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Automotive

Walt Sweeney Ford

Walt Sweeney Ford reduced abandoned calls from 400–500 per month to zero, improved customer experience, and maintained full-service coverage—even during a two-day closure—using Kenect’s Voice AI.

“Highly recommended! We love to work with Kenect. It is easy to use and efficient to engage my clients and boost our reviews. ”

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Testimonial Name
Testimonial Position
Business
Walt Sweeney Ford
Location
Cincinnati, OH
Type
Automotive Dealership
Solutions
Voice AI
Table Of Contents
Who is Walt Sweeney Ford?ChallengeSolutionsResults
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Who is Walt Sweeney Ford?

Walt Sweeney Ford is a high-volume automotive dealership with a strong focus on customer experience across service and sales. With a large service department handling approximately 1,500 repair orders per month and a team of 45–50 employees, maintaining consistent communication with customers is critical to their success.

We’re able to provide a service, not just a message—and that’s huge.

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— Penny, Marketing Director, Walt Sweeney Ford

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Challenge

Before implementing Voice AI, Walt Sweeney Ford faced a major breakdown in phone handling—especially in service.

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  • Averaging 400–500 abandoned calls per month in service alone
  • High call volume from routine services like oil changes
  • Customers unable to reach the dealership in a timely manner
  • Risk of losing customers to nearby competitors and independent shops
  • Limited ability to handle calls during peak times or after hours
  • Operational strain on staff managing incoming calls

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Customers calling the dealership expected immediate help—but too often, they were met with long waits, transfers, or unanswered calls.

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"I wasn’t trying to replace an employee. I was trying to pick up the slack so that my customers didn’t have to get abandoned in the phone process."

— Penny, Marketing Director, Walt Sweeney Ford

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Solution

Walt Sweeney Ford implemented Kenect’s Voice AI to handle inbound service calls—starting with a focused, high-impact use case.

Rather than overhauling operations, the team began by:

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  • Handling incoming service calls with Voice AI
  • Prioritizing oil change appointments, their highest call volume
  • Ensuring every call was answered immediately
  • Providing real-time responses instead of voicemails or call queues

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This approach allowed them to quickly address the biggest gap in their customer experience: missed calls.

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The dealership also discovered additional value during unexpected scenarios. When a snowstorm forced a two-day closure, Voice AI:

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  • Guided customers to warranty and roadside assistance resources
  • Routed urgent needs like towing requests
  • Recognized existing appointments and open repair orders
  • Delivered real-time assistance despite no staff being onsite

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Results

What changed after implementing Kenect?

I went from having 400–500 abandoned calls a month to zero.

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— Penny, Marketing Director, Walt Sweeney Ford

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Reduced abandoned calls from 400–500 per month to 0, eliminating missed opportunities and improving customer access
Maintained continuous customer support during a 48-hour dealership closure, with Voice AI handling all inbound requests
Achieved 100% call answer coverage for inbound service calls, ensuring every customer interaction was captured
Eliminated backlog and recovery time, returning to operations with 0 accumulated voicemails or missed follow-ups after closure
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