Supporting a Legacy of Service with Hosted VoIP
Northtown Automotive sits at the northern edge of Yankton, SD, on Highway 81. Its blue and white building, emblazoned with General Motors logos, overlooks a gleaming rainbow of pickup trucks, SUVs and sedans. But the sprawling facility is more than just a car dealership – it’s a dynamic operation that employs more than 50 people in a wide variety of jobs.
"We have sales consultants and service advisors to help you with your vehicles," said General Manager Tanner Krantz. "Plus, there’s automotive technicians, quick lube technicians, accounting personnel, finance personnel and auto body technicians for the repair of vehicles, too. It's a very diverse population of people working under this rooftop."
From the in-house ABRA collision center to the sales floor, Northtown’s myriad job descriptions mean dozens of individual communications needs. That’s where Midco’s Hosted Voice over IP service comes in.
Always Available
Krantz explains that it’s crucial for customers to be able to reach their desired department or staff member quickly. And while his team tries answer every call personally, he likes that Hosted VoIP’s auto attendant feature serves as a backup receptionist – routing calls to the proper department anytime call volume is high or staff coverage is low.
Between the building and expansive lot, Northtown covers a large footprint, which means many members of the team spend time far away from their desks, helping customers, working on vehicles or picking inventory from the parts room. These team members hold themselves to the same standard of answering calls quickly, and making sure customers know they’re there to help – that’s where equipment like mobile phones make all the difference.
"The cordless phone is very helpful here in the collision center," said ABRA General Manager Susan Rudnick. "If I go to lunch, if I’m with a customer or I’m writing an estimate, Ryan – the shop foreman – takes that call. That way, he can continue working and have the receiver at his side, so he can answer it, continue his work and take care of the customers – even if I’m not sitting at the desk and able to do that."
Paging over Northtown’s loudspeakers is another Hosted VoIP attribute that helps the team respond to customers quickly and efficiently.
"I think the paging is very important," said Parts Consultant Paul Doherty. "Myself, I don't spend all of my time here at the desk. I'm back in the parts room and I'm out in the service bays. Without the paging system, I would miss a lot of phone calls, so I think it's very critical. I can be anywhere in the facility and within 30 seconds, I can be back to take that call."
Custom Crafted
Midco’s Hosted VoIP CommPortal makes it easy for the Northtown team to change settings and preferences for each user – including how they check their messages. Krantz appreciates that he can receive his voicemails by email, so when he’s traveling or working off-site, he can get caught up when and where it’s convenient. He also likes that Hosted VoIP system adapts to meet the needs of each individual.
"They get personalized features," said Krantz. "They can change the backgrounds and ringtones – kind of like their own personal cell phone. It's part of our business on a daily basis, and it's nice to express your personality. Plus, Midco offered us an option that could be expandable if we continue to grow. What’s nice about it being digital is, is it’s as basic or as advanced as we need it. We can customize it. Each department has their own needs and preferences for how they want to take incoming calls."
Those calls mean the world to the Northtown team. After 13 years in business, they’ve built a loyal clientele. They love new referrals and selling vehicles to multiple generations of families – each just as excited as the last to own a bit of the American dream. And thanks to Midco Hosted VoIP, those connections are always open.
"They depend on us. This is one of the largest purchases an individual's probably going to make – and they do it a lot more frequently than buying a home," said Krantz. "They want to have somebody that they can trust, to make sure that they're getting valid information, and know that they're going to be taken care of after the sale, too. We're here to stay and we want people to know they can come back for any automotive need."