Dilawri Group of Companies, a Canadian automotive group, has launched what it is describing as a complete omni-channel purchasing experience in which customers can connect with the dealer through live video, chat, SMS text, email, phone and at the store.

Dilawri Group, which operates 76 franchised dealerships representing 35 automotive brands, said that with the new experience, customers can see a seamless online and offline shopping experience by digitizing and fully integrating the automotive purchase process.

Called Dilawri Anywhere 2.0, the experience offers features such as transparent website pricing and payment calculator with current lease and finance rates.

Audi Thornhill is the first dealership to launch Dilawri Anywhere 2.0.  That brand-new dealership serves the Thornhill and Richmond Hill, Ontario markets.

Further details

The company said the new experience encompasses the entire customer journey under one vision. That is to provide the best in transparency, convenience and flexibility when purchasing a vehicle.

With Dilawri Anywhere 2.0, customers can engage remotely with online experience specialists at the dealership to review inventory options and collaborate in a personalized purchase experience, ensuring any applicable rebates and programs are applied.

Through the experience, the resulting purchase terms are pushed online to the customer’s My Garage account in real time for access anywhere, any time.

The company said Dilawri Anywhere 2.0 brings the dealership experience forward into the virtual environment.

“Working in collaboration with a customer remotely or in-person, we are able to provide an enhanced customer experience and identify any additional rebates and programs for which a customer may qualify,” company co-founder Kap Dilawri said in a news release.

Dilawri continued, “When we integrate these benefits into the customer's deal structure, the purchase terms in the customer’s account are updated dynamically in real time, and this information is always available at the customer’s fingertips.”

Additional Dilawri Anywhere 2.0 features include:

— Shopping progress and customized purchase terms updated and saved real-time in the My Garage account

— Interaction via live video, chat, SMS text, email, phone, in-dealership or between all channels

— Purchase experience that personalizes vehicle appraisal, financing arrangements and any applicable rebates and programs

— Vehicle reservation via an e-commerce checkout and digital paperwork signing with DocuSign

— Choice between in-dealership or at-home vehicle delivery

Being physically present at the dealership is not required, But when customers come to the dealership, the company says the boutique environment is designed for casual and collaborative conversation. The dealership software is directly integrated with the customer's My Garage account. The software allows the dealership to push the outcome of the conversation to the customer’s account in real time.

"While a number of solutions have come to the market over the past few years, none has effectively bridged the physical to virtual gap through a singularly connected platform," Dilawri said.

Dilawri also said, “This is where Dilawri Anywhere 2.0 stands apart from other solutions in the industry. The technology we are using in-store is the same technology the customer uses online, and it’s seamlessly paired with dynamic communication tools and our other operating systems.”

First store to launch program

The first store to use the platform, Audi Thornhill, was developed based upon what the company said are the guiding principles of transparency, convenience, and flexibility.

The company said, “Dilawri Group of Companies has established a truly unique shopping experience, supported by real-time communication channels, seamless transition from online to offline, and an all new in-store environment at Audi Thornhill.”

Dilawri said Audi Thornhill was a good dealership for the launch of Dilawri Anywhere 2.0.

“Whether in-store, online, or a combination of both, Audi Thornhill sets a new benchmark for the vehicle purchase experience and it sets the example of evolution in dealership experience planned for all Dilawri Group of Companies dealerships,” Dilawri said.