MARKET SCAN CONSUMER SURVEY EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF OFFERING CONSISTENT PAYMENT QUOTES DIGITALLY AND IN THE SALES SHOWROOM

Consumer interest drops dramatically when showroom offers are just $50 different from what consumer was quoted online  

Market Scan Information Systems, Inc., an industry-leading automotive SaaS / PaaS solutions and data provider, today announced results from a recent consumer survey it completed focused on consumer behavior associated with automotive digital retailing. The survey highlights frustrations, expectations and provides valuable insight on how sales opportunities are lost when payment offers online differ from payments presented at a dealer’s showroom.

Market Scan commissioned an online survey during January, where it polled roughly 200 automotive shoppers on their pain points associated with the digital retailing process. The survey also took a pulse check on how payments and offers are being presented to consumers today.

Price and payment negotiation remain among the most important aspects of the car shopping experience for consumers. The survey showed that nearly half of all respondents (45%) say price and payments matter to them the most.

The disconnect between shopping online and the experience at a dealer showroom remains a major headache for many. In fact, when it comes to online shopping, 49% said they need to restart the entire process when they arrive at the dealership after doing all their homework online, ahead of time. Furthermore, 43% are frustrated that there are still discrepancies between the online offer, and the one they are presented with at the dealership.

Why does this matter? 21% of shoppers say they begin to lose trust in their dealer when the discrepancy between the online offer and showroom offer is $50 or less per month. In parallel, 21% said they will actually walk away from the deal if the discrepancy is $50 or less per month and 48% said they will walk if the difference is less than $75 per month.

Dealers should recognize that this does not mean technology will force a race to the bottom. In fact, consumers said they may be willing to pay a little extra for the convenience of a true online shopping experience. Just over a third (34%) said they would sacrifice a little negotiating power to offset additional costs required for an ideal online shopping process that transitions seamlessly to the showroom experience. 

“Prompted by COVID-19, digital retailing proficiency has become a must and an integral part of automotive retailing”, said Rusty West, President and CEO of Market Scan. “Dealers now must have an omni-channel presence and it is imperative that they provide consumers payment transparency and consistency throughout the entire journey. The survey results emphasize the importance of providing a scientifically perfect solution for any conceivable automotive transaction. When science, technology, data and automotive insight are applied correctly, it enables manufacturers, lenders, and retailers to provide consumers a frictionless, modern retailing experience – both online and in the dealer sales showrooms. And when that happens, everyone wins.”

To learn more about Market Scan, visit www.marketscan.com

Beep, a Florida-based autonomous Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) provider today announced they will deploy the first autonomous shuttles at Yellowstone National Park with the National Parks Service (NPS) in May 2021. The pilot program will test multi-passenger, electric automated vehicle platforms to provide visitors a safe, innovative and eco-friendly transportation alternative while exploring Yellowstone.

Beep will work in concert with both NPS Park Planning, Facilities and Lands Directorate, the Department of Transportation and Yellowstone National Park to safely plan, deploy and operate two autonomous shuttles in the Canyon Village. Exact shuttle stops, route locations and distance will be determined jointly between Beep and the NPS. According to a press release by Yellowstone National Park, the initiative is part of the Yellowstone Visitor Use Management Program, which is focused on testing a range of pilot projects around the park to enhance the visitor experience.

“It’s an honor to be the first in the country to provide autonomous shuttles to the NPS and its visitors. Yellowstone’s Visitor Use Management Program aligns with Beep’s mission to provide alternative, sustainable, and innovative transportation solutions meant to transform and improve mobility for all. This demonstration will help assess how emerging technologies can enhance the visitor experience while making the roads safer and less congested for everyone,” said Joe Moye, Beep CEO.

During the deployment, Beep will provide a full suite of services for the pilot including the autonomous vehicles, engineering, and mapping of the routes, complete operational, monitoring and management for regular oversight and to support ridership demand. By utilizing 100-percent electric autonomous shuttles that will have zero emissions, the deployment aligns with the park’s priority to improve visitor safety, access, and experience. The pilot will be supported and monitored by an onboard shuttle specialist, on the ground staff and Beep’s Global Command Center to ensure safe and reliable operation.

Beep has a perfect safety record with the largest and longest running single site AV shuttle fleet in the United States, located in Lake Nona, Florida, a 17 square-mile planned development in Orlando. Since launching in September 2019, Beep safely transported over 16,000 passengers in its first year of operation on its initial route eliminating the equivalent of nearly 9,400 vehicle trips with carbon emissions that would have required 170 trees to reverse. With over seven new routes and programs now in production, the safety and environmental impact is compounding.  Beep, and their safety-first approach to successfully test this new technology, is also the first AV service provider currently participating in NHTSA’s AV TEST Initiative public portal launched in September 2020 by USDOT.   

Passengers can also expect processes and procedures onboard that align with best practices for ridesharing and transit such as frequent cleaning procedures, modified seating capacity, onboard hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes.