours of expressing interest in a vehicle, including 10% who want to hear from the dealership within an hour. More than half (51%) say service cost is their No. 1 concern, edging out vehicle affordability (49%) and the cost of insurance (46%).

Read more at Urban Science