“We know that people rely on their vehicles to get them where they need to go. Even now, there are people working in essential businesses whose job is to keep the collective public safe and healthy,” said Dean Fitzpatrick, president, LHM Dealerships. “We want them to know that our dealerships are open and that we’ve instituted various measures to minimize the risk of potential exposure.”
As the COVID-19 health pandemic began to impact our communities, governors across our dealership markets issued stay-at-home directives and orders, each with its own set of guidelines related to automotive sales and service. In all seven states where LHM Dealerships does business, automotive service and repair was deemed an essential service, meaning we could continue to keep our service departments open and operating.
When it came to sales, the guidelines varied. In some states, sales was considered an essential service (Utah, Arizona, and Idaho), and in others (Colorado, New Mexico, California, and Washington), Larry H. Miller Dealerships had to close its showrooms and, at the time this issue went to print, could sell only online and remotely.
DIGITAL RETAILING
This presented an obstacle for our stores—but Larry H. Miller Dealerships employees rose to the challenge. Over several weeks, MAO worked with the stores to develop digital retailing platforms for each location, enabling the dealerships to conduct sales online. With online buying, customers can research a vehicle, compare vehicles, value a trade-in, and connect with a salesperson via the phone, email, website, or video chat.
NO-CONTACT AND SOCIAL DISTANCING
The stores moved to a no-contact sales process. After a vehicle is purchased, many stores are delivering the vehicle to the customer’s home. Employees are wearing masks and wiping down the inside of the vehicle prior to delivering. If a dealership’s showroom is closed, paperwork is left in the vehicle for the customer to sign and mail back to the dealership. In stores with open showrooms, pens are discarded or cleaned after each use, and surfaces are being sanitized throughout the day.
When it comes to test drives, stores are delivering vehicles to customers’ homes as well. They’re also doing video walk-arounds of vehicles to show customers a car’s features remotely on platforms such as FaceTime and Zoom.
Social distancing is being practiced across all dealership locations. Employees have been spread out, as well as customers.
COMPLIMENTARY CONCIERGE SERVICE
In dealership service departments, the same focus on health and safety is in place. In early March, as CDC and government guidelines were established, MAO introduced complimentary concierge vehicle pickup and delivery across the Group. Members of the service team pick up a customer’s vehicle at their home or office, repair or provide maintenance at the dealership, and then deliver the vehicle back to the customer’s home.
Service technicians wear gloves, which they’re changing out with each customer’s vehicle, and seats, steering wheels, and door handles are wiped down with disinfectant.
Even in tough times, Larry H. Miller Dealerships is innovating to meet today’s needs and ensure we’re serving our customers with health and safety in mind.
