The automotive industry should take better advantage of advancing technology as businesses look to boost the bottom line, according to Sean Booth from Parkway Motor Group, a leading Volkswagen dealer.

Parkway Motor Group, who has sites across the Midlands, has been working with data centre and communications company Node4 to provide a solution that will allow them to interact with customers through web chat from its new website. In addition, the car company has taken control of monitoring its communication by tracking all calls, emails and other correspondence through a single platform. It will enable them to better plan their business and enhance how they interact with customers.

Sean Booth, Managing Director of Parkway Motor Group, said, “When we approached Node4 to help us roll out a solution that would increase our communication, productivity and relationship with clients, we were surprised at the under-appreciation elsewhere of how technology can revolutionise a business. Within the motor trade business, there’s a tendency to think of IT as a cost instead of an investment that can produce invaluable returns.”

The solution that Node4 worked along with Zeacom to introduce ensures all types of contact, arriving through different channels, are queued and answered appropriately, and that agents have all the customer information they require at their fingertips, whichever channel the enquiry takes. The application also produces reports for all channels, thus highlighting any areas where the customer experience could be improved.

In addition, the software prompts agents to utilise troughs in incoming calls by carrying out other tasks such as answering e-mails or, via its outbound caller software, for example calling all customers whose MOTs are due shortly, inviting them to book appointments. The offering allows companies to add any number of further channels of communication to the mix and Parkway Motor Group plans to incorporate social media later this year.

Andrew Gilbert, Managing Director of Node4, said, “We always try to support our clients in any way we can to enable them to innovate and in this case, Parkway Motor Group are on their way to developing new ways of working that will not only be hugely beneficial to their balance sheets, but also to their customers. Using technology in new ways will be what separates innovative companies from their rivals in an increasingly competitive market.”