I recently went through the process of buying a car – which, by the way, was a very trying experience with the lack of vehicles around. So like most consumers these days, I went to the websites first to see what was in stock and get an idea on pricing.
On many of the car dealer websites (not all), there is a function to “live chat” with a sales team member. Normally, I close the chat box because it follows me wherever I go on the site and is a distraction. I previously visited one of the dealers a few times in person and they were very helpful trying to find a car for me. About a week later I went back to their website and of course the live chat function showed up and I realized I had never seen that person at the dealership. So I called and asked for her. They said no one by that name worked there.
Long story short, when you live chat with someone at a car dealership, chances are they are working from somewhere else and are not actually at that location. So why do some car dealers use this tool? Because they generate quality leads. The people who work on this are very smooth sales savvy professionals who know what it takes to generate a sales lead.
You really can’t blame the dealership for using this function. It also allows them to connect with potential buyers even when they are closed. Do you think this is a little misleading? Maybe just a tiny little bit, but it works.
Next time you get a call or email from a company selling this type of service, don’t be so quick to say no thanks. It might be worth a having a chat with them.