Computer vision, or visual AI, can help dealerships improve many aspects of their operations. One is a smoother appraisal process for service customers’ vehicles.
CEO of AI technology provider Skaivision
Computer vision is here, and it promises to improve dozens of processes in auto dealerships. Computer vision, also known as visual AI, is a type of artificial intelligence that leverages security cameras to turn them into intelligent eyes that can recognize patterns and processes for the purpose of improvement.
The way to think about this type of AI is to imagine hiring a dozen assistants for your employees to walk the showroom, the lot, the service drive and the shop. These assistants are trained to ensure customers are greeted in a timely manner, look for process bottlenecks, alert employees when problems arise and assist with manual data entry. They are not designed to replace employees; instead, they help employees do their jobs better.
Sourcing vehicles is a challenge
An example of a process AI can improve is vehicle exchange — sourcing and acquiring vehicles from service customers. Many dealerships have one or more vehicle exchange specialists whose job is to ask customers if they would like a quick, pressure-free appraisal.
The specialists spend much of their day chasing customers, keys, cars and advisers. Many service appointment customers arrive early or late, disrupting the specialist’s schedule. Some days there are a lot of cars that come in without appointments, requiring extra time to research and prepare an appraisal. Logistically, this job is a challenge. As a result, many customers are not offered an appraisal immediately upon arrival. Specialists would love an assistant to alert them when each target vehicle arrives.
Additionally, some customers do not like being approached about an appraisal. Whether it’s because they are in a hurry, focused on the repair or maintenance issue or mentally unprepared for this interaction, their first instinct is to say no. The specialist has to respect that. No matter how good a specialist is, they will never come close to a 100 percent appraisal rate despite the fact most customers want to know how much their vehicle would fetch if it did not delay their service visit.
Enter AI, your vehicle exchange specialist’s helpful assistant.
Imagine a customer driving into the service lane. AI scans their vehicle’s license plate and automatically checks them in for their appointment. Before the customer gets out of the car and before a service adviser even greets them, AI sends a text to the customer, welcoming them to the dealership for their service visit. AI also lets them know the dealership is looking for a vehicle just like theirs and asks if they would like to know how much the store would pay for it.
The customer doesn’t mind this unobtrusive approach. In fact, they’re curious to know how much their vehicle is worth. After all, it’s not like they have to talk to someone about it, feel pressured or give an answer at that moment.
The customer can click to display an offer range page. They examine the information and think about it. If they are interested in learning more, they click a button and the vehicle exchange specialist is alerted.
There is a subtle but powerful difference between having a specialist approach your customer without an invitation vs. with an invitation. The customer knows exactly why the specialist is there and is mentally prepared to discuss selling their vehicle.
The AI assistant also can alert the specialist when a vehicle arrives in the service lane without an appointment. It will tell the specialist the make and model of the car and let them know if it’s a good candidate for an appraisal.
This AI tool has an open application programming interface that can easily be connected to various valuation sources and data-mining or customer relationship management tools a dealership uses. The integration also is available for dealership management systems, connected-vehicle data and service lane software/tablets to save time for the customer and adviser.
This is just one example of many dealership processes that can be improved with the help of computer vision. Using AI to automate tasks such as check-ins, send personalized offers and identify potential appraisals will empower employees to provide a better customer experience.
