Well, this discussion parallels some of the conversation we have with dealers who hope for the sales team to handle a chat conversation - HOW HAPPY ARE YOU WITH YOUR PHONE UPS? If you want to give out starbucks gift cards most of the time, then consider the potential. If you want to strangle them much of the time, now add potentially poor sound / video quality, lower-end phones that can't handle the data stream, the client's quality of digital and a few other variables into the mix. If the shopper's 3g or even laggy 4g LTE signal is spotty, it still becomes a negative experience, like the AIRBAG LIGHT being lit on their trade-in when they pick up their new car. not your fault, but still YOUR fault (in their eyes) that the value changed...
It's more like a video phone-up, so the goal should be the same; get the appointment. If it's more of a 'chat', then the goal is to get contact information. How *I* would implement is to do what we recommend and set up the dealer staff person(s) as an OPERATOR - in this case a well-spoken female (the data don't lie on gender preference studies). Provide basic information and offer to have a product expert call you as soon as one is available.
Unlike text / live message chat, the prospect of 24/7 response is not very realistic. Dealers managing chat in-house (I see data from hundreds of dealers using software ONLY in-house) typically have a 50% or LOWER rate responding to queries.
USE SKYPE or VIDEO CHAT FOR A LIVE WALKAROUND? Heck YES!!
