Automated vehicles, connected to the cloud and wirelessly communicating with each other and roadside infrastructure make up the future of transportation. With rapid technological advancements connecting vehicles to the Internet, dealers and service centers need to prepare for this connected transportation landscape to increase productivity, revenue and improve customer service.
What is a connected vehicle?
A connected vehicle is a car that uses the Internet to communicate with other devices. Connected vehicles can send and receive data about the car's location, speed, and direction, as well as the status of its engine, brakes and transmission. This information can be used by other vehicles or infrastructure like traffic lights to help them respond more quickly and efficiently to road conditions.
What are some of the benefits of connected vehicles?
Connected vehicles have many advantages for both drivers and companies in the automotive industry. For example, connected cars can improve safety by helping drivers avoid accidents and alert them to dangerous situations such as icy roads before they happen. Connected vehicles can also make it easier for drivers to find their parked cars or locate nearby gas stations during long road trips. The vehicle can also send advanced data, called telematics, back to the original manufacturer or owner.
How do I prepare for this change?
The good news is there are steps you can take today to prepare yourself for this shift in transportation technology. First and foremost, it's important that your business has a solid plan in place before these changes happen so you aren't caught off-guard when they come knocking on your door!
- Know what your customers want.
- Be flexible in your approach.
- Don't forget about customer service!
- Think about what comes next in your industry—and be open to new ideas!
The Connected Customer
In a world where consumers are more connected than ever, it's no surprise that the automotive industry is looking for ways to keep up.
The connected customer is a term that refers to customers who use their smartphone or tablet as a primary means of interacting with businesses and brands. They expect personalized experiences and immediate responses. And they expect it all on demand—no matter what time of day or night it is.
For dealerships looking to stay competitive in this new era, this means you need to be ready for customers who will be coming directly to you—and expect you to be ready for them!
So how do you prepare for this new type of customer? The short answer: is by making sure your dealership has the technology needed to support them.
The Connected Dealer
The world is changing, and it's changing fast. In just a few years, we'll see the first wave of autonomous vehicles on our streets—and in a few more years, these vehicles will be commonplace. As dealerships prepare for this new era, it's important that they keep one thing in mind: the customer experience.
The connected dealer is a dealership that has taken steps to ensure that its customers are getting the best possible experience at every touchpoint—whether it's picking up their vehicle or dropping it off for service. Here are some ways dealers can become "connected":
- Create a digital service center: Customers should be able to schedule appointments online before arriving at your dealership so that they don't have to wait around while you find time slots that work with other customers' schedules (and vice versa). This also gives them an opportunity to do some research on the services they need before coming into your dealership.
- Provide shuttle service: If there isn't enough room for all of your customers' cars in your lot, offer free shuttles from nearby businesses or public transportation hubs so that everyone can get where they need to go without hassle or worry about missing work because they were stuck in traffic or had to pay for parking.
- Get to know your customers: The more you get to know your customers, the easier it will be to determine their needs and wants. This will help you craft a personal approach that appeals to each individual customer while also helping them feel at ease in your dealership.
The connected vehicle is not just a trend—it's a way of life. In the coming years, there will be more vehicles on the road than people, and these vehicles are going to need help.
That's where you come in. As a dealer, you'll be uniquely positioned to provide that help through your ability to connect with customers and keep them connected with their cars and the world around them.
The Connected Vehicle
A connected vehicle is defined as a vehicle that has internet connectivity and is able to communicate with other vehicles, infrastructure, and people. The connected vehicle has many different applications and uses. These applications include:
- Vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V) allows vehicles to communicate with each other in real-time to avoid collisions or implement mitigation measures if a collision is unavoidable
- Vehicle-to-infrastructure communication (V2I) is where vehicles can communicate with traffic lights, stop signs, parking meters, and any other infrastructure within their range of operation
- Vehicle-to-pedestrian communication (V2P) is where vehicles are able to communicate with pedestrians and cyclists through handheld devices or voice commands in order to provide information on their operation status or alert them of potential hazards nearby.
