CAR-BUYING comparison site carwow has launched a ‘Delivery & Disinfection’ service to ease remote purchasing and help dealers sell to customers who are avoiding social interaction.
An independent survey of 1,000 motorists carried out on March 17 showed that despite the coronavirus crisis there is still a strong appetite among people to change their cars, with 54 per cent intending to change theirs in the not-too-distant future – and that figure leaping to 70 per cent in Greater London.
But exposure fears and social isolation are reducing visits to showroom, so dealers are having to be quick to adapt their sales processes to reassure customers and make it easier for them to buy with confidence – especially since the survey showed that nearly 30 per cent of people wanted home-delivered test drives, with 28 per cent wanting their car to be delivered to their home once it was bought.
Carwow and its partner dealers have reacted speedily to this, and dealers can now promote the fact on the carwow website that not only are they offering ‘delivery and disinfection’ but they can also arrange test drives at home plus vehicle video tours, as well as the ability to buy 100 per cent remotely.
‘Delivery and disinfection’ will see the delivery driver spray and wipe down the interior, keys and door handles. They will also drop documents through the customer’s letter box, meaning a zero-contact buying experience.
Almost a third of consumers would now welcome a home-delivered test-drive vehicle with sanitised touchpoints
James Hind, CEO, carwow
Chief executive James Hind said: ‘Speaking to dealerships over recent days, it’s evident that there is, understandably, social interaction concern among consumers. That’s reinforced by our survey, which highlights that almost a third of consumers would now welcome a home-delivered test-drive vehicle with sanitised touchpoints.
‘It’s our job to address these concerns and help facilitate dealers and the automotive industry as a whole to keep the economic wheels turning at this unprecedented time.
‘That’s why we’ve worked quickly to add functionality to our website so buyers can now easily identify which dealers are remotely supporting the search-to-purchase journey, helping them buy with confidence from the security of their own home, if they choose.’
