A man and woman examine a tablet while discussing options at a car dealership.

How Cartelligent captures every lead with RingCentral AI

Cartelligent logo
Region
Americas
Company size
100–399
Industry
Transportation & Logistics
Products used
Business Communications
AI Solutions
Key integrations
Salesforce logo
Key Metrics
9.85
satisfaction score out of 10 upheld with AI-enhanced coaching
2x
increase in lead connectivity from 50% to 100% with AI Receptionist

Overview

Cartelligent, a California-based car-buying and leasing service, struggled to connect high-intent leads with a Client Advisor — 78% of these were routed to an external answering service. RingCentral AI Receptionist (AIR) solved this outright: they eliminated lead abandonment and achieved a 100% direct-connection rate. Their AI Virtual Assistant’s (AVA) call summaries flow into Salesforce through a RingCentral App Gallery integration, giving every team member visibility into the last interaction. Additionally, AI Conversation Expert (ACE) provides data-driven coaching, helping the team maintain an impressive 9.85/10 customer satisfaction score.
RingCentral’s AI Suite has transformed our operations, allowing us to connect with 100% of live leads during business hours and move toward an 85% lead-to-signup target. All while maintaining an elite 9.85/10 customer satisfaction score.
Jessica Carstens
VP of Operations

About our customer

Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Sausalito, Cartelligent has spent over 25 years simplifying car buying and leasing through unbiased advice and statewide dealer negotiation. Operating throughout California, their team advocates for each client, matching each to their ideal car rather than the most convenient sale.

The challenge: Inbound chaos and missed connections

Cartelligent built its reputation on personal, high-touch service. However, a shifting auto market drove a sudden spike in inbound call volume and exposed flaws in their lead management. Their main sales line was drowning in solicitation calls, out-of-state inquiries, and misdirected calls. The consequences were financial and operational. Every minute a genuine buyer spent on hold or with an external answering service was a lost opportunity. Management had limited visibility into live calls, coaching was guesswork, and conversion rates stalled.
 
  • Lead abandonment: 78% of high-intent callers during business hours were routed to an external answering service, delaying response times and costing money per minute.
  • Manual note-taking: Reps had no structured way to capture client conversations, forcing the purchasing team to manually dig through email chains to understand what each buyer wanted.
  • Zero visibility: Management had very little insight into what was happening on connected calls, making meaningful sales coaching nearly impossible.

The solution and ROI: Seamless routing, instant summaries, and sharper sales teams

Cartelligent addressed each challenge by deploying three RingCentral AI products—AI Receptionist (AIR), AI Virtual Assistant (AVA), and AI Conversation Expert (ACE)—directly integrated with their existing Salesforce environment. The results were immediate and measurable:
 
  • AIR doubles lead connectivity from 50% to 100% by handling FAQ inquiries and routing serious buyers to available reps, slashing lead abandonment from 78% to 0%.
  • AVA generates call summaries, allowing reps to seamlessly copy and paste key details directly into Salesforce via the RingCentral App Gallery Salesforce integration, ensuring accurate documentation without manual digging.
  • ACE analyzes call sentiment and talk patterns, turning those findings into targeted coaching that keeps customer satisfaction at 9.85/10.
 
RingCentral AI Receptionist

What’s next for Cartelligent

production-author.gw.ringJessica Carstens and her team plan to extend their AI Receptionist beyond business hours to capture leads overnight and eliminate their external answering service entirely. Automated SMS follow-up sequences are also on the roadmap to keep leads warm and get more buyers on the phone.
As Cartelligent scales in both new and existing markets, having the right AI infrastructure in place isn't just an operational advantage—it's what makes that growth possible without sacrificing the personal service their clients expect.
To learn more about our customer, visit Cartelligent.