Stuck with expensive tool

[techstack]

Which dealer tools do you categorize as "stuck with / overpaying" because there is no alternatives available.

P.S: We are a tech startup looking at tools to disrupt and innovate. Any input is really appreciated.

 

[Jlewis74]

I think now there are options for every software out there. The biggest issue with "tech" people building a platform for automotive is that they don't speak the jargon and don't understand how the sales process flows. There there is the OEM integrations and approvals you have to obtain for certain segments.

 

[Alexander Lau]

For what I've created, I don't see any competition options and it's cheap.

http://autostride.com/2016/04/chrysler-uses-consumer-data-for-smart-tv-behavioral-retargeting/

The Problem
However, with all of this said, which Smart TV mechanism is being used to seamlessly capture car buyer leads through targeted videos campaigns? While most video advertisements have a phone number, website and/or potentially a Shazam insertion, many thousands of automotive ads on Smart TV platforms have no real native conversion tool in place and the sales funnel process tends to be segmented. It’s a chopped up, ugly process and that is how you LOSE potential customers. Massive increases in abandonment rate are measured. Simplify your conversion as much as possible by cutting out unnecessary steps, limiting the amount of information you ask for, and providing a way for people to convert or purchase without signing in or having to bounce to another platform. Seamlessly streamline the user experience as much as possible.

The Solution
The first-to-market, Smart TV car buyer lead generation tool that enables automotive retailers to connect with targeted consumers. With AutoStride, inventory offering is matched up with Smart TV ad offering, providing the end user (car shopper) with a clear, seamless experience to submit a lead. In other words and for example, Chrysler ads link to Chrysler inventory on AutoStride.

 

[Alexander Lau]

When will someone in Automotive come up with something like this?

https://wikibuy.com
Check hundreds of sellers in one click for free.
While you shop on Amazon, Wikibuy evaluates other sellers like Walmart, Target, eBay, Jet, and others you might find with a Google search. It confirms availability (including size and color), price, taxes, shipping - and tests coupon codes.

 

[craigh]

When will someone in Automotive come up with something like this?

https://wikibuy.com
Check hundreds of sellers in one click for free.
While you shop on Amazon, Wikibuy evaluates other sellers like Walmart, Target, eBay, Jet, and others you might find with a Google search. It confirms availability (including size and color), price, taxes, shipping - and tests coupon codes.

We spent alot of time discussing and prototyping something along these lines.
"My garage" concept with a browser extension and everything.
Off the top of my head:
- mileage, condition and location have a huge impact on price comparisons, much harder to validate
- complex browser extensions are a pain in the ass to keep current when Firefox is on anew version every week and Chrome does whatever they want, especially when you're making cross-domain requests to get data and inject it into pages
- many computers make this more complicated by requiring the consumer to install an extension, tell us their location, etc

I love the idea, but geographically relevant price comparisons aren't a walk in the park

 

[john.quinn]

Gotta chuckle here... "Boy, sure is a lot of money in the auto industry... auto industry likes gadgets... let's build some software!!"

haha. It's (mostly) an inside joke.

Want to be an innovator in this space? Go find a dealer with 20+ years successfully running multiple dealerships -- New & Used -- has great relationships with OEM's and regional agencies: someone who understands the BIG PICTURE (not just simple sub-strata like Sales, Service, F&I, Collision, etc -- but all of them), someone as equally adept at managing the daily doc as accepting the Businessman of the Year award from the Chamber of Commerce -- give him/her half your business, and solve the problems he/she describes. The industry is already too crowded with "innovators" who know zilch about the industry.

I can promise you that the days of problem-solving in a silo are over

Good luck!

