Status Calls (Without Losing Your Day)
"Is my car done yet?" is the most common call you'll get all day. Handle it well and the customer stays calm. Handle it poorly and they call back three more times, each one angrier. The best advisors prevent most status calls from ever happening — and handle the ones that do in under 60 seconds.
Prevent status calls through proactive communication, and handle the ones that come in with calm, fast, useful answers.
Prevention First: The Update Standard
The single biggest cause of status calls is the customer not knowing what's going on. Per the Dyer SOP:
- First update: Within 15 minutes of the MPI being sent.
- Ongoing: At least every 2 hours while the vehicle is in the shop.
- Immediate: If there's a delay, added repair, or parts issue.
- Completion: At least 30 minutes before pickup.
If you hit those four standards, most status calls disappear. The customer doesn't have to call to find out because you already told them.
The number of status calls you receive is inversely proportional to the quality of your proactive communication. Want fewer "is it done?" calls? Send more "here's where we are" texts.
The Status Call When It Comes
Even with perfect prevention, you'll still get them. Here's how to handle one cleanly:
- Recognize them by name immediately. Pull their RO.
- Give them a specific status. Not "still being worked on" — actual progress.
- Give them a new ETA. Specific time window, pessimistic side.
- Pre-commit to the next update. "I'll call you at X with the next update either way."
- Close warm. Use their name. Thank them for checking in.
Word Tracks
"Hi Mrs. Diaz, this is Mike — thanks for checking in. Let me pull your file. Your Pilot is up on the lift right now, the tech just finished the inspection and the front pads need attention. I'll have the video and a full quote over to you in the next 30 minutes. Then if you approve, we're looking at being done by 3 p.m. Sound good?"
"Hi Mr. Carter, let me grab the latest from the shop. [Check or walk back briefly.] Your vehicle just came off the lift, the tech is wrapping up the test drive. I should have everything in about 20 minutes. Can I call you back at that point with the full update instead of you waiting on hold?"
"Mr. Patel, thanks for calling — I owe you an update on that. The tech found one more thing than we expected and we're running about an hour behind. New ETA is 4 p.m. I should have called you first — that's on me. I'll text you at 3:30 with a confirmation that we're on track."
Notice that last one: you OWN the lateness, you DON'T make excuses, and you set up the next touchpoint.
What NOT to Say on a Status Call
Useless. Tells the customer nothing. They KNOW it's being worked on — that's why they called.
Trust killer. If you say you'll call back, set a reminder and DO it. Even if you don't have new info, call to say "still working on it."
Customer doesn't want to talk to the tech. They want their advisor to handle it. Go find the tech, get the answer, come back.
"I think" is the most uncertain phrase in the language. Either you know or you go find out.
The 60-Second Rule
A clean status call takes 60 seconds: name, status, ETA, next-touch commitment, close. If you're going longer than 90 seconds, you're either over-explaining or trying to fix something on the call that should be a separate callback. Stay tight.
The Status Call Checklist
Common Mistakes
- "Still being worked on" — non-answer, makes them call again.
- Promising callbacks you don't make.
- Telling the customer to talk to the tech.
- Sounding annoyed at the call. They wouldn't be calling if you'd updated them.
- Skipping the SDL note — next advisor has no context.
Manager Coaching Tip
Track inbound status calls per advisor per day. The ones with the most status calls are usually the ones with the worst proactive communication. Don't punish — coach. Show them the inverse rule: more proactive texts = fewer inbound status calls = more time for everything else.