For Mazda UK, effective lead management is about more than knowing whether a dealer responded. It means understanding how quickly customers are contacted, how consistently leads are followed up, and whether those conversations move towards a clear next step.
That visibility has made TrackBack a central part of how Mazda UK monitors dealer performance and supports continual improvement across its network. From lead tracking and call assessments to tailored reporting and performance insight, the platform gives the team a clearer view of what happens after each lead reaches a retailer.
Emma Griffin, Customer for Life Manager at Mazda UK, explains how TrackBack supports her day-to-day role, helps shape dealer conversations, and gives the business the insight needed to improve customer follow-up.
Role and Relationship with TrackBack
"My role is Customer for Life Manager at Mazda UK, and I’ve been in the position just under a year. Even though I’m still relatively new, TrackBack is central to my work. I deal closely with our Account Manager at TrackBack, and also work with Katherine and Sophie from the Scan team. Essentially, TrackBack looks after our lead management process - from applying unique phone numbers to our leads, to helping monitor dealer performance and supporting continual improvement through call assessments.
TrackBack collects our leads, applies contact numbers, and enables us to monitor dealer performance. The Scan service, which reviews four calls per dealer per quarter, gives us actionable insight. These assessments are scored against clear criteria and the feedback becomes an ongoing tool for dealer coaching and performance improvement."
How TrackBack Fits into Dealer Performance Management
"Because TrackBack was already in place when I took on this role, I haven’t seen a before-and-after. But what I have seen is how flexible and collaborative the team is - particularly our Account Manager. If I raise an idea or spot a possible improvement, she’s always open to exploring it. That openness to feedback has helped us evolve how we report, measure, and support the network.
Beyond the tool itself, the insight we get from TrackBack helps shape our strategy. For example, our Account Manager provides monthly reports that benchmark our dealer performance against other brands using TrackBack. While different OEMs might measure slightly differently, it gives us a clear sense of where we stand and helps us identify opportunities for growth. Our business managers then use this data to engage with dealers and close the gap."
Evolving How We Use Scan
"One area where we’ve worked closely with the TrackBack team is in shaping how Scan assessment results are reported. As our programme has evolved, so have the types of calls we audit. For example, we recently introduced a new finance touchpoint - a call type that focuses on early-stage finance conversations and uses a slightly different set of criteria to assess compliance and customer experience.
Initially, these finance calls were reported separately from our standard Scan audits. But that created a challenge. Our business managers had to view two different sets of results to understand how each dealer was performing overall - one for the regular Scan calls, and another for the finance-specific touchpoint.
I asked whether we could combine these into a single report, so we could get a clearer view of each retailer’s performance across all audited call types. The TrackBack team took that request seriously. Their IT team built a tailored report specifically for us - not something off-the-shelf, but a custom solution designed around our needs.
That new combined report has made a real difference. It lets our business managers see the full picture at a glance - across all four calls reviewed per quarter - without having to bounce between separate dashboards or spreadsheets. It’s helped us focus our retailer conversations, target support more precisely, and ultimately manage performance more efficiently."
Using Reporting to Drive Accountability
"We’ve also refined how we use reporting internally. For example, I asked our Account Manager whether I could self-serve certain data instead of requesting reports manually. She quickly gave me access to a login report - now I can track dealer and Mazda staff usage directly. I create monthly login reports showing how often each dealer and business manager is using the system. It helps us identify where support might be needed or where engagement is dropping.
This level of transparency makes a real difference. I’ve even seen business managers proactively query Scan results when something doesn’t look right - which shows they’re genuinely engaged and using the insight. That’s exactly what we want."
Lead Types and Tracking Across Channels
"TrackBack helps us manage two main types of leads. First, we have web leads triggered by customers on mazda.co.uk - contact requests, test drive bookings, valuation enquiries, and so on. Then we have finance leads that we generate ourselves - either through loyalty campaigns or scheduled customer touchpoints. These get pushed into our lead management system and passed through TrackBack, where we can monitor the outcome.
Interestingly, many dealers prefer to work directly from TrackBack reports rather than from our lead management system. That’s because it’s easier to download lead data and see what’s happening - especially with the ability to access call recordings and emails in one click. It just makes the process simpler and more transparent for them."
Calls and Emails - Using Both for Greater Visibility
"We use TrackBack to monitor both phone and email contact -and having both channels is critical. It gives us complete visibility into how leads are being followed up. If a dealer doesn’t call but does send an email, we can see that - and investigate why they chose that route.
In terms of KPI, our standard is one business hour for the first follow-up attempt. We typically hit 97-98% compliance on this, which is impressive. If a dealer doesn’t hit the target because of a system issue (like a lead arriving late), we allow for that and remove the lead from the data. But that level of compliance is driven by the visibility TrackBack gives us.
We also have a strong view on preferred contact method - if a lead includes a phone number, we expect dealers to call first, not email. If they consistently avoid calling, that can become a margin conversation. It’s not about being punitive - removing margin is a last resort, but about reinforcing best practice. Picking up the phone is more effective, and we want to see that behaviour as standard."
Improving Attempt Tracking and Quality Insight
"Another improvement we’re working on is tracking contact attempts on unconverted leads. Right now, we measure average attempts on contacted leads - but we want to know how many attempts are made on leads that weren’t successfully reached. Did the dealer try once and give up, or did they genuinely make multiple attempts across different days and times?
