In just one click, you can choose the model, color, engine and details that each client wants. He who seeks, finds. So simple and easy. Times change and technology also gains prominence when buying a car. The statistics are overwhelming: 88% of potential customers search for information on the Internet, select their vehicle through the information they find in digital media, be it social networks, the Internet, web pages, GPT chat. ““There are a lot of tools with which anyone can consult, even asking Artificial Intelligence what is best for them to buy, compare or ask if one brand or another, one model or the other, is better for them,” explains Sebastian Polocommercial director of Dietrich Group.
Florence GioriaCEO of RunOneagrees with this vision: “digital channels increase confidence in the operation and it is easier for buyers to compare several options at once and obtain detailed information about each model.” 71% of consumers expect dealerships to offer a personalized proposal and that is why solutions that use AI and data analysis provide personalized, specific experiences and delve into the motivations and preferences of each customer. “The dealership of the future points to online sales because buyer behavior requires another consumption format. New buyers want information at the moment (whatever the time) so they can compare and make a better decision. Above all, for savings plans and 0km, where the commercial process is more standardized for both sales, delivery and after-sales”, Gioria highlights.
Another piece of information available in the automotive market indicates that 74% of users feel “comfortable” sharing personal data to receive personalized messages. For example, they provide their ID for an online credit analysis or their license plate to quote their used one at the time.. “This 24/7 connection advances the purchasing process and helps the customer make the best choice. Another trend that will accompany this 2025 is an omnichannel strategy, in which technological instruments such as chabots and voicebot will be the tool to filter the entire flow within the conversion funnel”adds Gioria.
For Sebastian Beatopresident of the Association of Automotive Dealers (ACARA), the importance of technology in the future of the industry is “key.” “The trend involves digital sales, which is where we are betting,” he indicates. To this end, he maintains that “the great challenge is the training and the time dedicated to including technology in the industry. It is true that there is still some resistance, due to fear of the unknown, and that is why the association is generating meetings throughout the country to demystify and help in this process.”
It seems to be a thing of the past to visit a dealership, see a car, wait your turn for a sales agent to explain questions that, in just a few minutes, a user has available on the web. “It is no longer sold in the traditional way, the way has changed and the great differential is through the service. The arrival of technology and tools such as chat bots and voice bots with AI for customer service help the sales force to be more efficient and achieve higher sales. In fact, there are already several of the main dealerships in the country that use it with very good results,” details Gioria.
In this regard, Ivan Brunocommercial managing partner of Renault Lepicassures that, currently, “People come to dealerships more informed,” because “they are still looking for that human interaction that allows them to resolve doubts and take the final step, including signing documentation for patenting.” The executive highlights that Renault Lepic was a “pioneer” in the implementation of digital patenting, which “allowed us to demonstrate that this model is viable. Even so, it will take time for it to become more common.” “Regarding the link between dealerships and customers, he adds, the future will be hybrid. Dealerships will not disappear, but will evolve. “In-person interaction will continue to be important, but it will be combined with digital tools that streamline and improve the customer experience.”.
All the protagonists of this industry agree in pointing out the future role of AI. “She is the protagonist,” Bruno emphasizes. And he elaborates: “It offers us tools that constantly exceed our expectations. The implementation of Chatbots and systems Voicebot as “Federico, Te Llama”; To name the most used, they are examples of how these technologies are transforming the way we interact with customers. In the short and medium term, the hybrid model will predominate, but in the long term it is inevitable that technology will play a much more predominant role.”
Polo also highlights the impact of AI: “cI believe that the technological advance that has the most impact is that of AI. From now on, a buyer can ask the AI which vehicle is best for them, which dealership is best, even which salesperson it suggests, based on the information they have. It seems to me that the main tool is AI. “This is significant.”.
Technological disruption is not the future because its effects are already impacting minor operations in the sector. The imminent scenario will show us another market, the new era of dealerships. And to take all four wheels in one click.
by Marcelo Alfano
