Manheim Retail Services has launched a new online chat tool ‘Live Advisor’, which gives dealers direct contact with their website visitors.

The service provides consumers with the ability to engage instantly with dealers through any page of a dealer or manufacturer website.

‘Live Advisor’ can be integrated into any part of a dealer or manufacturer website, such as the used car locator or the service and parts pages, and offers customers the opportunity to make instant online contact with dealership staff for further information or advice.

It enables the dealer to provide a tailored, individual response to customer queries in real-time.

A key feature of ‘Live Advisor’ is its real-time visibility of website activity.

The product gives dealers the ability to track and build statistics on website visitors as soon as they arrive, enabling the production of accurate analytical reports on demand.

Dealers have the flexibility to use the new ‘Live Advisor’ service according to the capacity of their individual businesses and can give customers the choice to request a callback during busy periods or ‘out-of-hours’.

John Simpson, managing director, Manheim Retail Services, comments: “There’s no doubt that using ‘Live Advisor’ improves the chances of making a sale, as research shows that much of the decision-making involved in a major purchase happens quite early on in the buying process.

"If dealers are equipped with a range of tools to enable them to respond to a customer’s needs when they first start looking for a car, the chances of converting leads into sales are significantly improved.”

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