Today’s car buyers are more informed than ever before when it comes to researching their vehicles between dealerships, so efficiently capturing customer information is crucial for delivering a better buying experience while driving more sales.

Traditionally, customers that walk-in to the dealership often fall through the cracks, leading to fragmented data, missed opportunities and ultimately, money left on the table. However, digital in-store and showroom solutions are changing the game, offering a streamlined approach to greet customers and collect data digitally right on the dealership lot and offer a premium car buying experience no matter if they started online first or walked in fresh off the street.

The Problem: Lost Leads and Inconsistent Experiences

Walk-in customers represent up to 56 percent of dealership traffic¹, yet their information often goes uncaptured or inaccurately recorded in the CRM. This disconnect between in-person interactions and digital records makes it more difficult to deliver that personalized customer engagement and understand the buyer’s needs up-front, which can hinder sales performance.

The other issue is that customers are often asked to re-enter the same information that they may have already provided if they started shopping online through your website, resulting in a frustrated start to the buying experience.

Based on recent data, 71 percent of shoppers want to start online and then come in-store to purchase their vehicle². If the first interaction with the customer asks for duplicate information, customers can feel undervalued, lessening their impression of the dealer and their likelihood to buy. A process that involves checking-in the customer digitally not only feels premium, but cuts down time and helps dealers streamline the entire process right off the bat.

The Solution: Digital In-Store Customer Check-In

First impressions are everything and this is where digital check-in is a true differentiator – employees can greet the shopper with a iPad, tablet or any web-based device and start or continue the deal process in a way that feels modern and transparent.

Here are some best practices to engage with prospective buyers digitally once they come in:

1. Be ready for the customer and make it easy to pull up their information submitted online or start a new deal to efficiently capture every step.

2. Ensure all of the information is correct together and ask customers if they want to take control while they look for their preferred vehicle, review different deal structures, incentives and pricing as they may feel more comfortable when they are in control.

3. Scan the customers drivers license right into your tool early in the process to speed up verification and have everything ready for a test drive. 

4. Stay with the customer and add notes or communicate to the sales/desk manager what the next step is so you continue to build trust and work with the car buyer instead of leaving them to wait which causes frustration.

These tips can increase the overall experience as dealers build better relationships and work towards closing a deal with a satisfied customer that is engaged through the entire process.

Measuring Success: Data-Driven Insights

Dealerships can measure the effectiveness of a digital in-store check-in process by tracking key metrics such as in-store visit counts and customer capture rates in their CRM systems. Tools like the Upstart Dashboard can provide valuable insights to see if the process is being followed correctly by making sure the total in-store visits match CRM data. If not, dealers will know there is a process gap somewhere and work to fix it.

By setting clear goals and monitoring performance metrics, dealerships can optimize their check-in process and drive better outcomes. Dealer groups that have multiple rooftops representing different OEMs can also provide a consistent experience across all rooftops (customized to each store) instead of a fragmented approach from one to the other.

Conclusion: Embracing Innovation for a Competitive Advantage

Having a digital In-store check-in solution represents a strategic investment for dealerships seeking to stay ahead in a competitive market. By embracing this digital check- in and leveraging data-driven insights, dealerships can enhance customer engagement, improve operational efficiency, and ultimately drive sales success.

1.Porch Group Media, 25 Amazing Statistics on How Consumers Shop for Cars, 2024

2. Cox 2024 Car Buyer Journey, Digitization of End-to-End Retail

About Upstart Auto Retail

Upstart Auto Retail is a leader in modern automotive retail solutions, providing the most seamless and flexible connected retailing platform for dealers to increase sales efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Visit us today at upstart.com/dealers or reach out to dealers@upstart.com