BDC / JOURNEY
The whole path.
Different clients hire ARK for different parts of this. We should understand all of it.
Discovery
- Owner
- Marketing
- Objective
- Be findable when the need appears.
- Context needed
- Where they came from; what they searched.
- Common failure
- Attributing the sale to the last click.
- Measure
- Source → transaction, per lane.
- Automate
- Nothing yet — no record exists.
- Brand risk
- Promising an experience the desk can’t deliver.
Inquiry
- Owner
- Marketing → Sales
- Objective
- Capture enough to route on.
- Context needed
- The eight answers, including consent.
- Common failure
- Two fields and a hope.
- Measure
- Cost per qualified lead.
- Automate
- Record creation, source identification.
- Brand risk
- A form that asks more than it explains.
First response
- Owner
- BDC
- Objective
- Reach them on their channel before intent cools.
- Context needed
- What they asked; the vehicle file; consent.
- Common failure
- Calling a number that asked for SMS.
- Measure
- Median time to first human contact.
- Automate
- Assignment, SLA start, draft message.
- Brand risk
- An automated message pretending to be a person.
Conversation
- Owner
- BDC
- Objective
- Understand the reason underneath the request.
- Context needed
- Everything already collected — so it isn’t asked again.
- Common failure
- Re-asking what the form captured.
- Measure
- Contact → conversation rate.
- Automate
- Transcription, summary, record update.
- Brand risk
- Interrogation dressed as qualification.
Qualification
- Owner
- BDC
- Objective
- Learn what changes the recommendation.
- Context needed
- Timeline, payment path, trade, deal-breaker.
- Common failure
- Qualifying for the desk’s convenience, not the customer’s fit.
- Measure
- Qualified rate by source.
- Automate
- Nothing — judgment stays human.
- Brand risk
- Asking questions you can’t justify.
Appointment
- Owner
- BDC
- Objective
- Book a real one: person, time, purpose, owner.
- Context needed
- Who they’re meeting and what will be ready.
- Common failure
- Booking volume as the goal.
- Measure
- Appointment rate; show rate on those appointments.
- Automate
- Calendar, assignment, briefing draft.
- Brand risk
- A booking made to hit a number.
Confirmation
- Owner
- BDC
- Objective
- Protect the show rate.
- Context needed
- What has been prepared for their arrival.
- Common failure
- A bare reminder, or three of them.
- Measure
- Confirmed vs unconfirmed show rate.
- Automate
- Scheduled confirmation on the consented channel.
- Brand risk
- Confirming on a channel they refused.
Show
- Owner
- Showroom
- Objective
- They arrive and are expected.
- Context needed
- The briefing, read before they walk in.
- Common failure
- Nobody owns the appointment.
- Measure
- Show rate.
- Automate
- Arrival notification.
- Brand risk
- “Who were you dealing with?”
Handoff
- Owner
- BDC → Showroom
- Objective
- Transfer context, not just a name.
- Context needed
- Everything the customer has already said.
- Common failure
- The customer repeats themselves.
- Measure
- Handoffs with a complete briefing.
- Automate
- Briefing delivery, record transfer.
- Brand risk
- The floor contradicting the phone.
Proposal
- Owner
- Showroom
- Objective
- Put a defensible number in front of them.
- Context needed
- Trade, payment range, negative equity.
- Common failure
- A payment that fits the ad, not the customer.
- Measure
- Proposal → close rate.
- Automate
- Figures assembled; terms stay human.
- Brand risk
- A number that changes at the desk.
Close
- Owner
- Showroom → Finance
- Objective
- Complete the transaction on the terms discussed.
- Context needed
- Everything promised, in writing.
- Common failure
- Terms drift between the floor and finance.
- Measure
- Close rate; gross per unit.
- Automate
- Nothing — permanently human-owned.
- Brand risk
- The finance office undoing the brand.
Delivery
- Owner
- Operations
- Objective
- Keep every promise made to get here.
- Context needed
- The promise checklist, with evidence.
- Common failure
- Delivery as paperwork rather than an event.
- Measure
- Promise checklist completion.
- Automate
- Checklist enforcement before signing.
- Brand risk
- A promise quietly dropped at the end.
Follow-up
- Owner
- BDC
- Objective
- Confirm the thing they bought it for works.
- Context needed
- What they said the vehicle was for.
- Common failure
- A survey instead of a conversation.
- Measure
- Check-in response rate.
- Automate
- Scheduled, offered to the consent gate.
- Brand risk
- Asking for a review before asking how it’s going.
Referral
- Owner
- BDC
- Objective
- Earn it rather than request it.
- Context needed
- Whether the experience actually held.
- Common failure
- Asking at the moment of least goodwill.
- Measure
- Referral rate.
- Automate
- Nothing — the ask is human.
- Brand risk
- Incentivising a recommendation they don’t mean.
Repeat
- Owner
- BDC
- Objective
- Be there when the cycle comes round.
- Context needed
- Ownership record; equity position; life change.
- Common failure
- Losing the customer the day the car leaves.
- Measure
- Repeat purchase at 36–48 months.
- Automate
- Value watch on triggers they chose.
- Brand risk
- Marketing to them as though they’re new.
Note the Automate field. Four of the fifteen stages read “nothing.” Judgment, terms, and the referral ask stay human on purpose — automate memory, assist judgment, keep accountability human.