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You're right Craig, the trust factor is difficult to measure; however, our data show that adding photos to chat invitations result in a 28% increase in the capture of lead data, so the human element seems to positively impact a shopper's willingness to share their name and contact information.  We also often hear stories from our customers about shoppers coming in off the street and asking for a specific person with whom they've chatted, even if personal information hadn't been shared during the chat session.


Recent Research: IHS Automotive/Polk analyses found that 1 in 3 (33%) identifiable shoppers who chatted with a dealer purchased a vehicle within 90 days. Almost 1 in 4 (22%)  shoppers who texted a dealership also purchased a vehicle within 90 days.


We've pulled together a variety of industry research and best practice tip sheets on the resources page of our website.


I guess the point that I am trying to make is that like with any technology, when chat is implemented by a dealer incorrectly it can result in a poor shopper experience. But when implemented correctly, (using the configuration I outlined earlier for example), it can provide great results for dealers and consumers.