The market is teeming with chat companies promising to boost your dealership’s online lead generation and car sales. With so many options available, how do you know what will work best for you?
This article reveals three crucial tips for selecting a provider to handle your online chat communication.
Leveraging services that offer advanced chat technology can revolutionize your sales processes, increase customer satisfaction, and substantially boost your dealership’s sales.
Tip #1: Understanding Customer Expectations
You’ve heard it before, and you’ll hear it again:
“To be a successful dealership in today’s market, you must cater to your online customers.”
This advice might seem a bit cliché, but it holds true.
With the world available at their fingertips, customers have high expectations for online retailers. This applies to every industry now, including automotive— a staggering 95% of today’s customers start their car-buying journey online.
Whether they are shopping for new tires or a new car, customers expect a seamless experience that is fast, efficient, transparent, and easy to navigate. These expectations go far beyond your website, though— they extend to your Facebook page, your Google Business listing, etc.
Given that most customers complete part of the buying process online, incorporating a chat tool on your site is a no-brainer. However, it’s just as important to have the same communication tool across your other online platforms, like social channels and messaging app.
Tip #2: Understanding The Hidden Power of Chat
The importance of using an advanced chat solution (and not just the cheapest one) is a secret that is well-kept by some of the most successful dealership groups in the country.
Think about it: chat often serves as a customer’s initial interaction with your dealership. If the experience is fantastic, your customer is happy and you are more likely to make a sale. If the experience is subpar, they may walk away and shop somewhere else.
An average chat provider will get a name, number, and email from your potential customers. An advanced chat provider will do that, and then some:
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They help build rapport with your potential customers in the chat by providing a positive and personal experience.
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They have technology that can tailor the experience to each individual customer and their interests.
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They integrate with the tools you already use (like service schedulers and inventory feed providers) to create a seamless experience for your customers.
High-performing dealers know the value of working with a high-quality chat provider, and that sets them far apart from those who don’t.
Tip #3: Finding a Provider Aligned with Your Dealership
It’s important to remember that not all chat tools are created equal — a provider can have a long list of great integrations available, but that isn’t helpful for your dealership if they’re not compatible with the tools you use.
The best chat provider for your dealership is the one that benefits both you and your customers.
Here’s an example scenario: you have a customer named John chatting about scheduling an oil change.
With a standard chat experience, the conversation may go something like this:
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John: Hello, I need to schedule an oil change.
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You: Hello, I would be happy to help with your request! Is this regarding sales, service, or parts?
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John: Service… I need to schedule an oil change.
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You: Thank you for the information! What is your name, number, and email address so that I can have someone reach out to you about scheduling an appointment?
The above conversation may seem acceptable, but from the customer’s perspective, it is inefficient at best, and flat out annoying at worst. Sure, contact information was gathered, but the appointment was not actually booked. This adds unnecessary steps, leading to potential delays (like having to play phone-tag).
With that said, let’s take a look at an advanced chat experience:
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John: Hello, I need to schedule an oil change.
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You: Hello, I would be happy to help with that! What day works best for you?
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John: Wednesday.
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You: Sure thing! I have 10 a.m., 2 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. available.
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John: Let’s do 2 p.m., please.
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You: Perfect! May I have your name, number, and email in order to send you the confirmation?
This time, the conversation flows smoothly and the appointment is booked directly in the chat. Your team doesn’t have to lift a finger to call and schedule the appointment, eliminating the need for back-and-forth.
The ideal chat provider can cover most (if not all) of your bases— from chat to sale. It is important to search for a provider that integrates with all of your existing in-store tools, such as service schedulers, CRMs, and trade-in evaluation systems. An advanced chat provider will help bridge gaps in customer interactions and ultimately will help guide your customer through the process.
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🔥 Hot Tip: Do your homework and don’t make a hasty decision— if you opt for the cheapest provider or just decide to sign up for the first one in your search results, you could be missing out on a surprising number of sales.
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P.S. If you’re ready to see how Gubagoo can work for your dealership, simply send us a chat. 😉