Autotrader Chat Assist

[MOTORS 25]

"Chat Assist will now operate between 6pm and 9am. Therefore, you need to chat, engage and manage your chats outside these hours when your dealership is open, to benefit from a 24/7 service."

We use the chat assist. Normally we leave them to answer all chats 24 hours a day. Looks like we will have to answer them all ourselves during office hours. Bit difficult when your valeting or painting a car side. Less for more again courtesy of Autotrader.

[EPV 631]

I just used the free service. Have the app on my phone and just take some basic details when people come through on chat. 

[MOTORS 25]

Thanks - I didn't know there was a free service. We've been paying £24 per month for them to answer all chats, which to be honest is really handy when you're busy. Most of the chats come through at night so maybe still worth the charge. I'll have to remember to turn the chat on and off otherwise my phone will be dinging at 2am.

[EPV 631]

Yeah, called Contact at Once. 

[Rory RSC 596]

Who uses live chat?

What does it bring in for you?

 

I personally don't because I don't feel I have the time to respond and I feel the managed chats where the person doing it knows nothing and can't answer anything other than take a name and address seems to be a complete waste of time. Interested to hear feedback.

[EPV 631]

Works OK for me R.

Sometimes people will pop up and the usual "is it available?" question is asked and if I am busy I simply say "the car is available and I'll be happy to answer any further questions you have, can I take a name and number and call you back?" and that in turn provides a phone call opportunity that you can subtlety grill them about their intentions.

I never get "best price bruv" types on there but usually people who are looking in the evening or at work and can't speak.

It's not a rival for sliced bread but I have seen plenty of conversions to know its worth having. It's free with AT so why wouldn't you?

I also pay £50pm for a firm who manage my chat leads on my website, they have real time operators 24/7 and the conversations go something like this, this was 8pm midweek;

Visitor: Hi interested in BMW x5 3.0 petrol lpg was wondering if you do finance or cards and cash only thankyou Operator: Hi there Operator: Let me help you with that. Operator: Could you confirm if this is the vehicle of interest? 2005 54 BMW X5 3.0i SPORT £5,500 Visitor: Yes in black with good history black wheels, I can call in morning if that is ok Operator: Sure you can contact us. Operator: Do you have a vehicle that you would like valued for a part exchange? Visitor: Ford Mondeo 2.0 tdci 2005 but some damage on rear bumper and age related marks, it is just a Mondeo lol Operator: No problem, I'll ask my colleague to prepare a valuation for you. Could I take the mileage and registration of your exchange please? Visitor: FN55 BND just under 114000 miles Operator: Thanks, do you have a value in mind for your part exchange? Visitor: If it could cover a deposit that would be good and also if finance could be arranged or is it card/cash only Operator: Okay, thank you. Do you have any outstanding finance on the vehicle and if so, do you know how much is outstanding? Visitor: No finance outstanding Operator: Okay, thank you. Please provide me with your name and contact number so I will ask the salesperson to run a vehicle valuation for you and get back to you with a very approximate price and options for part exchange. Operator: Are we still connected? Visitor: yes but got to go now but name Dave number is07903869147 I am available tomorrow day thankyou Operator: Okay, I've that noted. Can I take an email address for you there? Visitor: (removed) Operator: Thanks, I have that noted. I’ll pass on your details and one of my colleagues will contact you. Is there anything else I could help you with today? Visitor: No thankyou for your help Operator: You're welcome. Operator: Thank you for getting in touch with us.     Here's another, this was a conversion, nice couple, paid full price;     Visitor: Hi, I am really interested in the Mercedes e320 Operator: Hi there Visitor: Please could you let me know your opening hours today? Visitor: Hi Operator: Let me just check our stock for you, please allow me a moment. Visitor: Thanks Operator: Could you confirm if this is the vehicle of interest? MERCEDES-BENZ E CLASS 3.2 E320 ELEGANCE £2,995 Visitor: Yes, that's the one Operator: Thank you and do you have a vehicle that you would like valued for a part exchange? Visitor: No, hopefully you take debt cards? Operator: That shouldn't be a problem. But I will leave the details for you to discuss with one of the team when they call. Operator: Can I take your name and a contact number to reach you on? Visitor: Yes sure: Visitor: (removed) Operator: Thanks, is there a preferred time for us to call? Visitor: As soon as possible Operator: When would you like to view the vehicle? Visitor: This afternoon? Visitor: Any time after 12 o'clock Operator: Ok, I'll ask the team to check the diary and get this confirmed for you. Operator: Can I take an email address for you there? Visitor: Thank you Visitor: (removed) Operator: Is there anything else I can help with today? Visitor: No, that's pretty much it. Thanks again. Operator: You’re welcome. Thank you for getting in touch with us.

 

[MOTORS 25]

11 hours ago, EPV said:

Yeah, called Contact at Once. 

We use Contact at Once. Used to be free of charge until around 4 months ago. Have some really good enquiries from it, usually 2 or 3 a month - all genuine buyers who have got the bit between their teeth and want information NOW. Well worth having it but the latest removal of them answering chats in the daytime is going to be a problem as we dont just sit at the computer waiting for chats. I have the app on my mobile but you have around 20 seconds to answer before it's lost and when you are painting with an air fed mask on, valeting or driving it's not long and the chats can easily be missed with no option to "phone them back". I'll maybe have to get the app put on the families phones so one of us can grab the chat if only to get a name and phone number.

