Big Tom LaPointe's Blog Posts Tagged 'live chat' (17)

Live chat is like driving a Porsche Turbo – it must be done right

...the 930 had “turbo lag as long as a coffee break. Mash the throttle at 3000 rpm, and the boost gauge plays dead until the tach reaches 4000.” - Car and Driver

During the dark ages of the auto industry in the 1970’s, emissions regulations and an epic disregard for quality automotive products…

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Added by Big Tom LaPointe on April 17, 2016 at 12:00am — No Comments

CarChat24 wins 2015 AWA Automotive Website Award

The CarChat24 team is proud to announce we have received an Automotive Website Award for Marketing Innovation. The prestigious award was presented in San Francisco on January 22, 2015, as the 2015 National Automotive Dealers Association conference kicked off,…

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Added by Big Tom LaPointe on January 25, 2015 at 4:00pm — No Comments

Live Chat - take a lesson from MJ and 'Just Do It'

Some people want it to happen,

some wish it would happen,

others make it happen.
~ Michael Jordan…

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Added by Big Tom LaPointe on January 21, 2015 at 9:30am — No Comments

Why holidays make live chat a must on dealer websites

Shoppers ready to spend money, combined with manufacturers launching massive incentives and ad campaigns, make the holiday season ripe for increased website traffic. These factors also make a quality live chat service a must to capitalize on all this extra dealership website traffic. More than any other time of the year, buyers are in a rush to find the information they want and need on the products…

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Added by Big Tom LaPointe on November 29, 2014 at 5:30pm — No Comments

Tips for measuring in-house chat performance

In his book, Customers for Life, Carl Sewell says to MEASURE EVERYTHING. So how do you measure how well your team is doing with live chat? For many dealers handling chat in-house, ‘measuring chat’ means tracking the number of chat conversations and…

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Added by Big Tom LaPointe on August 13, 2014 at 7:30am — No Comments

Become live chat star – five points of success

"...you can't just throw it on there and expect it to generate more sales leads or help you sell more cars"

When the internet began to commercialize in the late 90's, you could throw up a website with a few nice pictures and you were ahead of the competition. Then you had to add your inventory just to be competitive. The same is true with live chat on your website - you can't just throw it on there and…

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Added by Big Tom LaPointe on April 7, 2014 at 11:00am — No Comments

Bad weather proves value of hosted website chat on your dealership website

As much of the nation is faced with another massive weather event that threatens to close commerce, many auto dealership staff members are staying home because the doors are shut at the store due to the storm or to care for children who can’t go to closed schools. So if your BDC or sales staff isn't at their desks, are they responding to…

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Added by Big Tom LaPointe on January 21, 2014 at 7:30am — No Comments

The holidays are one reason to add third party live chat operators

Making the decision to add live chat to your dealership website can be challenging, deciding to use a hosted service with outside operators can make it even bigger – even if it's only as a backup option. So, why worry about having a hosted live chat service now? Continued below graphic...…

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Added by Big Tom LaPointe on December 10, 2013 at 3:00pm — No Comments

Live chat is just one relationship starter in your dealership to build loyalty

Strong relationships are similar to spider webs, especially in the auto industry. Multiple threads are must to build an effective web for business – or spiders. If you want to build long-term success in car sales, you have to recognize that these relationships start with one tiny thread, and by creating additional threads through rapport and nurturing with quality customer care,…

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Added by Big Tom LaPointe on October 28, 2013 at 11:00pm — No Comments

Chat Success Tip: Establish chat operators, NOT SALESPEOPLE

It may seem a bit counterintuitive, but if an auto dealership wants to establish a successful website live chat program in-house, it is wise to position your chat staff as online operators, and NOT as internet salespeople. There are three reasons this strategy will help create live chat success:

  • Allows the operator an excuse to…
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Added by Big Tom LaPointe on October 21, 2013 at 11:30am — No Comments

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS: Buyers traveling farther to buy cars

It makes sense, and many dealers might suspect, that buyers are willing to travel farther for their car deal than in years past, and those suspicions have been confirmed - again. 

A follow-up study by Autotrader.com to their 2012 White Paper, Have Internet, Will Travel, confirmed this month that “two and a half times more car buyers traveled distances of 30+ miles to purchase a vehicle…

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Added by Big Tom LaPointe on October 21, 2013 at 10:30am — No Comments

Does it REALLY matter if dealer chat vendors are “car people”?

I could just say 'yes' and make this the shortest blog post ever, but here is why it matters…not that you want the gang from the Used Cars movie in this photo helping you with your business, but having 'car people' involved makes a HUGE difference.

As a dealer, when you look at your DMS, your photo and/or inventory service, and even your website, are they handled by companies that are either well…

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Added by Big Tom LaPointe on October 8, 2013 at 12:30pm — No Comments

Want live chat success in-house? Four tips to help you plan it, script it, work it

As dealers continue recognize the benefits of either hosted live chat or chat software on their automotive websites, many still feel using in-house staff to handle the chats is their best option. With some proper planning and…

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Added by Big Tom LaPointe on August 9, 2013 at 7:00am — 3 Comments

Want to EPIC FAIL with Live Chat? Try this…

There are numerous ways to build success into your live chat strategy, but if you want the ONE THING that is sure to guarantee embarrassment and failure (not to mention waste time and money), try this: make your guests give you contact information before you (or your live chat vendor) have a live chat…

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Added by Big Tom LaPointe on August 3, 2013 at 12:30am — No Comments

How many leads and deals are OK to skip? Why 24/7 live chat makes perfect (dollars and) sense

Some say that a dealer doesn’t need overnight chat operators because some research shows that only 10 percent of dealership web traffic occurs between midnight and 8 am. They estimated that with a 3 percent chat rate that would extrapolate to only 15 chats per month with 5,000 visitors. Here’s why even if those figures are accurate,…

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Added by Big Tom LaPointe on June 18, 2013 at 2:30pm — No Comments

CarChat24 PRESENTED WITH DRIVINGSALES DEALER SATISFACTION AWARD

CarChat24 receives a "Top Rated" Award for Dealer Satisfaction in Chat Products Category

PALM HARBOR, Fla. Feb. 11, 2013 –…

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Added by Big Tom LaPointe on March 5, 2013 at 1:00pm — No Comments

VIDEO - Horrible wreck @ Daytona NASCAR Nationwide race (updated)

8 am / Feb 24 - ESPN.com reports 14 treated onsite and released; 14 transported offsite for treatment, with 2 critical and expected to survive and NONE with life-threatening injuries

Thoughts and prayers are with fans and…

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Added by Big Tom LaPointe on February 23, 2013 at 5:30pm — No Comments

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