Autobedrijf van Nuland: from 30% missed calls to none in the first month

The garage

Autobedrijf van Nuland is a family garage in Volkel, in the south of the Netherlands. It has serviced all makes since 1962. One counter, one phone line, and the people behind that counter also check cars in, hand keys back and close the invoices. Sixty years of customers means a phone that rings all day.

The problem

At peak times and after 5 PM the line rang out. Nearly a third of incoming calls went unanswered, and half of the callers who reached voicemail never called back. Most of them wanted something simple: opening hours, whether their car was ready, or a slot for a service or an inspection.

• 30% of incoming calls unanswered
• 50% of missed callers never heard from again
• The counter interrupted by the phone while a customer stood in front of it
• After-hours callers left with a voicemail that only took messages

What Nekaf implemented

Nothing was replaced. The garage forwarded its existing number to Nekaf. In the first week the team configured what the phone is mostly about:

1. Booking, rescheduling and cancellations, written into the garage's planner with the right job type and duration
2. Car-ready status: in the bay, waiting on parts or ready for pickup
3. Opening hours, directions and what to bring
4. Breakdown rules approved by the owner: warning lights, overheating and roadside calls reach the mechanic on duty in seconds, with a summary
5. Warm transfer to the counter for quotes, complaints and anything outside scope

Nekaf was live in under two weeks. The owner approved every response before it went live, and every call since has been logged with its transcript and the rule that decided it.

Results

Measured over 8,420 incoming calls in May and June 2026.

| Metric | Before | With Nekaf | | --- | --- | --- | | Calls unanswered | 30% | 0% | | Missed callers never heard from again | 50% | 0% | | Resolved without staff | 0% | more than 60% | | Appointments booked | | +23% | | Staff hours saved per month | | about 170 |

Every call is now answered on the first ring, even fifty at once. Information, car-ready status and bookings are completed end to end. Callers who used to hang up now book, and after-hours callers book too. Breakdowns reach the mechanic on duty in seconds, with a summary. The counter got back around 170 hours a month for the customer standing in front of it.

In their words

> "It knows the difference between an inspection booking and a car-ready question. Our counter finally has time for the customer standing in front of it."

Bas, owner, Autobedrijf van Nuland

What this means for a garage like yours

Van Nuland did not buy new software or a new phone system. It forwarded a number, approved its rules and watched the first calls in the console. Nekaf works standalone from day one, so the planner connection can come first or later. If your counter answers the phone, the same three call types are probably most of your volume too: information, car-ready status and bookings. Ask Nekaf can measure them for you, free for 90 days, before you decide anything.