[EPV 631]

2 minutes ago, MOTORS said:

We use Contact at Once. Used to be free of charge until around 4 months ago. Have some really good enquiries from it, usually 2 or 3 a month - all genuine buyers who have got the bit between their teeth and want information NOW. Well worth having it but the latest removal of them answering chats in the daytime is going to be a problem as we dont just sit at the computer waiting for chats. I have the app on my mobile but you have around 20 seconds to answer before it's lost and when you are painting with an air fed mask on, valeting or driving it's not long and the chats can easily be missed with no option to "phone them back". I'll maybe have to get the app put on the families phones so one of us can grab the chat if only to get a name and phone number.

As you say, worth finding a way of nabbing them mate, despite what some people think about punters who use this method of contact, there are def some proper leads and conversions.

[c_cars 56]

30 minutes ago, EPV said:

I also pay £50pm for a firm who manage my chat leads on my website, they have real time operators 24/7 and the conversations go something like this, this was 8pm midweek;

Visitor: Hi interested in BMW x5 3.0 petrol lpg was wondering if you do finance or cards and cash only thankyou Operator: Hi there Operator: Let me help you with that. Operator: Could you confirm if this is the vehicle of interest? 2005 54 BMW X5 3.0i SPORT £5,500 Visitor: Yes in black with good history black wheels, I can call in morning if that is ok Operator: Sure you can contact us. Operator: Do you have a vehicle that you would like valued for a part exchange? Visitor: Ford Mondeo 2.0 tdci 2005 but some damage on rear bumper and age related marks, it is just a Mondeo lol Operator: No problem, I'll ask my colleague to prepare a valuation for you. Could I take the mileage and registration of your exchange please? Visitor: FN55 BND just under 114000 miles Operator: Thanks, do you have a value in mind for your part exchange? Visitor: If it could cover a deposit that would be good and also if finance could be arranged or is it card/cash only Operator: Okay, thank you. Do you have any outstanding finance on the vehicle and if so, do you know how much is outstanding? Visitor: No finance outstanding Operator: Okay, thank you. Please provide me with your name and contact number so I will ask the salesperson to run a vehicle valuation for you and get back to you with a very approximate price and options for part exchange. Operator: Are we still connected? Visitor: yes but got to go now but name Dave number is07903869147 I am available tomorrow day thankyou Operator: Okay, I've that noted. Can I take an email address for you there? Visitor: (removed) Operator: Thanks, I have that noted. I’ll pass on your details and one of my colleagues will contact you. Is there anything else I could help you with today? Visitor: No thankyou for your help Operator: You're welcome. Operator: Thank you for getting in touch with us.     Here's another, this was a conversion, nice couple, paid full price;     Visitor: Hi, I am really interested in the Mercedes e320 Operator: Hi there Visitor: Please could you let me know your opening hours today? Visitor: Hi Operator: Let me just check our stock for you, please allow me a moment. Visitor: Thanks Operator: Could you confirm if this is the vehicle of interest? MERCEDES-BENZ E CLASS 3.2 E320 ELEGANCE £2,995 Visitor: Yes, that's the one Operator: Thank you and do you have a vehicle that you would like valued for a part exchange? Visitor: No, hopefully you take debt cards? Operator: That shouldn't be a problem. But I will leave the details for you to discuss with one of the team when they call. Operator: Can I take your name and a contact number to reach you on? Visitor: Yes sure: Visitor: (removed) Operator: Thanks, is there a preferred time for us to call? Visitor: As soon as possible Operator: When would you like to view the vehicle? Visitor: This afternoon? Visitor: Any time after 12 o'clock Operator: Ok, I'll ask the team to check the diary and get this confirmed for you. Operator: Can I take an email address for you there? Visitor: Thank you Visitor: (removed) Operator: Is there anything else I can help with today? Visitor: No, that's pretty much it. Thanks again. Operator: You’re welcome. Thank you for getting in touch with us.

 

That looks like a Visitor Chat transcript through Click Dealer? 

We free trialled it for a month, but when I looked back at the transcripts none of the leads had actually dealt.

Might just have been me but the script from the operators side always looked a bit wooden and the sort of thing that would come from a foreign call centre?

 

[EPV 631]

Yes mate that's exactly it.

I don't imagine that most punters using the chat function at 11pm at night would expect the actual business owners to be manning the chats. If someone didn't want to leave any details or engage with someone who was clearly outsourced to deal with their enquiries because they felt uncomfortable then lord knows what they would be like when I eventually got hold of them and started asking about their intentions.

It works for me, it isn't revolutionary and I don't get bundles of leads. But for what I pay (£50pm) I only need one lead per month to make it worthwhile, that person looking at 10pm on a Sunday night who acts a little on impulse and MUST know if the car is available and if their part exchange is acceptable. Wooden or not, obviously outsourced foreign or not, it captures a few leads a month for me and pays for itself.

[RH Trading 80]

I use the free application, track everything and looking back since 01/04/18, 5 of the conversations that initially started with chat assist out of hours have converted to sales out of 41 chats received in total up to 15/08/18. its easy to answer from your mobile and takes 10 seconds during the day and I'd prefer to answer them myself than the out of hours service to be honest so not a big deal for us.

[DCS01 27]

Only talking from a main dealer standpoint I think it’s vital. A lot of people are changing the way they get in contact. A couple of years ago I started selling quite a few more cars when I changed my mental approach to enquiries that came through from chat and email.