The customer’s time and safety are even more important because of the pandemic. It is essential to reduce the time they spend physically in the dealerships.

A popular way to communicate while social distancing is to use video conferencing with customers. Using video conferencing tools during your consultations provide a more personalized experience. This is a great way to completely understand your customer’s needs if the customer will not be in the store. While you move through other parts of the sales process, make sure you understand the customer’s preferred method of communication whether that is text, phone, email, or video chat.

A few highlights of eMenus:

• Finding the Right Vehicle
  Take the time to completely understand the customer’s needs – whether that is in-person or on video chat. If you understand the customers’ buying motivations, you can quickly point them to the options that work best for their lifestyle.
• Negotiating Price
  All of your inventory and pricing should be updated and accurate on your website. This way when the customer is exploring their options before potentially coming into the store, they have an understanding and reference point on pricing. Transparent pricing facilitates digital retailing, which allows your dealership to capture sales customers who now expect this capability. Ensure that in-person negotiation space is adequate to maintain privacy while social distancing from other customers and the dealership personnel who are handling the negotiations.
• Waiting on Finance and Paperwork
  Review how many of the F&I steps can be completed online before coming into the dealership. Having the customer finish as many steps as possible online is the best way to maximize your customer’s time in the store. Digital retailing is here to stay, so give your customers those options, or they may find other dealerships that do.
• Waiting for Delivery
  In this new environment, the best option is to have the vehicle delivered directly to the customer’s homes or work. This eliminates waiting in your store and the customer may feel safer with this process. If the customer is coming into the store, make sure the vehicle is ready on time. During delivery, and really the entire process, customers want to feel safe and reassured that dealers have their safety in mind. Based on KMA’s survey text analytics data, customers are telling us that they expect dealership personnel to adhere to guidelines such as:
  
• Wearing masks, which shows respect for the customer’s and dealership personnel’s safety.
• Visibly sanitizing the facility and their new and serviced vehicles.
• Social distancing – sales desks need to be placed far apart from other people and for interaction between the customer and the dealership personnel.
• Delivery and Features and Functions If you successfully and completely understood your customer’s needs, at this point you should understand what is most important to the customer. You can save them time by reviewing those things that matter to them in-person or on video chat and refer them to Kia Features & Functions Videos on YouTubeTM for other features they may want to explore further. Dealership staff wearing masks, and providing masks to their customers, based on the guidelines of your state shows you care for the health and safety of your customers and yourself.

Respecting the customers time has always been a priority, but it is more crucial now since the in-person interaction is currently limited.

Sincerely,

Sales and Field Operations Team
Kia America, Inc.

How does having your customers register for and learn the key Kia Connect features at delivery benefit you?

• Prevents negative impacts on your customer experience (SEI) score:
  Without a thorough walkthrough from you, a customer may leave the dealership unfamiliar with Kia Connect and its features. The customer may mistake this lack of familiarity for a malfunction, which can impact your SEI score
• Builds customer trust: Spending time showing a customer which Kia Connect features can help them simplify their daily lives shows your commitment to delivering a vehicle the customer will love long after they leave the dealership, which builds trust and can lead to referrals
• Creates loyal customers: When customers begin enjoying and depending on the conveniences Kia Connect brings to their daily lives, including service reminders and easy service scheduling, they will build dedication to your dealership, resulting in repeat business

Having customers register for Kia Connect at vehicle delivery ensures they’re ready to start using the system immediately. It also allows you to show them how Kia Connect can help in their daily lives well after the sale.

Use these WordTracks to help develop an urgency for the customers to register their Kia Connect and go through its key functions:

• “The weather’s about to get [hot/cold], but Kia Connect has you covered with its Remote Climate Control, which can [warm up/cool off] the interior before you take off in the morning. I’ll help you register your Kia Connect and show you how to get your new Kia’s cabin comfortable before your morning commute.”
• “You mentioned you plan to share your new Kia with your [spouse/partner]. With Kia Connect’s Shared Profiles feature, you can each create a profile to store all your preferred settings. When you hop in your new Kia after your [spouse/partner] drives it, you can restore your settings quickly. Let’s get you registered for Kia Connect, and I’ll show you how this feature can save you time."
• “The vehicle you traded in was in excellent shape. You clearly maintained it well. Kia Connect can make maintaining your new Kia even simpler with its Maintenance Alert, which notifies you when maintenance is due and then brings up the dealership appointment scheduler. I’ll help you register your Kia Connect and walk you through setting us as your preferred dealer and how to schedule an appointment when you receive a maintenance notification.”

Other useful Kia Connect features include:

• Kia Connect Voice Assist (Push to Talk Button): This system allows you to talk naturally while keeping your eyes on the road. Let your voice do the rest without having to learn and recall specific commands.
• Kia Connect Connected Routing: This new and powerful navigational feature provides efficiency, accuracy, and timeliness by providing better routing, higher arrival time accuracy, and real-time traffic data.
• Wi-Fi Hotspot powered by Verizon: Roam freely while staying connected with Wi-Fi Hotspot. Let passengers enjoy online movies, games, social media and more. Check your email or participate in teleconferences in or near your vehicle.
• Charging Status Control: Want to know if your vehicle is done charging? Check the status through the Kia Owner’s site or the Kia Access app without going to your vehicle to check.

During this time, please continue to practice social distancing and recommendations from the CDC, such as wearing face coverings.

Create a loyal customer for life by explaining the benefits of registering and learning the key Kia Connect features during every vehicle delivery. When a customer registers for Kia Connect and learns how its features benefit them, it builds customer trust and loyalty, and helps improve your customers’ experience and your SEI.

Sincerely,

Sales and Field Operations Team
Kia America, Inc.