Customer experience crosses into almost every element of the buyer’s journey. In an effort to better engage customers at every point in between, companies are mapping each step up to the sale, after the sale and beyond to influence future buying behavior.
For dealers, virtual reality is nascent, but growing area that helps engage shoppers early in their journey.
VR is creating an immersive experience where customers control what they see and experience features that matter most to them. As dealers increasingly focus on the overall customer experience (both online and in-store) to de-commodify the purchase of a vehicle and stand out from the crowd, VR can offer a unique takeaway and perspective that is difficult to find anywhere else.
Here are a few ideas to bring in consumers where they are with an enhanced VR dealership experience:
OEM Lounges. This new sales concept is a lounge-like environment where customers can enjoy a free beverage and snack, peruse literature about a specific vehicle and then settle onto a couch with a VR headset and enjoy a fully immersive experience of a computer-generated vehicle.
The lounge experience pushes consumers to take an actual test drive and ultimately buy a vehicle.
Moreover, they talk (online and in-person) about the incredible experience with friends who then also may show up at the lounge and become the next shoppers.
Clothes at the mall are so last year. Try cars. Put dealership inventory where the people are: malls, shopping districts and restaurants.
In these environments, people are relaxed and having a good time, so they are more receptive to trying a fun, new experience. In malls and retail districts in particular, people are shopping or browsing, so they have disposable time and are in that consumer mindset.
Tailor experiences to the shopper’s lifestyle. Every buyer is different, but up until now all vehicle presentations were the same. Virtual reality can change all that with experiences tailored for any customer lifestyle that can be experienced in a simulated environment.
For example, parents of a large family can watch grocery bags being loaded into the trunk of a minivan and know exactly how much cargo room is available.
A safety-minded dad can climb in the driver’s seat and check for blindspots out a front windshield or understand the size and placement of airbags.
An adventure junkie can see how seats lie flat as a surfboard or kayak slides into place.
The VR format can extend the selling experience to additional departments in the dealership where customers are waiting (the service area for example) and offer a way to explore the idea of a new vehicle without the commitment of entering the showroom.
It can break down the psychological barrier between “I’m here to have my vehicle serviced,” and “I’m here to buy a new vehicle.” It can prime the pump for future sales.
Another rapidly evolving area for VR and the customer experience is the accessories and parts department. Dealerships are looking at ways to show add-on accessories to mirror the buyer’s preferences. It’s a great way to show what a customized vehicle would look like.
We’re in the midst of a dynamic and rapidly transforming market. VR is part of it.
Brian Wiklem is director of CG and video production at izmocars. He can be reached at [email protected].
