SAN FRANCISCO – Two powerhouse digital car sales platforms, AutoAlert and AutoFi, have teamed up to create an integrated software solution to provide dealerships with all the tools they need to streamline and complete customer vehicle sales online. The new remote selling solution launches in June to strengthen the capabilities of dealerships challenged by the unpredictable sales environment of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This integration takes the next step and will help us move beyond the boundaries of our dealership by identifying more customers, deliver timely offers, and sell more cars.
AutoAlert's CXM (Customer Experience Management) has an AI engine that optimizes complex customer journey data from a myriad of sources to send over five million personalized key to key offers every month to qualified buyers from the dealership's database. CXM provides dealers with the opportunity to positively engage and communicate with their sales and service customers while creating the best customer experiences. The robust AutoFi e-commerce platform integrates with a dealer's existing systems through its API and allows vehicle buyers to apply for financing, receive real-time offers from lenders, and select vehicle protection products to finalize a deal digitally, providing almost entirely touchless vehicle sales.
In the new collaborative solution, AutoAlert will integrate AutoFi financing capabilities into its outgoing customer offers so vehicle shoppers can complete the purchase from the safety of their homes – or anywhere else.
Multiple dealers have asked for the AutoAlert and AutoFi integration, like Brian Huth, general manager of Sam Pack's Five Star Ford in Dallas, Texas, one of Ford's 2019 Top 100 Volume dealers. During the state-mandated showroom closure in March, Huth's team used both platforms in tandem to beat their April 2019 new vehicle sales by 47 percent. Based on April 2020 performance data, Five Star Ford Dallas is now 49th in the Top 100 Volume dealers for 2020.
"AutoAlert and AutoFi's platforms work so well together," Huth said. "This integration takes the next step and will help us move beyond the boundaries of our dealership by identifying more customers, deliver timely offers, and sell more cars."
Huth and his sales staff use AutoAlert CXM to identify prospective buyers who might be interested in a better deal. For example, AutoAlert pinpoints previous customers without perfect credit ratings who have since taken action to improve their credit. With the lower terms and delayed payments currently offered by manufacturers, more eligible consumers could potentially enter the market. Despite the April closure of the Dallas showroom floor, Huth's sales staff was able to safely close deals from their homes by using AutoAlert and leveraging AutoFi's purchase flow to arrange attractive customer terms.
Innovating to Address a New Sales Environment
AutoAlert executives believe these enhanced online sales capabilities may accelerate buying cycles, leading to a faster recovery in dealership jobs and revenue.
"We are committed to continuing to innovate and help our dealers recover as quickly as possible while providing customers with the best vehicle purchase experience on their terms," AutoAlert CEO Mike Dullea said. "AutoAlert CXM provides our dealers' customers with over five million personalized offers each month and adding the AutoFi technology enables the customer to move at their own pace allowing dealership personnel to respond with the exact information the customer wants. Our dealers are really energized by our integration with AutoFi as we further enable a seamless digital retailing experience from any location, including the customer's home."
AutoFi executives, who have seen monthly submitted credit apps increase 80 percent since March, believe remote sales will remain a crucial component of total sales as dealers strive to abide by any continued social distancing guidelines and assuage ongoing consumer anxiety.
"This crisis is pulling forward the adoption of digital purchase experiences much faster than the industry anticipated," said Kevin Singerman, AutoFi CEO and co-founder. "Our partnership with AutoAlert creates a powerful customer experience, giving vehicle buyers personalized offers that for the first time can be transacted remotely. We are thrilled to bring this type of innovation to our dealers across the country."
Both AutoAlert and AutoFi offer comprehensive dealership training, a satisfaction guarantee, and full integration management so dealers can stay focused on their daily business of fulfilling customer needs.
Bob Tasca, Vice President of Tasca Automotive Group, which has 9 dealerships in several states, applauds the integration of AutoAlert and AutoFi. "Technology that makes it easier for our customers to do business with us and get what they want is always welcome, and that's what AutoAlert and AutoFi have accomplished," Tasca said. "The customers have more choices and they have an even better purchase experience with our dealerships."
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