Do digital retailing tools save customers time in store? Are they accurate?

[Alex Snyder]

Do these bullets represent your experiences with digital retailing?

• Dealership trust in their online shopping tools is so strong that they immediately pick up the process where the customer left off when they walk in. It never starts over. This saves customers so much time!
• The accuracy of the payments is so spot-on that the customer always gets the exact payment they saw online.
• Every customer is happy with the trade figure they received online and that was honored in the store.

Right?


Slide credit to Pete Macinnis (eLead Solutions)

 

[Jeff Kershner]

• Dealership trust in their online shopping tools is so strong that they immediately pick up the process where the customer left off when they walk in. It never starts over.
• The accuracy of the payments is so spot-on that the customer always gets the exact payment they saw online.
• Every customer is happy with the trade figure they received online and that was honored in the store.

Right?

Yes - BIG disconnect for most dealers. But how much of it is dealer process vs technology? Genuine question.

 

[DrewAment]

To answer the question that is the thread subject -- NO.... And, all DR platforms do not trust their own tool as well.

DR (and any tech) was supposed to save the customer, AND US (dealers), time. However, none of the DR tools indemnify their data/quotes. Sure, they will say it is accurate, they have never had a problem, etc etc etc. But, they will not put in the contract that they are responsible for any errors in calculations. This leads to our managers having to double check the deal sheet generated by the DR tool -- check rates, money factors, residuals, etc etc in another tool or OEM look-up.

 

[Auto_NC]

I'm trying to better wrap my head around how to take DR from being a glorified lead form, to something closer to what it is marketed as. One thing we're wondering from those who have their processes in place, is how much time, if any, does starting the process through these tools actually save the end user once they get in store to complete the transaction?

I've heard stories where dealers ask for all the entered info all over again, essentially ignoring the lead info, to other dealers where a customer is coming in to essentially cross the T's and dot the I's.

Curious everyone else's experience and thoughts!


MODERATOR EDIT: this was the start of another thread that was merged with the current thread.

 

[craigh]

In my experience, I'm seeing some of everything.
Some dealers are getting an ADF lead from the DR solution, straight to the CRM and then they begin to pre-populate the deal so it's ready.
Other dealers are getting the lead and treating it like a web lead and essentially starting from scratch again.

If you have the browsing history, the payment term they selected, the VIN, etc - there's no reason why that shouldn't save time.
The customer is expecting that this will save time, so anything less should be considered a disappointment.

We have a product that takes the F&I process digital, so we're actively watching how customers are interacting with that as well.
Some customers are loving the totally digital method of browsing and selecting F&I products and it's cutting turn time in half, but it all comes down to the dealer and how they implement it. Too often I see dealers who don't understand their own arsenal of tools, how to qualify a lead based on where it came from, etc.

The most effective and reliable I've seen so far is the groups where the BDC handles all DR leads from conception until the time they arrive at the dealership. They give them a consistent experience, they can start the deal process and they can prepare the salesperson properly for the appointment.

 

[Alex Snyder]

In my experience, I'm seeing some of everything.
Some dealers are getting an ADF lead from the DR solution, straight to the CRM and then they begin to pre-populate the deal so it's ready.
Other dealers are getting the lead and treating it like a web lead and essentially starting from scratch again.

If you have the browsing history, the payment term they selected, the VIN, etc - there's no reason why that shouldn't save time.
The customer is expecting that this will save time, so anything less should be considered a disappointment.

We have a product that takes the F&I process digital, so we're actively watching how customers are interacting with that as well.
Some customers are loving the totally digital method of browsing and selecting F&I products and it's cutting turn time in half, but it all comes down to the dealer and how they implement it. Too often I see dealers who don't understand their own arsenal of tools, how to qualify a lead based on where it came from, etc.

The most effective and reliable I've seen so far is the groups where the BDC handles all DR leads from conception until the time they arrive at the dealership. They give them a consistent experience, they can start the deal process and they can prepare the salesperson properly for the appointment.

This is a very good description of what is happening in the United States too. And I'm assuming you're speaking about Canda, Craig.

To take it a step further, most US dealers are not connecting the dots between the customer's online experience to the in-store one. They're asking the customer to start over, and really hurting the customer's desire to go through the dealer's digital experience in the future. This is a plague on all dealers. It only takes a few to ruin it for everyone. Another reason why Carvana and Vroom are gaining popularity pre-purchase.

Cars and cell phones... super complex sales not typically sold by complex-capable individuals.


MODERATOR EDIT: Two threads have been merged because they were posted at roughly the same time and cover digital retailing.

 

[zlieberman]

Yes - BIG disconnect for most dealers. But how much of it is dealer process vs technology? Genuine question.

Good point. - Having top-down buy in with clear processes behind the new tech implementation leads to the most success. There are "Digital Retail" platforms out there that go way beyond a website widget. Unfortunately, there are those stores out there that expect results from a "set it and forget it" mentality and only utilize the bare minimum of the offering.

 

[LindsayCiavattone]

This is a great thread! I've had so many conversations with dealers on this topic recently that I have uncovered three 'buckets' of dealers when it comes to DR tools:

1. Dealer either isn't interested in adapting to DR technology or hasn't started yet
2. Dealer has started to evolve in-store processes to better integrate with chosen DR technology/tooling
3. Dealer is innovating in-store processes to completely adapt to DR technology (which they're typically heavily invested in)

The question I've been thinking about lately is whether or not a dealer's online presence is an extension of their showroom, or the other way around?

I don't believe any DR tool is 'magic' unless the store can make changes to integrate with a new process that puts the customer in the driver seat. It's certainly a step away from the processes we've been taught when working with someone who shows up on the lot. Any tool is as successful as the user- both the customer entering information and the dealer personnel working the lead.

Digital retail will remain heavily dependent on the people supporting it. I believe that consumers still need the human element from their dealers, whether they realize it or not.