Vehicle dealers in Bengaluru take sales pitch online

BENGALURU: An attendant at a car showroom on Magadi Road attached his phone to a selfie stick and gave a virtual walkthrough of different models and their features to prospective buyers on video call on Thursday. This is the new approach automobile dealers are adopting in the era of social distancing and heightened health concerns.
Vehicle showrooms reopened with new safety measures early last month, but they have not seen much footfall. Many people are still wary of visiting commercial establishments. This has prompted dealers to take the sales pitch online. They are even prepared to deliver the vehicle without the customer’s presence at the showroom. Formalities such as payment and financing can be done online. This method will minimise contact between customers and salespersons.
MP Shyam, president (Karnataka chapter), Federation of Automobile Dealers’ Association, said most players were now using online platforms to sell vehicles. “We are taking all precautions to prevent the spread of Covid-19, but people are still not coming to showrooms. We have started virtual sales through Skype and other platforms. We give a demonstration of the features on video call, and if someone wants a test drive, we sanitise the car and take it to their residence,” he said.
While people order many things online now, they may still prefer to get a feel of something like a vehicle before finalising the purchase. A section of buyers is adapting. “They are showing interest in online sales. We have been able to seal online sales in 25 per cent of the cases compared to 12-14 per cent before Covid-19,” Shyam said.
The growth in vehicle registrations in Bengaluru has been slowest in six years, falling from 10 per cent in 2014-15 to 7.3% in 2019-20. “We had started this online concept before Covid-19 and two people were trained for it. The concept is slowly catching up… and we are providing the vehicle at the doorstep for a test drive,” said Sameer Chaudhry of Trident Hyundai.
Automakers are also facilitating online delivery of vehicles on their websites. “This will be the new normal and we have to adapt by using technology in the wake of Covid-19,” said social media expert Tinu Cherian. Car dealers, meanwhile, are seeing a demand for pre-owned cars.