Group 1 Automotive Tops Pied Piper’s 2025 Service Appointment Rankings; AI Outperforms Human Staff Industrywide
The 2025 Service Telephone Effectiveness® (STE®) Study by Pied Piper reveals significant improvements in how dealerships handle service calls, with artificial intelligence (AI) emerging as a game-changing force. Group 1 Automotive claimed the top spot in the rankings, showcasing exceptional performance across key metrics. However, while AI is proving to be a powerful tool, challenges remain when integrating it into customer interactions.
Industrywide Progress in Service Call Quality
The study evaluated 2,100 dealerships representing 26 major U.S. auto dealer groups, along with 200 independent service centers, measuring their ability to efficiently schedule service appointments over the phone. Each location received an STE score ranging from 0 to 100 based on over 30 weighted criteria tied to best practices for driving service revenue and customer loyalty.
Industrywide, the average STE score rose to 64, up four points from last year and six points since 2023. This progress reflects reduced negative behaviors, including shorter hold times and fewer “mission failures,” where customers hang up without being offered an appointment.
Key highlights include:
- Shorter Hold Times: Only 2% of callers were placed on hold for more than two minutes in 2025, compared to 13% last year.
- Fewer Missed Opportunities: The share of customers who hung up without booking an appointment dropped to 9%, down from 13% the previous year.
These improvements demonstrate a growing commitment to enhancing customer experiences during service calls.
Group 1 Automotive: Leading the Pack
Group 1 Automotive stood out as the top-performing dealer group, achieving an impressive average STE score of 76, a 12-point increase from last year. Their success can be attributed to several standout metrics:
- Higher Appointment Rates: Only 4% of callers weren’t offered an appointment—less than half the industry average.
- Faster Response Times: Customers reached a service associate in just 51 seconds, 8 seconds faster than last year and 9 seconds quicker than the industry average.
- Reduced Hold Times: Group 1 callers were half as likely to be placed on hold and 9% less likely to experience hold times exceeding two minutes.
This combination of efficiency and customer-centric practices has solidified Group 1’s leadership position in the rankings.
The Rise of AI in Service Calls
Artificial intelligence is transforming the way service calls are handled, often surpassing human agents in quality. Dealerships using AI to manage service calls reported notable successes:
- AI Handles Most Calls Successfully: AI successfully managed 91% of service calls, including scheduling appointments, without requiring human intervention.
- High Success Rates: At dealerships relying on AI, customers successfully booked appointments 86% of the time, compared to 90% at dealerships relying on humans.
- Outperforming Humans: When AI handled entire calls, the average STE score was 72, 8 points higher than the national dealer group average and nearly matching the scores of top-performing groups.
However, challenges persist when AI cannot resolve a call and must transfer it to a human agent:
- Transfer Failures: AI failed to handle 9% of calls, and when transferring to a human, 56% of handoffs resulted in issues such as voicemail loops, endless holds, or dropped calls.
- Lower Human Performance Post-Transfer: At dealerships using AI, transferred calls achieved an average STE score of 50, significantly lower than the dealer group average of 64 and far below AI’s standalone performance.
Cameron O’Hagan, Pied Piper’s Vice President of Metrics and Analytics, emphasized the need for balance: “A.I. now often outperforms human staff on service calls, but handoffs to people frequently fall apart. Dealers must use A.I. as a tool—not a crutch—and stay committed to staffing and smooth transitions.”
Independent Service Centers: A Growing Competitive Threat
For the first time, the study included independent service centers, revealing mixed but noteworthy results. While their overall average STE score of 60 trailed the dealer group average of 64, independents excelled in certain areas:
- Quicker Appointments: Independent centers offered appointments within 1 day on average, compared to 4 days for dealerships.
- Greater Transparency: Independents were twice as likely to provide cost estimates over the phone, appealing to price-conscious customers.
- Higher Performance Among Some Brands: 51% of independent service centers outperformed dealerships, with Midas leading at an STE score of 65, followed by Firestone (62), Meineke (57), and Pep Boys (56).
O’Hagan noted the competitive threat posed by independents: “Failure to schedule an appointment quickly may be all it takes for a dealership’s service customer to choose an independent shop. Faster availability and greater price transparency can sway decisions.”
Dealer Group Performance Highlights
Several dealer groups distinguished themselves in specific categories:
Quickly Reach Associate
- Top Performers: Zeigler Auto Group, Greenway Automotive, Serra Automotive, and Bergstrom Automotive connected customers with associates within one minute more than 80% of the time.
- Laggards: Ken Garff Automotive Group, Ciocca Auto Group, and Penske Automotive Group achieved this less than 40% of the time.
Set an Appointment
- Top Performers: Napleton Automotive Group, Ed Morse Automotive Group, Group 1 Automotive, Bergstrom Automotive, and Morgan Auto Group offered appointments more than 95% of the time.
- Strugglers: West Herr Automotive Group and Fox Motors succeeded less than 80% of the time.
Average Days Out
- Fastest Availability: Napleton Automotive Group, Berkshire Hathaway Automotive, Group 1 Automotive, Ourisman Automotive Group, and Greenway Automotive had average wait times of less than 2 days.
- Longest Delays: West Herr Automotive Group and Fox Motors averaged more than 7 days.
Communication Failure
- Best Performers: Ed Morse Automotive Group, Napleton Automotive Group, Zeigler Auto Group, and Group 1 Automotive encountered communication issues less than 3% of the time.
- Worst Offenders: Penske Automotive Group, West Herr Automotive Group, and Fox Motors faced problems more than 15% of the time.
Why This Study Matters
“A service customer’s initial phone call is a dealership’s first step toward building loyalty and generating revenue,” said O’Hagan. “Yet because these calls often go unnoticed in daily operations, problems are easily overlooked. Increasing visibility leads directly to improvement.”
Pied Piper’s annual studies have tracked omnichannel performance trends for over 15 years, helping brands and dealer groups benchmark their performance and identify areas for growth. Clients leverage tools like the Prospect Satisfaction Index® (PSI®) to measure and enhance sales and service effectiveness through actionable insights delivered via AI-powered platforms.
As the automotive industry continues to evolve, the integration of AI and the focus on seamless customer experiences will play pivotal roles in shaping the future of service operations. For dealerships and independent centers alike, staying ahead requires balancing technological innovation with human touchpoints to deliver exceptional service every step of the way.
