BMW has launched a new way of buying a new BMW in the UK. BMW customers will be able to handle all aspects of the car buying process online wherever and whenever they want to. With just a few clicks, prospective BMW owners can build their perfect car online, arrange a test drive if necessary, agree financing options and payment method, and get a trade-in value for their own car before finalizing the delivery date.
BMW Retail Onlin is available via www.BMW.co.uk and the company touts the buying/researching process being around ten minutes. Every step can also be supported by a BMW Genius or a sales executive at the retailer via live chat or email from 8am to 10pm.
Ian Robertson, Member of the Board for Sales and Marketing, said: “We are the first car manufacturer to offer a digital sales solution for the entire product range and the full end-to-end buying or leasing process online. Now, the customer can do it all from the comfort of their home. The integration of the BMW Genius via live chat and retailer messaging functions where the customer is able to get personalized support in real time, makes this system unique and a new benchmark for the automotive industry.”
The program is rolled out nationwide based on the success of a trial which included nine UK retailers who scored a 95 percent success rate. 137 of BMW’s 146 UK retailers are signed up, with the remaining nine scheduled to opt in by April 2016.
Nigel Hurley, Sytner Group BMW Divisional Managing Director, whose retail outlet took part in the trial, said: “This is great news for retailers. It forms part of our ever more customer-centric focus and makes life easier for the customer. We see this becoming an increasingly important channel in the future.”
There are six key features to BMW Retail Online. The online journey starts with the optional tool “Find your BMW”, leading into the vehicle configurator on bmw.co.uk. With a click on the “Buy your BMW” button the customer selects a retailer, is shown cars with a faster delivery date and selects their preferred finance method. The customer can then finalize all steps of the purchase with their chosen retailer in the Retailer Online showroom.
The key elements in more detail are:
- Find your BMW (Optional needs analyser)
- Helps customers find the ideal vehicle for their needs
- 4 simple questions to select the right car:
- Where do you drive?
- How many people ride in your car?
- What needs to fit in your boot?
- What’s important to you?
- Suggests preconfigured cars with options most bought by other customers in the UK.
- Genius live-chat
- Personal support
- Webchat or email
- Opening hours from 8am-10pm, 7days a week
- Vehicle configuration/ Check Delivery Times
- Fully configure a car, or
- Get a proposal for a pre-built car with faster availability
- Finance offer
- Full integration of BMW Financial services
- Easy-to-use finance calculator
- All national offers are included online
- Retailer Online showroom
- Chat with a sales executive of the selected retailer
- Arrange a test drive
- Get independent car valuation of your vehicle
- Finalise all elements of the purchase
- Online credit check
- Full online credit check with 90 seconds feedback if auto accepted
- Payment of instalment, deposit or full price online or by phone
