Contact At Once reached a new threshold of dealerships using its tool on a mobile device.
The LivePerson company announced on Tuesday that 10,000 dealerships have now migrated to its web-based app, CAO! Connect, meaning two in three stores using Contact At Once applications are now taking advantage of the benefits of its latest innovations.
CAO! Connect can help dealerships enable conversational commerce with shoppers and owners, showcasing inventory, rich media and digital retailing tools. Shoppers and agents can see the same content in the conversation window.
Tapping on the YouTube preview, for example, will open a slide-out to display and play shared media. Inventory information and vehicle history reports are readily available for agents when they’re engaging in conversation with shoppers.
“CAO! Connect is fantastic,” said Marty Phillips, internet manager for Harry Robinson Buick GMC located in Fort Smith, Ark. "It allows my Internet team to engage with online shoppers and really communicate with them in a way that gets the customer through the front door.
“You can’t sell anything to a voicemail or an email that never responds back. Contact At Once helps my team connect with the customer from the word, go,” Phillips went on to say.
Dealers and automakers worldwide use Contact At Once to message with consumers looking for new and used vehicles, service and parts.
“Our goal is to help dealers have more fruitful conversations with car shoppers and owners, and move them closer to the dealership visit,” said Yuval Lubowich, Contact At Once vice president of product development.
“We are excited to pass this major milestone, with over 10,000 dealerships using Connect across the globe within the first four months of launch. The interactivity between the agent and consumer has been elevated to new levels,” Lubowich added.
The company recently announced that it is now a customer service platform (CSP) for Apple Business Chat, supporting another way for consumers to reach local dealerships and manufacturers when they have questions.
Auto Remarketing recently hosted an informational webinar with Contact At Once to explain how Apple Business Chat can help. The webinar can be viewed here.
All NADA Values Online subscribers now have another tool at their disposal.
On Friday, J.D. Power announced a new feature aimed at enriching its extensive used-vehicle database. The company highlighted that the VIN Based Option is a new feature that utilizes packaging, content and descriptive features specific to a vehicle’s entire 17-character VIN (vehicle identification number) to enhance and customize each vehicle valuation instead of the basic 11-character VIN.
Currently, J.D. Power explained that an 11-digit VIN only provides basic information such as make, model and engine, meaning there is limited understanding about the vehicle you are researching. Now, with the marriage of the data tied to the full VIN from J.D. Power’s transaction database, the VIN Based Option feature can provide what the company believes is a precise, uniquely adjusted vehicle valuation, down to specific features and options installed in that specific vehicle.
“This tool has really taken vehicle valuation to the next level and provides subscribers with extremely valuable information at any stage of the process when buying or selling a used vehicle,” said Jonathan Banks, vice president and general manager of vehicle valuations at J.D. Power.
“Our valuation customers can move from a general approach to vehicle valuations and move to a precise value for an exact vehicle. This type of precision removes the guesswork of evaluating whether specific features, packaging and options are built on the vehicle, and that provides game-changing transparency,” continued Banks, who is among the experts on tap to appear during Used Car Week 2018 that begins Nov. 12 in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The VIN Based Option is a comprehensive tool supported by EpiAnalytics’ proprietary software, which correlates relevant data to the VIN using artificial intelligence (AI).
In addition, EpiAnalytics delivers access to additional millions of vehicles beyond the millions included in the J.D. Power database from CarStory.
“Identifying specific vehicle options, packages and trim within the 17-digit VIN provides users the ability to precisely price and accurately compare vehicles,” said Jim Vecchio, president of EpiAnalytics.
“In working with the automotive industry’s most trusted source for over five years, we have perfected our solution to deliver a VIN-based ‘birth certificate’ for each vehicle,” Vecchio continued.
Chad Bockius, president and chief product officer of CarStory, added his perspective, too.
“Both J.D. Power and CarStory share a collective passion for data, analytics and intelligence,” Bockius said. “These traits are on full display in the NADA Values experience.
“Analyzing more than eight billion different data points using its own computer vision and machine learning do accurately describe a vehicle, this approach not only saves dealers time, it also leads to the most accurate valuations available on the market today,” Bockius went on to say.
