The First 90 Days in the BDC: Building Your Foundation and Finding Your Rhythm
The 20-second version: The first 90 days as a BDC aren’t about knowing everything. They’re about learning the dealership’s rhythm, the team, the language, and the small details that turn a “maybe” into a confirmed appointment. Here’s what to focus on so you ramp up faster than the average new hire.
Starting as a BDC team member can feel like drinking from a firehose. New systems, new people, new terminology, and somehow you’re expected to sound confident on the phone right away. The good news is you don’t need to know everything on day one. The first 90 days are all about building your foundation and finding your rhythm.
Let’s start with the basics. Know your hours of operation like the back of your hand. That includes service, parts, and sales. Customers will ask, and being quick and confident here sets the tone immediately. At the same time, get to know your team. Your advisors, technicians, and service manager are your biggest allies. The stronger your relationship with them, the smoother your day will go.
Now let’s talk services. You don’t need to turn a wrench, but you do need to understand what you’re booking. Learn your op codes, menu pricing, and common services like oil changes, tire swaps, and brakes. Once that clicks, start getting familiar with service intervals such as 6 months or 8,000 km, and how that might change for hybrid or turbo vehicles. This is where you start sounding like a pro.
Customer experience is your secret weapon. Know your dealership’s perks: the waiting area, complimentary beverages, shuttle service, Uber options, and any boundaries around them. These small details can be the difference between a maybe and a confirmed appointment.
Behind the scenes, get comfortable with the language of the dealership. Terms like CP (Customer Pay), WP (Warranty Pay), and internal (work the dealership pays for itself) sound confusing at first, but they click quickly. The more you understand, the more confident you’ll feel speaking with both customers and your team.
Your daily routine is where you win or lose. Start each morning with your key tabs open and ready: email and texting software, manufacturer portal, your scheduling tool like Xtime, your DMS, and anything else your store uses regularly. Being organized is what keeps you fast, efficient, and in control of your day.
Stay in the loop on what’s happening in your dealership right now. Recalls, parts delays, vehicles waiting on service, current promotions. This is where opportunity lives. These are natural conversation starters and great ways to create urgency when booking appointments.
Pick up the dealership language. Listen to how your advisors speak and pay attention to what works. The more you mirror that tone, the more natural and confident you’ll sound.
Finally, don’t underestimate the power of follow up. This is where great BDCs separate themselves. It doesn’t need to be complicated. A few examples of what it looks like in practice:
“Hi [Name], it’s [You] from [Dealership]. I saw I missed your call. Were you reaching out about your vehicle? Happy to help when you have a minute.”
“Hi [Name], we had you booked for [service] today and didn’t see you come in. No problem. Want me to find another time this week?”
“Hi [Name], just wanted to make sure everything went well with your service. Anything come up since?”
These small moments compound. You’re not just booking appointments. You’re building the kind of relationship that brings a customer back to your service drive instead of the independent shop down the road.
It also helps to know what success looks like. Most BDCs don't think about this until months in, but the sooner you have a sense of your own numbers, the faster you'll improve. Some stores track basics like calls made and appointments booked, others go deeper into show rate and conversion by customer segment (Active, At-Risk, and Lost). Ask your manager which numbers your dealership actually measures and what the targets look like. Treat your own results as a moving average. You'll improve faster when you can see yourself improving.
Some days will be tough. You’ll get a customer who’s frustrated about something that happened before you even started. You’ll work an entire morning and only book three appointments. You’ll set someone up for 8am and they won’t show. None of that is a reflection of you. The BDC seat is one of the most demanding in the dealership because every conversation starts with a customer interruption. The advisors who’ve been at it for ten years still have hard days. The difference is they don’t carry one bad call into the next. Take a breath, reset, and pick up the phone. The next call is a fresh start.
The first 90 days aren’t about being perfect. They’re about showing up, learning something new every day, and getting a little more confident with every call. Stick with it, stay positive, and before you know it, you won’t just be keeping up. You’ll be leading the pace.
Wondering what your service department’s retention really looks like?
A 20-minute Free Dealer Audit shows you exactly how many of your customers are Active, At-Risk, and Lost.
Book a Free Dealer Auditor call 905-251-7035 if you’d rather talk.