9:36 am, October 12, 2012
DEALERS’ uptake in use of technology is certainly improving, but – says iVendi – things aren’t perfect.
‘Online gap’, says the firm, occurs at the point between customers seeing a car advertised online and then getting in touch with the dealer.
iVendi points out that the majority of dealer sites rely on customers making contact by email or phone if they’re interested in a car – a flaw in the process.
‘There is huge gap in the car buying experience between the customer browsing through stock online and then clicking through or phoning to make actual contact,’ said iVendi’s director James Tew.
‘We believe that large numbers of potential sales fall into this gap. It is the weakest point in the whole car sales process.’
Instead, says Tew, customers should be guided through the buying process online – rather than being made to pick up the phone.
‘What needs to happen is that a bridge should be built that takes the customer closer to contacting or visiting the dealership,’ he added.
‘These should include, crucially, rapidly pre-qualifying the customer for finance of whatever sort they would prefer but it could also involve examining options for warranties, service plans and even potential delivery vehicle dates.’