Bockius recently participated in an episode of the Auto Remarketing Podcast to discuss how market data can help car dealers make decisions around inventory. The conversation is available below.
Auction123 has enhanced its dealer website and inventory management solutions, as well as its automated marketing tools for sites like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and eBay with vehicle-specific pricing information for Carfax Advantage dealers.
The company highlighted those dealers now can compare their pricing with the Carfax history-based values for units in inventory. Using Carfax information combined with local market trends, Carfax can provide a unique price for each vehicle.
With more accurate pricing information, dealers can market their vehicles competitively and reinforce to customers which vehicles are the best value.
“By integrating the Carfax History-Based Value with Auction123’s solutions, we are giving dealers the ability to more accurately price their vehicles based on a specific VIN’s history, as opposed to simply matching a vehicle to others in the market based on options and condition,” said Tracy Amato, executive director of Auction123.
“This is a huge game changer when it comes to determining the best pricing for a dealers’ inventory and identifies the value of vehicles that have fewer owners, more detailed service history and no accidents,” Amato added.
The Auction123 system is now geared to offer greater insight that can help dealers more accurately evaluate each specific VIN in their inventory. The company insisted dealers no longer have to rely on limited market value pricing for all vehicles matching the year, make, model, trim and condition.
Dealers can filter stored vehicles to see which units are priced above or below the Carfax History-Based Value and pull up the Carfax information on each one. In addition, dealers can view and adjust the trim, color, condition and options for each VIN as needed.
“Vehicle-specific pricing helps dealers hold gross on their inventory,” said Paul Nadjarian, head of products for Carfax. “With this information built into Auction123’s entire suite of products, Carfax Advantage dealers make better decisions when acquiring, advertising and retailing used cars.”
For more information or to get access to Auction123’s solutions, visit www.auction123.com.
More valuable intelligence for your dealership’s service drive arrived on Tuesday.
Vincentric released an in-depth update to its vehicle maintenance data with additional detail added to its automotive cost-of-ownership database. The latest enhancement includes costs for more than 400 services per vehicle with more detailed estimates of parts pricing, labor times and labor rates for light-duty vehicles in the U.S. and Canada, resulting in more accurate total cost-of-ownership calculations.
Vincentric maintenance data includes both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance costs, with scheduled maintenance costs using specific manufacturer recommended maintenance schedules as its foundation.
Unscheduled maintenance costs include items without specific service intervals, such as brakes, batteries and tires.
Vincentric reiterated that it uses a standard replacement interval for these services and then applies vehicle specific parts prices and labor times. This information is then combined with hourly labor rates that are customized by state and province based on a Vincentric survey of automotive dealers.
Current national rates are $96 per hour in the U.S. and $112 per hour in Canada, with slightly higher rates for luxury vehicles.
“Our customers can now more accurately estimate maintenance costs at any mileage interval up to 300,000 miles or 480,000 kilometers,” Vincentric president David Wurster said.
“Each calculation is done using our dynamic cost to own technology to determine specific costs for that driving distance without the need for any averaging,” Wurster continued. “Our web service can deliver this data on demand either as part of our cost-of-ownership solution or as an independent maintenance data delivery.”
In addition to delivery via web service using a VIN match or other unique vehicle matching keys, Vincentric data can be delivered via text file or other formats as needed by its customers.
Further information regarding Vincentric maintenance data can be requested from marketing@vincentric.com.
And Vincentric is again a part of Used Car Week, which begins on Nov. 12 in Scottsdale, Ariz. The company will be handing out honors as a part of the Used Car Awards Luncheon sponsored by TradeRev.
There is still time to register for Used Car Week 2018 by going online here.
Dealers hailing from the land of the Midnight Sun and harsh winters now can offer their customers extra protection to help vehicles last longer.
On Thursday, Preferred Warranties (PWI), a business unit of KAR Auction Services, announced the company’s expansion into Alaska.
In Alaska, PWI has partnered with American Auto Shield to offer a broad portfolio of PWI-branded service contract options.
PWI serves independent dealers and small franchised operations and powersports dealers — selling extended service contract protection plans for pre-owned vehicles through licensed vehicle dealers.
