Guide · October 29, 2026 · 2 min read
What is a BDC at a car dealership? What it does and who runs it
BDC means business development center: the dealership team that answers calls, texts and internet leads and books appointments. How it works.
What is a BDC at a car dealership
BDC stands for business development center. It is the team at a car dealership that answers phone calls, texts and internet leads, follows up with shoppers who did not buy, and books appointments for the sales floor and the service lane. Salespeople sell; the BDC makes sure the right people show up.
What a BDC does
- Responds to internet leads from the dealer website and listing sites
- Answers inbound sales calls and texts
- Follows up with shoppers who visited but did not buy
- Books and confirms sales and service appointments
- Runs campaigns to past customers, such as lease-end and trade-in offers
Sales BDC vs service BDC
| Sales BDC | Service BDC | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Showroom appointments that turn into deals | Booked service visits |
| Works on | Internet leads, sales calls, unsold follow-up | Service calls, reminders, recalls, declined work |
| Reports to | General sales manager or internet sales director | Service manager or fixed ops director |
Who runs the BDC
A BDC manager or director runs the team of BDC agents, also called BDC representatives or appointment coordinators. At some stores the internet sales manager runs it. Dealer groups often centralize the BDC for several stores, and some stores outsource it to a call center.
What the BDC buys
CRM add-ons, call tracking, texting and video tools, AI answering, lead routing and outsourced BDC services. Most of these plug into the store’s CRM, so the BDC manager and the general sales manager decide together. See 9 dealership CRM systems.
BDC managers live by appointments set, shown and sold. Pitch the number of extra appointments, not features.
DealerData lists BDC managers and internet sales managers at every US and Canadian dealership. For the rest of the store, see the car dealership org chart.
Frequently asked questions
What does BDC stand for in car sales?
Business development center: the dealership team that handles calls, texts and internet leads and books appointments.
What does a BDC agent do at a dealership?
Answers leads and calls, follows up with shoppers, and books and confirms appointments for sales or service.
Is the BDC part of sales or service?
Both, at many stores: a sales BDC reports to the general sales manager and a service BDC to the service manager or fixed ops director.
Find the right person at every dealership.
Search free. Verified work emails and mobiles when you need them.