COVID isn’t going to change dealers

[john.quinn]

I'm not sure... could this be the end of "Just get 'em in?" That'd be a pretty big change.

I never thought Digital Retailing was a technology (I was delivering cars to homes & businesses in the 90's). DR has always been an attitude... a culture.

Forget about the dealers... think about the consumer. Consumers have been 95% complicit in Just Get 'em In; dealers could get away with Just Get 'em In because they could... the consumers would ultimately come in.

What if consumers won't do that anymore? For the first time ever, I just called a health care facility to ask if I could get what I need without being there in-person. I imagine there are and very well will continue to be a lot of those kinds of calls in all kinds of verticals.

It's the consumer who holds the cards...

 

[niblettc]

@ChrisVitale, @JohnQuinn Following along with the conversation around changing the way car buyers shop, and the way dealers sell, I've been working on an idea for a software platform that would allow shoppers and dealers to create test drive appointments for both delivery (remote / Carvana style) and in-store (Carmax). Shoppers would receive text and email notifications confirming appointments, and receive notifications when the vehicle was en route to their location.

It would be all about getting car shoppers into the dealer's pipeline earlier, with greater clarity (have them upload their drivers license, etc), and while giving the shoppers greater control and clarity over the buying process.

I know a lot of dealers focus on adding value for their customers, versus competing soley on price. This tool would allow dealers to roll out the red carpet, so to speak, for every customer. Example mockup below.

Is this a technology you guys would use. Do you see a need for something like this?

 

[john.quinn]

I'm not sure... could this be the end of "Just get 'em in?" That'd be a pretty big change.

I never thought Digital Retailing was a technology (I was delivering cars to homes & businesses in the 90's). DR has always been an attitude... a culture.

Forget about the dealers... think about the consumer. Consumers have been 95% complicit in Just Get 'em In; dealers could get away with Just Get 'em In because they could... the consumers would ultimately come in.

What if consumers won't do that anymore? For the first time ever, I just called a health care facility to ask if I could get what I need without being there in-person. I imagine there are and very well will continue to be a lot of those kinds of calls in all kinds of verticals.

It's the consumer who holds the cards...

 

[niblettc]

@ChrisVitale, @JohnQuinn Following along with the conversation around changing the way car buyers shop, and the way dealers sell, I've been working on an idea for a software platform that would allow shoppers and dealers to create test drive appointments for both delivery (remote / Carvana style) and in-store (Carmax). Shoppers would receive text and email notifications confirming appointments, and receive notifications when the vehicle was en route to their location.

It would be all about getting car shoppers into the dealer's pipeline earlier, with greater clarity (have them upload their drivers license, etc), and while giving the shoppers greater control and clarity over the buying process.

I know a lot of dealers focus on adding value for their customers, versus competing soley on price. This tool would allow dealers to roll out the red carpet, so to speak, for every customer. Example mockup below.

Is this a technology you guys would use. Do you see a need for something like this?

 

[Chris Vitale]

I'm not sure... could this be the end of "Just get 'em in?" That'd be a pretty big change.

I never thought Digital Retailing was a technology (I was delivering cars to homes & businesses in the 90's). DR has always been an attitude... a culture.

Forget about the dealers... think about the consumer. Consumers have been 95% complicit in Just Get 'em In; dealers could get away with Just Get 'em In because they could... the consumers would ultimately come in.

What if consumers won't do that anymore? For the first time ever, I just called a health care facility to ask if I could get what I need without being there in-person. I imagine there are and very well will continue to be a lot of those kinds of calls in all kinds of verticals.

It's the consumer who holds the cards...

Well said and I too was delivering cars to homes and offices. I will say this though, by offering a streamlined process and straight up answers, honest answers and being able to substantiate those answers with explanation is the key. I suspect customers of all products, not just cars, want to avoid "going in" so they can also avoid the waste of time and bs. It's no different than appliance shopping (what a nightmare btw).

So much can be accomplished from "not in the store" now it begs the question "why bother?"

However, having said all that, I do see the other side of it and there's plenty of valid and good reasons to have the customer come in. Solid reasoning too. But, again, it starts with a proper and honest process with true and accurate explanations at that initial contact, whether it be online or on the telephone. It's hard for those of us here to make a purchase and we're in the business, what about civilians?

Someone said it earlier, if anything comes from this, we can only hope for two things: 1. dealers actually utilize the technology available to them (there's some amazing new tech out there right now that literally solves what we're talking about on so many levels) and 2. properly train the people and keep them trained. Nothing is worse than having a person "handling" a high dollar purchase (like a vehicle) get asked a simple question just to lie and cost the store yet another angry customer that will tell 100's of people....

 

[Chris Vitale]

I'm not sure... could this be the end of "Just get 'em in?" That'd be a pretty big change.

I never thought Digital Retailing was a technology (I was delivering cars to homes & businesses in the 90's). DR has always been an attitude... a culture.

Forget about the dealers... think about the consumer. Consumers have been 95% complicit in Just Get 'em In; dealers could get away with Just Get 'em In because they could... the consumers would ultimately come in.

What if consumers won't do that anymore? For the first time ever, I just called a health care facility to ask if I could get what I need without being there in-person. I imagine there are and very well will continue to be a lot of those kinds of calls in all kinds of verticals.

It's the consumer who holds the cards...

Well said and I too was delivering cars to homes and offices. I will say this though, by offering a streamlined process and straight up answers, honest answers and being able to substantiate those answers with explanation is the key. I suspect customers of all products, not just cars, want to avoid "going in" so they can also avoid the waste of time and bs. It's no different than appliance shopping (what a nightmare btw).

So much can be accomplished from "not in the store" now it begs the question "why bother?"

However, having said all that, I do see the other side of it and there's plenty of valid and good reasons to have the customer come in. Solid reasoning too. But, again, it starts with a proper and honest process with true and accurate explanations at that initial contact, whether it be online or on the telephone. It's hard for those of us here to make a purchase and we're in the business, what about civilians?

Someone said it earlier, if anything comes from this, we can only hope for two things: 1. dealers actually utilize the technology available to them (there's some amazing new tech out there right now that literally solves what we're talking about on so many levels) and 2. properly train the people and keep them trained. Nothing is worse than having a person "handling" a high dollar purchase (like a vehicle) get asked a simple question just to lie and cost the store yet another angry customer that will tell 100's of people....