“We are proud to introduce PWI’s trusted solutions and dedicated customer service to licensed automotive dealers in the great state of Alaska,” PWI president Edmund Field said. “We want our dealer partners to be successful in all they do. And we look forward to working with them to provide their customers with additional confidence and peace of mind in their used-car purchases.”
Field explained the move is part of PWI’s nationwide expansion effort, and with the addition of Alaska, the company now operates in 47 states. He added that PWI is also advancing a robust product pipeline of tailored protection plans that fit the specific markets and geographies it serves.
“Alaskan dealers not only have access to PWI’s broad portfolio of core products,” Field said. “They can also select new options specifically designed to meet the unique needs of local used car and truck dealers.”
Established in 1992, PWI provides extended service contracts to more than 3,000 independent dealers.
For more information, visit www.warrantys.com.
Veteran dealers understand that appraising a vehicle not only is about considering the current value as it sits in front of them, but also projecting what the figure might be to get that model rolled over the curb.
Automotive artificial intelligence platform CarStory on Thursday announced the launch of CarStory Appraise — a dealer appraisal product to combine sales predictions with big data information in a consumer-grade, intuitive interface.
The CarStory Appraise app is now available for Apple iOS, Android and via the web.
“Buying the right cars at the right price is critical to maximizing profits for a dealership,” said Chad Bockius, president and chief product officer at CarStory. “Historically, dealers have had to juggle a variety of unknowns and gut calls — how fast a car will turn, how much it will sell for, what is the current supply and demand and more — in order to determine what to put on their lot.
“But by using AI-powered, predictive analytics, CarStory Appraise offers the most complete and accurate assessment of a vehicle based on how each car will perform on a specific dealer's lot, not just what other dealers are paying at auction,” Bockius continued.
Key features of CarStory Appraise include:
• VIN Audit: CarStory can capture and analyze data from more than 200 million VINs to create a more complete description of a vehicle, saving time while producing an accurate forecast and appraisal.
• GoPrice: CarStory can predict what a vehicle will sell for and when, potentially leading to better and more profitable purchase decisions.
• Market Intelligence: Knowing what to pay starts with understanding the current market. By analyzing current supply levels, shopper demand, competitive vehicles and dealership performance, CarStory Appraise can show how a potential acquisition fits into the market and how it will sell on a dealer’s lot
Analyzing thousands of data points is the key to developing a precise sale forecast. CarStory Appraise is the industry’s only solution to provide predictions based on current supply, demand, unique features, color, mileage, price and even a dealer’s performance. Using AI and machine learning, CarStory Appraise analyzes a VIN against the local market to see exactly when the car will sell and for how much.
“A potential customer asked me to find a car that I don't typically stock or carry so I was not very familiar with the retail price,” said Bert Straub, owner of 1st Choice Auto in Fairview, Pa.
“I used CarStory Appraise at the auction to scan in a VIN and was presented with an accurate acquisition and retail price prediction for this unit. The best part is that CarStory's Appraise tool prevented me from selling it short by underpricing this vehicle to market,” Straub continued.
“The predictive analysis accurately provided a front-end profit that more than doubled my expectations on a car I don't normally sell,” he went on to say.
This new app is available today on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Dealers can sign up by visiting www.carstory.ai/appraise-app.
Dealers now have a new device to sell in the used-vehicle retail sales department; and perhaps in the parts department or service drive, too.
Automatic, a SiriusXM company that can bring the power of connectivity to almost any vehicle on the road, on Tuesday announced the launch of the Automatic Dealer Program, an all-new service bundle for dealers to provide to consumers with their new and pre-owned vehicle purchases to enhance their ownership experience.
With Automatic’s new app and easy-to-install adapter, most vehicles, model year 1996 or later, can become connected. The company insisted Automatic can make it easy for dealers and consumers to add connectivity to their vehicles at the time of sale.
The aftermarket device also comes with a free trial subscription.
The Automatic Dealer Program can enable dealers to offer consenting customers a trial subscription that includes three free years of Automatic’s crash alert and connected maintenance services, as well as six free months of premium services, such as roadside assistance. This offering delivers connected vehicle services for a net cost to the dealer as low as $40 a vehicle. This cost includes the device and trial subscription.
