Embracing The Changes
As we start the slow process of getting back to normal after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, we are all coming to terms with the fact that some things will never be quite the same again.
Uncertainty surrounding the future of the economy will be difficult for all businesses going forward and in particular the motor industry. Considering that motor-vehicles are most people’s second largest purchase after homes, the industry will need to be even more tuned in to the needs of the consumer if it is to survive and successfully navigate the way ahead.
As with most crises however, there are always positives and as a business Lightcliffe is embracing the changes and relishing the new challenges that are presenting themselves.
As car showrooms are essentially open retail environments we can’t always control when and how often people visit and so most customers may have encountered unwelcome waiting times on occasions. Whilst we are not ruling out walk-in business in the future, we are moving towards appointment only visits from now on which should help to remove this problem and as a result improve customer attention and service.
During the crisis we have all seen a massive increase in Skype and Zoom calls to keep in touch with work colleagues as well as loved ones. This has both increased familiarity with the format and also shown us that face-to-face contact isn’t always absolutely necessary, and we plan to utilise this technology going forward for customer contact and aspects of the sales process. Whilst a full e-commerce solution is still some time away, we will be making moves to migrate some of the paperwork to this format so that parts of the sales process can be managed digitally.
These are just a couple of examples of some of the changes that lie ahead, but one thing that will never change is our dedication and focus on our customers and their experience at Lightcliffe Skoda!