DALLAS-FORT WORTH, Texas -- Sales and service managers from a cross-section of U.S. automobile dealerships see enhanced value in using real-time, telematics-generated data from the vehicle for generating new service revenues and augmenting their current customer relationship management (CRM) processes.
That is the primary finding from proprietary research conducted last month by ATX Group, the world's second largest telematics provider to the automotive industry in North America and Western Europe. The qualitative research was conducted among 30 dealerships located in 10 states and representing both luxury and mass-market automobile brands.
According to the research findings, a wide majority of the respondents said data generated from telematics-equipped vehicles was unique and would enable them to be more proactive in servicing their customers. Respondents said telematics appears likely to generate more valuable and credible customer leads for vehicle service because the diagnostic information comes directly from the vehicle, an attribute they believe will win greater trust among their customers. The fact telematics-generated vehicle data can be supplemented with actual audio clips of comments or survey responses from customers in their vehicles as well as data analysis, broadens the utility of the telematics- based system across dealership sales and service functions.
Among other key attributes cited by respondents of a real-time, vehicle data system was its ease of use and universal accessibility as a Web-based service, the timeliness and depth of information generated, and the fact that data is both customer- and vehicle-specific.
"Current practices seem to provide only bits and pieces of information that dealerships need, whereas telematics is able to blend both vehicle and customer data into a more organized, real-time and more in-depth level of insight," said Ron West, ATX executive vice president of sales and marketing. "Both sales and service managers view telematics as bringing a higher level of real-time interactivity with their customers as well as with the vehicles they've sold them."
A majority of the respondents also indicated that telematics enhances the information dealers currently receive primarily because its more timely and can be obtained quickly and efficiently.
The system that was demonstrated to the dealership managers is a component of ATX's program of vRM, an acronym for vehicle relationship management, which is derived from the familiar business process of CRM or customer relationship management. CRM involves the creation and management of data resulting from each interface with the customer. vRM adds to this traditional CRM process an ongoing interface with the vehicle as well as the element of real-time information and actual vehicle location. The vRM process leverages telematics and interactive voice response technologies embedded in vehicles as well as computer processing and information built into ATX's telematics response centers with which the vehicle communicates. Beyond the use of vehicle diagnostics data, other notable aspects of ATX's vRM process are the ability to pull mileage from a vehicle in real-time, to remotely activate vehicle functions from a wireless device and the use of interactive voice recognition technology to access an audio-based, electronic owner's manual. The e-owner's manual can highlight or explain infrequently used features in vehicles that are of high value in specific situations.
Based in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area and Dusseldorf, Germany, ATX Group is the world's second largest provider of telematics services for the automobile industry, serving both North America and Europe. ATX telematics services are designed to provide enhanced safety, security and driving convenience to vehicle owners. These services include location-specific emergency and roadside assistance, automatic collision notification, stolen vehicle recovery, remote diagnostics and real-time traffic and navigation assistance. ATX, the largest independent telematics provider not owned by an automobile manufacturer or telecommunications firm, also provides telematics services designed to help automobile manufacturers and their affiliated dealerships to use telematics data to reduce costs, enhance vehicle servicing, and more closely manage customer relationships. ATX services are provided to vehicle owners through the brand names of its customers -- Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Maybach, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