Dealers working with Automatic can get:
• Added value for dealer lots: Automatic transforms most cars on the lot into connected vehicles, adding value to dealers’ inventory with the ability to pass along the benefit of Automatic’s safety and convenience features.
• Six-month free premium subscription offers: At the time of sale, dealers can offer customers six months of Automatic’s premium subscription features.
• Connected Maintenance: The Automatic app can create a streamlined connection between the dealer and its customers. Important service reminders, recall notifications and more are sent directly to a customer’s phone, and those customers can use the app to book service appointments with the dealer that sold them their vehicles.
• Long term retention: Dealers can offer their customers free access to important features, including Crash Alert and Connected Maintenance, for three years, a benefit not only for the consumer, but also for the dealer, by creating a long-term relationship between the buyer and seller.
Consumers with Automatic can get:
• Crash Alert: Detects when a serious collision occurs and enables responders to contact the driver, send emergency services and contact a driver’s emergency contacts.
• Roadside assistance: Sends towing and roadside services to a driver’s location when help is needed.
• Real-time vehicle location monitoring and sharing: Shows where car is parked in a crowded lot, and can keep a driver connected with family while out on the road.
• Vehicle health and performance monitoring: Gain insights on driving performance and identify issues when check engine light is on.
• Recall notifications and service reminders: Receive timely recall notifications and service reminders; book service appointments with a dealer with a few simple clicks.
• Integration with smart home devices: Open garage door, adjust thermostat and turn on house lights on your way to or from home.
“This Automatic service introduction benefits from the combined resources and capabilities of Automatic and SiriusXM in the area of vehicle connectivity and product development to create a killer offering for dealers and their customers,” said Joe Verbrugge, executive vice president and general manager of emerging business for SiriusXM.
“The Automatic platform delivers safety and convenience services for consumers that truly enhance the vehicle ownership experience, and the Automatic Dealer Program gives dealers the ability to provide these benefits to their customers, stay connected to those driving off their lot, and increase loyalty and future service lane traffic,” Verbrugge continued.
AT&T’s nationwide LTE-M connectivity will support Automatic’s service
“Automatic’s service platform offers a major technology boost to just about any vehicle. This enhances the safety and convenience for today’s drivers,” said Chris Penrose, president of Internet of Things Solutions at AT&T. “Through our nationwide LTE-M network, our work with Automatic and SiriusXM will bring the benefits of connectivity to even more cars and trucks across the U.S.”
For more information and to enroll in the Automatic Dealer Program, visit https://automaticdealerprogram.com/.
Dealership sales and marketing strategies can now benefit from a new solution that delivers sales insights and market share data.
A new tool that offers real-time analytics and insights is now available exclusively through iHeartMedia, which claims to have over 131 million social followers and reach roughly a quarter of a billion broadcast listeners each month.
iHeartMedia has partnered with internet marketing service provider AUTOFLYTE to create AUTOFLYTE EDGE, which provides dealers with daily sales and market share data from their local area, the companies announced in a news release Tuesday.
“We are committed to technology-driven innovation and having the ability to offer even more targeting solutions for our advertisers that leverage the unparalleled local reach of radio,” iHeartMedia executive vice president of automotive business development and partnerships John Karpinski said in a news release. “AUTOFLYTE has partnered with the industry authority for automotive sales statistics to create the most powerful and credible insights tool available, and we have partnered with AUTOFLYTE to bring this revolutionary technology to the market.
“With the new AUTOFLYTE EDGE platform, we will provide our auto partners the ability to break free from previous automotive marketing confinements and use timely information to precisely target new buyers,” said Karpinski.
Furthermore, AUTOFLYTE EDGE is designed to optimize auto dealers' advertising campaigns to help dealerships market both smarter and speedier. Using the new solution's daily sales insights, such as the most recent market dynamics and trends, dealers can easily customize and update their sales and marketing strategies, according to iHeartMedia.
“With iHeartMedia and AUTOFLYTE’s exclusive real-time insights and data, this new tool is nothing short of a game changer for how we do business at our dealership,” said Steve Hurley, owner of Stingray Chevrolet of Plant City, Fla. “For the first time, we are able to specifically tailor our marketing plans based on what our customers want today versus months ago. We’ve been waiting for something like this and are already seeing success.”
iHeartMedia’s move to exclusively provide AUTOFLYTE EDGE and other services stems from iHeartMedia’s ongoing focus to provide brands and marketers solutions for reaching consumers across its roughly quarter of a billion monthly broadcast listeners, the news release said.
