Sapientrazorfish: automobile retail
Volkswagen Digital Car Buying Experience
Background & Research:
- 95% of vehicle buyers use digital as a source of information.
- Awareness: 57% browsed for car inspiration on their mobile
- Purchase: 9% purchased a car on their mobile.
- 6 out of 10 of car buying researchers are undecided and open to different model and vehicle options. However, by the time they actually make it to a dealership, they often already know the vehicle they want to test drive.
Pain points:
- Customer: cannot simply book and schedule a test drive online.
- Customer: cannot test drive a car without a car salesman in the vehicle.
- Customer: pressure by car salesman to choose a finance plan on the spot.
- Car dealer: lack of information and intention of new customer.
- Car dealer: is disconnected once customer leaves dealership.
Hypothesis:
- Letting the customer explore their finance options in their own time will help them decide and feel more comfortable resulting in a sale.
- Letting customer be able to book a test drive easily online will actively start their car buying journey.
- If a dealer knows more information about the customer coming to view a car, they can amend their sells strategy in order to reach the correct approach and make a sale.
- Connecting the dealer and the customer digitally (via messaging) can have a more positive and comfortable effect for a sale.
Role:
Visual Designer
Team:
Customer experience director, UX designer, service designer, architect engineer, business analyst
Visuals:
- Mobile design for pre-booking test drive online.
- App concept visuals for exploring finance details on a chosen car.
- Dashboard visuals for dealership new sales training.
User Experience #1
From the research point of the customer's car buying journey, the customer knows what car they would like to test drive. The current journey for booking a test drive is leaving your details with your local dealer via the website, then the dealer gives you a call to set that test drive up.
For a smoother and more effectient experience, the customer can book their test drive online or via an app. The dealership can also gage what type of customer they are.
Interfaces include an initial form page to gather customer's information, a date and time selection. The journey then continues to confirming the test drive, they need a valid driving licence and they need to agree with the terms and condititions. Shown is a confirmation screen for their successful booking.
User Experience #2
After the test drive, customers can explore their finance options in their own time. This lets the customer either decide at the dealership to buy the car, or give them freedom to come away and think about what finance plan will suit their lifestyle. The idea of this is giving the customer less pressure, more options and connects the dealer with the customer digitally even when their out of the dealership.
User Experience #3
As the customer gives their details up-front to the dealership, the dealer at the local dealership gets to gage with the customer via their digital profile before they come for a test drive - the dealer and customer can also chat via the interface. This lets the dealer and customer bond, additionally, lets the dealer choose which sales strategy would work best for this type of customer.
Visuals show a training program application that would be distributed to all Volkswagen dealerships for a fluid and consistent customer experience. Each dealer will able to connect with the customer on a closer level digitally and in person.
