A NEW ecommerce strategy has helped Quest Motor Group, one of the oldest car and commercial vehicle dealerships in the UK, achieve its highest ever single-month tally for used car sales.
The family-run firm, which represents four brands at two locations in Essex, set the new record in January.
And it’s attributing a lot of its success to the introduction of a new ‘omni-channel’ approach to online and offline vehicle sales.
Despite January traditionally being a tough month for sales, Quest sold 203 used vehicles, with 13 per cent of those transactions made entirely online.
The retailer has collaborated closely with GForces to overhaul its entire sales approach. Quest adopted GForces’ NetDirector Auto-e platform last August, and GForces has provided consultancy support to enable the Quest team to fully embrace the functionality and optimise its sales processes and culture.
Quest’s website now enables customers to reserve, purchase and finance any used car available at its Braintree and Maldon sites.
Conor Judge, group marketing manager at Quest Motor Group, said: ‘Within just a few months we have adopted a truly ‘‘agnostic’’ approach to online and offline sales, accommodating more readily the needs and preferences of our customers.
‘Our staff communicate openly about the various options that customers now have for transacting with us. We also encourage the opening of accounts and placing deposits online, which can be valuable in countering potential concerns that some customers have about a pressured sales situation in a dealership environment.’
Paul Stokes, head of online retailing at GForces, commented: ‘Dealers like Quest – those who fully embrace ecommerce and ensure that their entire team is onboard – are the ones that are winning. It isn’t just about allowing people to ‘‘buy online’’, it’s about enabling the customer to fully take control of the transaction, online or offline.’
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