When Volvo Belgium reviewed how lead follow-up was monitored across its retailer network, one thing was clear: generating leads was only part of the equation. Ensuring every customer enquiry received a timely and consistent follow-up was just as important.
For Xavier Lalieu, Marketing Operations Manager at Volvo Car Belux, the goal was to gain better visibility into what happens after a lead reaches the point of sale. While mystery shopping had provided useful insights for several years, Volvo saw an opportunity to move towards a more comprehensive, data-driven approach that reflected real customer interactions across a much larger share of leads.
TrackBack offered exactly that. By providing objective measurements of real customer lead handling, Volvo Belgium gained valuable visibility into response times, contact rates and follow-up activity across its network. The system helps identify strengths, highlight opportunities for improvement and support retailers in delivering an even better customer experience.
Although the programme is still in its early stages, the first results are already encouraging. In this interview, Xavier explains why Volvo Belgium chose to modernise its lead management measurement, how the implementation was rolled out across the retailer network, and how greater transparency, faster follow-up and shared accountability are helping strengthen customer engagement in an increasingly competitive market.
What problem were you trying to solve when you first started looking at TrackBack?
"When I joined Volvo Car Belux in June 2025, lead management became one of the areas under my responsibility from a marketing perspective. As I started reviewing our processes, it quickly became clear that we had an opportunity to gain greater visibility into how customer enquiries were being followed up across the retailer network.
At the time, lead management performance was primarily measured through mystery shopping. While this approach provided useful customer experience insights, it was based on a relatively limited sample size and relied on manual reporting. As a result, it sometimes left room for interpretation and did not always provide the level of transparency or consistency we were looking for.
Our ambition was to move towards a more comprehensive and objective measurement system that reflected real customer interactions. We wanted to understand three key things: whether a customer was contacted, how quickly the first contact took place, and how consistently follow-up was carried out.
TrackBack offered exactly that. Rather than measuring a small sample of enquiries, it allows us to monitor a much broader proportion of real customer leads across the network.
For us, it was an important step towards creating greater visibility, supporting retailers more effectively and ensuring that the investments we make in lead generation translate into the best possible customer experience."
In terms of implementation, how did that go? Was anything easier than you expected? What did your team actually have to do during set-up?
"The implementation benefitted from a number of factors that are unique to the Belgian market. Volvo retailers in Belgium all operate on the same DMS platform, which created a strong foundation for the rollout.
At the same time, we were already working on the introduction of Hyper eCRM, a modern web-based interface designed to make customer information more accessible and user-friendly. We therefore incorporated the TrackBack integration into that broader CRM transformation.
Following a successful pilot phase during Q4 2025, the solution was launched across the network during Q1 2026.
From an integration perspective, the process was remarkably straightforward. The collaboration between Volvo Digital, Hyper and TrackBack worked very well, and the technical integration itself required relatively limited effort. The key challenge was not technology but coordination - ensuring that all stakeholders were aligned throughout the project.
Overall, the rollout was smooth and demonstrated how effective collaboration between different partners can accelerate digital transformation."
Once the programme was live, what were the first things you noticed? Were there any surprises?
"As with any new initiative, there was a short learning period while retailers and sales teams familiarised themselves with the new process. By May, however, we were already seeing meaningful data and valuable insights.
One of the most encouraging observations was the level of acceptance across the network. Naturally, introducing a new measurement tool raises questions, particularly when it increases visibility around performance. However, once teams understood the objective behind the programme, they quickly recognised its value.
The purpose has never been about monitoring individuals. It is about helping retailers succeed by providing clear, objective information that allows them to identify opportunities for improvement.
The first data confirms that our retailers are committed to following up customer enquiries. At the same time, it highlights areas where we can continue to improve - particularly around response speed.
In today's automotive market, customer expectations continue to rise and competition is stronger than ever. Fast, consistent follow-up can make a real difference to the customer experience. The visibility provided by TrackBack helps us focus on those areas and drive continuous improvement together with our network."
And you said dealers have reacted to it in a pretty positive way?
"Overall, yes. As with any change, there were naturally some initial questions. However, once retailers and sales teams experienced how straightforward the system was to use, the benefits became very clear.
The integration within Hyper eCRM plays an important role in that positive experience. It allows salespeople to work within their existing processes while benefiting from additional visibility and reporting. Looking ahead, we also see opportunities to introduce additional functionality and automation that can further support lead management activities.
Most importantly, retailers recognise that the system helps them achieve something that matters to everyone: ensuring that no customer opportunity is overlooked."
What would you say to a brand that thinks its dealers already do lead follow-up well?
"I would say that TrackBack is not only about identifying problems; it is also about validating success.
Every brand wants to believe that its lead management process is strong. Having objective data provides confidence and allows you to measure performance consistently across different retailers, channels and lead sources.
What we often discover is that the biggest opportunity is not necessarily contact rate, but speed and consistency. In a highly competitive market, responding quickly to customers has become increasingly important.
The data also helps retailers evaluate how they organise themselves. If response-time targets are challenging during busy periods, it encourages teams to rethink processes, allocate responsibilities differently and ensure customer enquiries always receive the attention they deserve.
Ultimately, it keeps lead management visible. Sales teams have many priorities, but customer enquiries remain the starting point of every sales opportunity."
Have you had any instances where having the data has helped settle a debate or argument?
"The programme is still relatively new, so we are early in that journey. However, what we have already seen is that the data enables much more constructive conversations.
Rather than relying on assumptions or perceptions, sales managers can now identify specific areas where additional coaching or support may be beneficial. In some cases, opportunities relate to training, particularly as teams continue adapting to new CRM tools and processes.
What is important is that discussions are no longer centred around whether the data is accurate. Instead, conversations focus on how we can improve performance together.
That is a much more productive approach and creates a stronger foundation for continuous improvement across the network."
If you had to sum up the value of TrackBack, based on your experience so far, how would you describe it?
"TrackBack gives us the visibility and confidence to understand how customer leads are being handled across our retailer network.
It provides clear, objective KPIs that help ensure the investments we make in lead generation are being translated into meaningful customer engagement.
Just as importantly, it allows us to identify where support is needed, focus improvement efforts where they will have the greatest impact and share best practices across the network.
Ultimately, it helps us strengthen lead management, improve customer experience and support our retailers in converting more opportunities into sales - creating value for both customers and the Volvo business."