Hyundai connects dealers with buyers using online live chat

Hyundai has launched a new Live Chat Video service that allow customers to engage with dealers face-to-face without being in a showroom.

The car maker says it is part of the ongoing transition to digitised car buying.

“Live Chat Video provides us with the opportunity to further enhance our digital offering to our customers - making it even easier and more convenient to buy our cars,” said Ashley Andrew, managing director of Hyundai Motor UK. “We launched our pioneering digital car-buying service, Click to Buy back in 2017 but the last few months really have further enforced the importance of online interaction as we look to the future of car retail.”

Hyundai’s new Live Chat Video technology works entirely within the customer’s web browser. It requires no installation of additional software.

All the customer needs to do is visit the national or dealer’s website and click a button to request a video chat. The showroom staff will answer requests using a video camera on their PC.

Staff can discuss the customer’s needs, but also have the capability to deliver a virtual walk around of vehicles in the showroom to show features and to highlight the benefits of the Hyundai vehicle that the visitor is interested in.

Through the screen-sharing feature, the dealer can work collaboratively with the customer to find and configure the vehicle they are considering, work through their finance options, and arrange a dealer visit or test drive.

The system allows the dealer to share documents such as brochures or quotations and to complete all necessary transactions through to the final purchase if the customer wishes to do so.

Hyundai's sister brand Kia introduced its own video chat service last month using Rapid RTC technology. The Hyundai system is provided by Sophus3.

A similar service was introduced by FCA across its Fiat, Abarth, Alfa Romeo and Jeep dealerships during the Coronavirus lockdown.