 

[Rick Buffkin]

Just sitting here thinking.... and thinking.... and more thinking.... and reading other post here in the forum, an appointment application for sales on the dealers website. I'm not talking about some generic BS form for an appt. I'm talking about a freaking kick ass appt application for the sales dept that includes automation! We have pretty good appt apps for service like XTime and TimeHighway. Other than a form on the website, what does sales have for appointments?? It would need to be an application that works in sync with the CRM? Customer can check in once they arrive from a mobile link once they arrive on the lot?? Maybe use Geo fencing and the application would send a text to the customer asking them to check in letting their sales rep know they are on the lot? Also, send a pic of their rep in the link as well?? The customer can select a specific rep from the website they want to set the appt with. Maybe have a bio of the reps with pics in the application. Maybe set up the application so that customers can see a total number of other appts for that same car on the same day they choose?? That might entice the customer to come at an earlier date. Just thinking out loud here. There could be something already out there similar. I haven't seen it and I haven't had any vendors to call me and pitch me on it! My .02

Also, make so they can send the appt to their own calendars as well (google cal, outlook, etc.). Maybe while they have the application open, collaborate with another party like their husband or wife and share the appt or calendar with them so they can schedule the appt together. (you hear all the time, "Let me check with Him or Her and see what their schedule is" while the rep is on the phone. Then the rep moves to set a tentative appt with the customer. We need to eliminate as much of that as we can. Once again, just thinking out loud!

 

[Alexander Lau]

We spent alot of time discussing and prototyping something along these lines.
"My garage" concept with a browser extension and everything.
Off the top of my head:
- mileage, condition and location have a huge impact on price comparisons, much harder to validate
- complex browser extensions are a pain in the ass to keep current when Firefox is on anew version every week and Chrome does whatever they want, especially when you're making cross-domain requests to get data and inject it into pages
- many computers make this more complicated by requiring the consumer to install an extension, tell us their location, etc

I love the idea, but geographically relevant price comparisons aren't a walk in the park

Yes, there are major flaws with it when it comes to Automotive. Cool concept though...!

 

[Alexander Lau]

Gotta chuckle here... "Boy, sure is a lot of money in the auto industry... auto industry likes gadgets... let's build some software!!"

haha. It's (mostly) an inside joke.

Want to be an innovator in this space? Go find a dealer with 20+ years successfully running multiple dealerships -- New & Used -- has great relationships with OEM's and regional agencies: someone who understands the BIG PICTURE (not just simple sub-strata like Sales, Service, F&I, Collision, etc -- but all of them), someone as equally adept at managing the daily doc as accepting the Businessman of the Year award from the Chamber of Commerce -- give him/her half your business, and solve the problems he/she describes. The industry is already too crowded with "innovators" who know zilch about the industry.

I can promise you that the days of problem-solving in a silo are over

Good luck!

Yes, plenty of automotive start-ups have a hard time with this.

Most automotive start-ups flunk (go dead pool) with leadership that has zero automotive experience. I suppose it depends on how "success" is defined (VC attained, IP bought, company bought, etc.).

There have been a few successful automotive start-ups that have sold for quite a bit and I know for a fact their leadership teams were new to automotive and learned as they progressed, but that is a rarity.

 

[Rick Buffkin]

ya know... I'm still thinking about my appt idea here guys. With all the text and chat widgets and providers for these type of comm's, None of them have a solid appt section for sales when you open up the UI. NONE!!!!! The Chat or text agent can set the appt for you. But, the visitor isn't able to set or share the appt from the UI. You can't see a cal. or there's nothing like "Send Appt To Phone" or "Schedule your visit here", nothing. What you should do is make a freaking solid Appt app and then have integration set up between the Chat and Text providers and your application. That's what should be built. Give the dealer a dashboard of some sorts to load employees info into it. Or, set it up so the employees have their own access to it and when an appt is made with that employee, it sends a txt message to that rep letting him know that Joe Customer has set an appt with him. Maybe it can send a profile text, email, video or something letting the customer know something about the rep they set the appt with. Maybe the Chat operator would have the option to send the appt to the customers mobile phone or something. I don't know. Once again, I'm just thinking out loud here. Most of you guys here on this thread are pretty aware of products and solutions in the auto segment. Can you guys think of a chat or text provider that offers something like this??? I can't think of any.