SKODA has launched its pioneering new Digital Assistant app across all 123 UK retailers after a successful try-out at five sites showed an increase in customer satisfaction.
The car manufacturer worked closely with its retailers and digital transformation agency Somo to develop the app, which is designed to transform the customer experience in the showroom. Continually using feedback from retailers on how to improve the sales process, the app now allows them to access the right tools, information and customer advice at the click of a button.
It creates a frictionless, personalised, information-rich customer journey, said Somo, and at pilot showrooms led to an increase in customer service satisfaction scores of nearly 10 per cent for sales executives using the app. The customer score for sales executive knowledge also jumped by nearly 10 per cent.
Digital Assistant sits on the sales person’s tablet and vastly reduces dependency on physical car model brochures. It offers all the range, specification and price information in one easy-to-access place, saving time and removing friction points in the sales process for customer and salesperson. Ditching the traditional desk-bound sales experience gives the customer more time in-car as well as more time to engage with the salesperson, and lets retailers focus on bringing aspects of new models to life.
Additional feedback from retailers in the pilot testing said the app also shortened the length of time it took to train new sales execs because they had all the information they needed at their fingertips.
Sales managers can review performance metrics based on the number of people seen, follow-up emails sent, and the satisfaction of the customer.
Kirsten Stagg, head of marketing at Skoda UK, said: ‘We have been aware of an industry-wide opportunity to make the customer buying experience more enjoyable, efficient and personalised.
‘Through our work with Somo, we found a solution that clearly helps both the sales executive and customer, offering our customers a better experience whilst saving them time. We now proactively help customers compare our models with other brands on the market, which offers more transparency and shows our true confidence in the products we are selling. We are thrilled to now be offering our Digital Assistant in all UK retailers.’
Somo chief executive Nick Hynes said: ‘The Skoda Digital Assistant app paves the way for new information-led sales. The salesperson can use the app to get a wealth of information on the car the customer is interested in, including specifications and price comparison, against similar specification cars by different manufacturers.
‘They can then quickly create and send bespoke emailable brochures, which really gives the customer all the information they need when they need it and, importantly for the retailer, it reduces journey friction points and provides useful performance data.’
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