M. de Koning Autobedrijven is an innovative Dutch car dealer with multiple locations in The Netherlands. They mostly specialise in selling and servicing Volkswagen and Audi along with almost 300 used cars across all brands.
We had the chance to interview:
Max Castelein
Online marketeer for M. de Koning
What challenge were you trying to overcome before implementing the Web1on1 WhatsApp Service Appointment reminder?
The initial demand came from the head of After Sales of one of our locations. He was looking for digital solutions to overcome a rush of telephone calls at the end of the day, typically from clients asking “is my car ready for pick-up?”. We simply didn’t have the capacity to answer all those calls.
Every day, around 4pm, all the reminders are sent out for the next day’s appointments
We wanted to improve communication with the customer and avoid our phone getting collapsed with calls: WhatsApp for after sales was the perfect solution for it. The WhatsApp reminders are sent automatically to our clients, 24 hours prior to their appointment. The bot sends a message that looks like this: “You have an appointment tomorrow for your car. Would you like to be informed via WhatsApp?”. The benefit is instant communication for the next 24 hours with clients who accept the invitation. It means we can even send pictures and ask for approval on repairs.
What were the benefits for your team?
Thanks to WhatsApp with Web1on1, our service team can handle communication with clients better than they used to be able to do with phone calls. They now can work directly from their desks (service stations) as well as send pictures of the car during the workshop process.
… and for your clients?
Some clients still prefer to phone us, but most of them respond positively to the WhatsApp invitation, especially the younger and more innovative clients. This means that the peak of conversation at 16:00 still happens, but it’s easier to manage with WhatsApp chats.
You can handle multiple WhatsApp chats at the same time, but only one phone call at a time
What other challenges do you face?
- The user adoption is not where we want it to be yet. I’m fully convinced by the benefits of using these tools, but sometimes it also requires a change of mentality. Hopefully, things are moving fast.
- We would love to have a payment option included for customers in the Web1on1 WhatsApp conversation (teaser: it’s coming!)
- We heard that Web1on1 is working on a new visualization for the service communication pipeline. This would make my colleagues’ work much easier!