In addition to iHeartMedia Analytics, which the company launched in May, other marketing optimization tools iHeartMedia provides include SoundPoint, a programmatic real-time radio ad buying platform and SmartAudio.
In an effort to help drive the adoption of homeless dogs into loving homes on National Dog Day, Autotrader has introduced a special-edition website for a limited time in partnership with Adopt-a-Pet.com called Dogtrader.com.
The new site marks the brand’s fifth consecutive year of celebrating National Dog Day, coming up this Sunday.
In addition to being able to search for nearby dogs who are up for adoption in their area, Dogtrader.com visitors can also find information about vehicle accessories for dogs, pet safety tips and a list of top 10 “Great Cars for Dog Lovers,” Autotrader announced Tuesday.
“We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 vehicles that are the perfect match for dog owners everywhere,” Autotrader executive editor at Brian Moody said in a news release.
“From vehicles with large rear doors and an open cargo floor to second-row fold down seats, each car on our list was selected based on features that are important when drivers are traveling with their four-legged friends.”
Autotrader’s list of top 10 “Great Cars for Dog Lovers includes the:
- 2018 Buick Encore
- CPO Chevrolet Equinox
- 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
- Certified Pre-Owned Ford Escape
- CPO Honda Fit
- 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
- 2018 Nissan Kicks
- 2018 Subaru Crosstrek
- 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback
- 2018 Volvo V90
On top of the 10 vehicles Autotrader named, the new Dogtrader.com provides dog owners with information about extra car accessories for dogs' safety and comfort such as car kennels, rear seat pet hammocks, spill-proof water bowls and pet ramps.
To provide automotive marketers a boost in advertising effectiveness and measurement, a new marketing and measurement platform now blends the capabilities of Nielsen Marketing Cloud’s technology with J.D. Power’s car-buyer intelligence and insights.
The companies announced the launch of the new Nielsen Auto Cloud marketing and measurement platform powered by J.D. Power on Monday.
Via the new cloud technology solution, in addition to omnichannel advertising and campaign measurement features, automotive advertisers can directly access audience data from Nielsen with buyer insights from J.D. Power, the company said.
“We are thrilled to launch this game-changing automotive solution with J.D. Power,” Nielsen executive vice president Damian Garbaccio said in a news release. “The Nielsen Auto Cloud’s combination of data, technology and measurement capabilities is unique to the auto advertising world.
“Auto marketers can now be more responsive to changes in buying behavior, more personalized with their advertising and content, better at measuring outcomes, and—ultimately—more efficient with their media investments,” Garbaccio said.
Marketers can target audiences and personalize advertising messages using detailed insights from Nielsen and J.D. Power that's related to vehicle features, buying stage, brand affinities, media engagement, geo-location and device type, according to J.D. Power.
“Nielsen and J.D. Power are ushering in a new era for the auto industry,” said Bernardo Rodriguez, J.D. Power’s chief digital officer. “We’re empowering auto marketers with immediately actionable intelligence … whether for consumer insights, cross-media planning and targeting, or campaign measurement.”
Meanwhile, in addition to having the ability to plan and activate car-buyer audiences across TV and digital, both Nielsen Auto Cloud’s always-on frequency management and in-flight analytics capabilities allow users to measure and control what types of ads people see throughout each ad campaigns’ run.
Furthermore, J.D. Power said that the new platform is also fitted with campaign measurement and optimization capabilities that can help clients react to buying behavior changes instantly.
“The Nielsen Auto Cloud gives us incredible access to granular data from Nielsen complemented by insights from J.D. Power, allowing us to create high-value audiences for our clients,” said The Interpublic Group of Companies global chief data and marketing technology officer Arun Kumar. “With this, we will strengthen our audience measurement platform, improving our ability to target car-buyers based on a variety of criteria including their preferred brands, car models, styles and features. That means better performing media investments for our auto clients, more innovative marketing solutions, and ultimately, better consumer experiences.”