Dealerships will be one of the most important places for people to interact with autonomous vehicles in their lifetimes. And because they're so valuable to customers, dealerships will have an opportunity to become even more valuable over time as they become known as places where people can get help connecting with their vehicles or other services like shuttle service or on-demand transportation.
Connected vehicles have the potential to revolutionize how we get around, but as a dealer what can you do to take advantage of this technology?
First, be prepared for the change. As automated vehicles become more common, customers will expect to be able to schedule maintenance and repairs at their convenience—whether that's during normal business hours or late at night when it's convenient for them. If you can't accommodate them, they'll go elsewhere.
Second, make sure your dealership is equipped with enough space for technicians to work on connected cars. This can mean taking out some walls or reorganizing your current layout to accommodate the needs of new vehicle models.
Third and finally, invest in the right equipment and software so that your dealership stays up-to-date with new technologies as they emerge.
The Connected Driver
The connected driver is the most important element of the connected vehicle. Just like the driver of a regular car, they are the ones actually driving and making decisions. But, with so many new technologies on board, it's important to make sure that your drivers are equipped with everything they need to succeed.
It's important to start by training your drivers on how to use these new technologies. In addition to teaching them about safety and best practices for using their connected vehicle's features, you should also make sure that they know how to operate all of its systems. This includes understanding how the vehicle communicates with other vehicles, as well as its own fleet management system and any applications used in conjunction with it. You can also offer hands-on training sessions where your drivers can practice using their new skills in real-world scenarios.
It's also important to make sure that your drivers have access to the right tools when they need them—especially when it comes to safety features like emergency braking or lane departure warning systems. In order to do this effectively, consider equipping all of your employees with mobile devices that allow them access from anywhere at any time.
The Connected World
The future of connected vehicles is upon us, and there's no going back. In fact, in the next couple of years, we'll see an increase in shared mobility services and automated driving technologies that will make our lives more convenient and efficient than ever before.
We'll be looking at how these services are changing the way people think about transportation by providing them with options for getting around that were never before possible. We've identified some of the trends that are making this possible:
- Vehicle pickup and delivery services will become increasingly popular as they become more affordable to consumers (and businesses).
- On-demand shuttle services will become more widespread as they provide a new option for commuters who want to avoid traffic congestion on their commute home from work during peak hours.
- Shared mobility programs will increase in popularity as they become more accessible to consumers across all income brackets through various financing options provided by automakers and other third parties involved in this emerging industry segment.
Connected vehicles are not just the future of transportation, they're the present. And in the near future, they'll be everywhere.
The connected world means that users can do everything from monitoring their car's health to accessing its location and diagnostics information from anywhere in the world—all on their phones or other connected devices. It also means that your customers can access all of this data through mobile apps and websites, giving them more control over their cars than ever before. They'll be able to find out when their cars need servicing and schedule appointments through your web portal, while you can track every part of their service experience—from where they dropped off their car to how long it took for it to get ready for pickup.
There are many benefits of becoming a connected business: increased customer satisfaction and loyalty; better operational efficiency; lower costs; greater productivity; and advanced maintenance programs that reduce downtime and increase profitability. All this with minimal investment in infrastructure or training!
Takeaway
Automotive transportation is changing. In fact, it's already changed. And we're not just talking about the transportation revolution that's been going on since the advent of the internet and smartphones—we're talking about how people buy their vehicles today.
Today, consumers are more connected than ever before, and they want their cars to be as well. They want to know more about their vehicle than ever before—how it works, why it works that way, and what makes it different from other vehicles on the market. They want to be able to customize their ride so that it fits their lifestyle and personality perfectly. And they want to be able to control what happens in the vehicle while they're driving or riding in it.
As a dealership or service center owner, you can't afford to ignore this trend—or risk losing your customers to competitors who are embracing these changes. You need a partner who understands these needs, and who can help you adapt your business model for this new era of automotive transportation without losing sight of your core values or compromising on quality or customer service. And luckily for you, we at Quickride have exactly what you need: A seamless integration with your dealer management system that gives you the ability to offer your customers the best and most up-to-date technology.