Your BDC representatives have watched the auto industry change right before their eyes. They adapted when leads started coming through website forms instead of walk-ins, and jumped in to help when inventory shortages meant explaining long wait times and high prices to eager buyers.

While the tools and technology they use have evolved, their core mission hasn’t changed: Connecting with customers and filling your pipeline with leads. Let’s look at how BDC representatives have evolved, what’s stayed the same, and how you can set your team up for success.

What Is a BDC Representative at a Car Dealership?

Think of your BDC representatives as your dealership’s front line. While your sales team works the showroom floor, handles test drives, and closes deals, your BDC reps are busy behind the scenes making sure those customers show up in the first place. They’re the ones following up on website inquiries, responding to emails, and setting appointments.

But the modern meaning of a BDC representative is more than just someone who answers phones. There are service BDC representatives, who quickly respond to inquiries, set appointments, and follow up to improve show rates. And there are sales BDC representatives: true relationship builders who keep your pipeline full and your sales team busy with qualified leads.

Both types of BDC representatives are essential for the modern dealership, helping your in-house teams focus on what they do best: selling cars to the customers who are ready to buy and providing excellent service.

What Does a BDC Representative Do in the Digital Age?

Let’s break down what BDC representatives actually do day-to-day, starting with a traditional in-house team. These BDC reps typically work during business hours, managing your incoming leads and customer communication.

In-house BDCs handle phone calls, respond to website inquiries, and work closely with your sales team to set appointments. They might also mine your customer lists, reaching out to past buyers who might be ready for an upgrade or due for service.

But here’s the challenge: What happens when a hot lead comes in at 9 PM? Or when your in-house team is swamped with calls and can’t get to every inquiry right away? That’s where outsourced automotive BDCs, or virtual BDCs, shine.

Virtual BDC sales representatives are available for after-hours leads, 24/7/365. When someone fills out a form on your website at midnight, they get a response within minutes. While your in-house team is handling the day-to-day operations, virtual BDCs make sure you never miss an opportunity, no matter when it comes in.

Why Automotive BDC Representatives Must Evolve in the Digital Age

The automotive industry is changing faster than ever. Your customers are shopping differently, technology is advancing rapidly, and the old ways of doing business just aren’t cutting it anymore. To stay competitive, your BDC representatives need to develop new skills and embrace new tools that help them evolve with the following changes.

Evolving Customer Expectations

Today’s customers want everything faster, more personalized, and more convenient than ever before. They expect quick engagement with their inquiries, not just during business hours, but anytime they reach out. They want to be able to do their research and even complete the entire sale online. And they expect BDC representatives at car dealerships to keep up.

Gone are the days of generic scripts and one-size-fits-all responses. Today's customers expect personalized service from the very first interaction. This means your BDC sales representatives need to understand your inventory inside and out and provide the right information to customers at the right time.

Digital Communication Channels

It used to be that BDC representatives could get by with great phone skills. Today, they need to be expert communicators across all digital tools and channels. This means writing clear, engaging emails that get responses, managing multiple chat conversations (or leveraging chatbots), and knowing how to build relationships without face-to-face interaction.

Your reps need to understand the nuances of each communication channel. A message that works well in an email might need to be completely rewritten for text, and a conversation that starts on chat might need to move to phone for more complex discussions. Staying flexible is important for the digital age.

New Technology: AI and Machine Learning

AI tools aren’t just buzzwords anymore – they’re becoming essential parts of the BDC toolkit. These tools can analyze customer behavior patterns, predict the best times to reach out, and even suggest which leads are most likely to convert. But this doesn’t mean AI is replacing BDC representatives. Instead, it’s making them more effective at their jobs.

Your BDC reps need to learn how to work alongside these tools, using AI insights to make better decisions about who to contact and when. For example, AI might flag that a customer who visited your website three times in the past week is showing strong buying signals, helping your rep prioritize that lead for immediate follow-up.

Data Analysis and CRM Mastery

Modern BDC reps spend a lot of time in your CRM system, and they need to know how to make the most of it. They should go beyond simply entering customer information, using the CRM to track customer interactions, spot patterns, and identify opportunities.

It's not just sales that needs to know your CRM – your service team should too. For example, when a BDC service representative gets a call or form fill about an oil change, they should be able to quickly check when the customer was last in, what other services might be due soon, and whether there are any open recalls. This helps them unlock cross-selling opportunities and increase the value of repair orders (ROs).

Technology and Training for the Modern BDC Representative

So what is an automotive BDC representative? In today’s world, they wear many hats – and those hats are always changing. Keeping up isn’t easy. You need the right technology and training to succeed, and that’s where Better Car People comes in.

Better Car People has helped more than 2,500 dealerships modernize their BDC operations with cutting-edge tools that work alongside your team. Our AI and automation tools take care of the heavy lifting, making it easy for your sales and service teams to stay on top of opportunities. Plus, our training programs help your BDC representatives master new technologies and techniques, so they can keep evolving with the industry.

Want to see how we can help your dealership thrive in the digital age? Book a quick meeting with us today. We'll look at your current setup and show you exactly how our technology and training can help you build a modern, effective BDC operation that drives results.