For obvious reasons much of the sales pitch from a live chat provider and the majority of focus from dealers revolves around sales leads and how many units are sent down the road. But there are several key benefits that shouldn’t be overlooked in which managed chat can make a difference. Certainly the key reason for using chat software – and especially a quality managed chat provider – is to increase quality sales leads. These leads tend to close at a similar rate to website form leads, and with comparable profit margins.

The whole purpose of chat is for dealers to greet shoppers on their website in the same manner as on the lot to answer any questions and hopefully create a quality lead. Beyond the sales department there are several other benefits from website chat. These include:

• Incremental fixed ops boost – as many as 40 percent of chat conversations have to do with service, parts, and collision center.
• Customer convenience – chat, and even text, give your dealership customers a convenient means to contact your store, often around the clock.
• Protect CSI – Imagine having an operator available around the clock when a car owner who just took delivery has a check engine light on, or a service customer whose repair didn’t solve the problem. Or maybe they came into the showroom and didn’t get the care they thought they deserved. Better for the chat operator to hear about it and give the store a chance to address it than have it show up on social media or a CSI survey.
• Start paperwork – often a chat operator helps a customer by helping them find an employment application or open a credit application. Directions, hours, and even the dealership’s phone number are other common inquiries.

With mobile website traffic at or well above fifty percent, more and more website visitors have a preference for chat than submitting a form lead on the website or even making a call. Live chat continues to grow in North America as a must-have on dealer websites, and the ROI can extend far beyond just the sales department.