This insight is essential. If a dealer only calls once, it’s no surprise if the lead doesn’t convert. But if they’ve made several well-timed attempts and still haven’t reached the customer, that tells a very different story. It’s about fairness - we don’t want to penalise a dealer who’s doing the right things just because a customer didn’t pick up."
Moving Beyond Contact Tracking to Call Quality
"While contact tracking remains a key focus, we’re now trying to look at the full picture. It’s not just about ticking boxes - it’s about the overall quality of the interaction. When I review Scan results as part of our margin assessments, I pay close attention to how well the call is handled from start to finish. That includes both phone and email performance.
Dealers sometimes take it to heart if they’re marked down for things like grammar or formatting in emails. But I always try to reframe that as a learning opportunity - it’s not about being critical, it’s about identifying areas to improve. Moving forward with that feedback means we avoid repeat issues and raise standards across the board.
Most of our dealers are strong on the soft skills - they know their customers well and can hold a great conversation. The challenge is often more around structure: are they asking the right questions, taking ownership, and clearly setting out next steps? If a customer ends a call unsure what’s supposed to happen next, that’s a problem. We flag that, not to criticise, but to protect the customer experience."
What Ownership Means in Practice
"Ownership means being prepared. For finance calls, it’s not about discussing the contract in detail - it’s about getting the customer in for an appointment. That’s where the real conversation happens. We’re very clear with retailers: avoid deep finance conversations on the phone and focus on securing the next step.
For touchpoint calls, it’s about showing awareness. If a service is due, the dealer should already know - and be ready to book the customer in. They should come prepared, follow up when promised, and drive the conversation. The customer shouldn’t be the one leading the call. Our objective is always to get that appointment booked and move things forward."
Reframing TrackBack as a Support Tool
"Some dealers saw Scan as a stick to beat them with. My goal is to change that perception. TrackBack isn’t here to catch them out - it’s here to help them improve. We pay for this service to help the network succeed.
We push that message through our field team: this is aboutsupport, not punishment. Every audit is a chance to learn, improve, and deliver better service. That’s the real aim - exceptional customer experiences thatdrive loyalty and retention."
KMI Leads - Making a Complex Process Work
"One area where TrackBack’s support really stands out is with KMI leads - Keep Me Informed leads from model launch campaigns. These are submitted by customers interested in a future model, sometimes long before launch.
We had challenges with the Mazda CX-80 KMI leads earlier this year. The leads were collected months before dealers received them, and many customers had forgotten they’d signed up - or had already bought a different car. It created confusion and made dealer conversations harder.
Working with our Account Manager, we agreed to streamline the process. One idea is to contact customers just before releasing the leads to dealers - to check if they’re still interested. That way, we only pass on leads that are still warm.
We also discussed building a dedicated KMI section on the TrackBack dashboard, so these leads are clearly identified and easier to report on. That work is still in progress - we don’t launch the next model (Mazda 6E) until July next year - but we’ve got time to get it right."
Managing Different KPIs Across Lead Types
"TrackBack supports a wide range of leads - each with its own KPI. Web enquiries require follow-up within one business hour. Finance leads sit within monthly or quarterly windows. KMI leads often come with a hard cut-off - for example, dealers might have just two weeks to contact them.
The system handles all of this. It applies the right SLA to the right lead and gives us clear visibility on performance. That flexibility saves us huge amounts of time and complexity - and ensures dealers are always measured fairly."
Consistently Supportive, Responsive Team
"The support we get from TrackBack is consistently excellent. Our Account Manager is brilliant - always responsive, always clear. If there’s a technical issue, she notifies us straight away, explains what’s going on, and updates us when it’s resolved.
Every month, I bring suggestions or ideas to our meetings.They’re always listened to - never shut down. Even if something isn’t immediately possible, the team takes it away and looks into it. That openness and collaboration means we keep moving forward, together."
The Impact on My Role
"I use TrackBack every single day. I log in multiple times. Every report, every piece of insight, every dealer conversation - it all comes from TrackBack. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to do my job effectively.
It’s not just about seeing what’s happening - it’s about being able to act. We want to be a premium brand - our own kind of premium. We can’t do that without knowing how dealers are communicating. TrackBack gives us that visibility.
We use the term “leaky bucket” - without the system, we’d be losing leads, losing contact, and losing sales. With TrackBack, we can see the leaks, plug the gaps, and support the dealers to improve."
Any Room for Improvement?
"Honestly, if I have an idea, I just bring it to our Account Manager. Nothing is off the table. If there are features or best practices being used by other brands that could help us improve retention or renewal rates, I’d love to hear about them more often.
TrackBack is already proactive - but keeping that flow of ideas and innovations coming will help us push even further."
Final Thoughts
"TrackBack has been a consistently professional, collaborative, and effective partner. It’s not just a system - it’s a team I enjoy working with, and a tool I rely on every day.
If you’re another brand thinking about TrackBack, I’d say this: we’re not using it to monitor for the sake of it. We’re using it to drive real improvement - and it works.
Without it, our lead management would have more gaps, more inconsistency, and a lot less confidence. With it, we know where we stand - and we’re moving in the right direction."