The ŠKODA Live Tour has racked up an impressive first year of results and the car manufacturer has announced that it will continue to explore new ways of using the technology. More than 2,000 online tours have been taken in the digital showroom, with three-quarters of users completely new customers to the brand. › The ŠKODA Live Tour announces results from successful 12-month trial
› More than 2,000 online tours taken by customers in its first year
› 75 per cent of users are completely new customers to the brand
› The Live Tour’s innovative technology is changing the way consumers interact with the brandThe Live Tour was introduced by ŠKODA in 2017 as an innovative and convenient online experience for customers researching their next car purchase. More than 2,000 online tours were taken during the 12-month trial period, which resulted in 38 per cent booking a test drive at their local retailer, from this a further 10 per cent have gone on to purchase.
Since its launch, the Live Tour has successfully attracted new customers to ŠKODA, with 75 per cent of users interacting with the brand for the first time. The online platform has recorded a 95 per cent positive customer satisfaction score and seen an increase in the number of Motability customers who are able to use the online service to play a more active role in the decision-making process.
Designed to work in tandem with ŠKODA’s retail network, the Live Tour is accessed via www.skoda.co.uk/livetour and customers are able to interact and talk with a Product Host in the Live Tour showroom through a one-way video link. The Host can demonstrate key features of the vehicle such as the infotainment system and boot space and answer questions before helping them to book a test drive at their local retailer, if requested.
John French, Head of Sales Operations for ŠKODA UK, commented: “The Live Tour is a new concept for automotive retail and was introduced to adapt to changing buying habits. Consumers now research extensively online before heading to car showrooms and the Live Tour seamlessly brings the retail experience to a digital world.
“The results from the initial trial phase have exceeded our expectations for both volume of users and positive feedback. As we continue to look to the future of automotive retail the Live Tour will continue to develop to help support our customers.”
Over the last 12 months, the Live Tour has expanded from a consumer-facing tool to a multi-functional platform that includes product training for Retailers and tailored tours for ŠKODA's business customers. As the Live Tour expands, the technology will be used to provide a unique handover experience for fleet customers.
The Live Tour has also helped to launch new vehicles to customers. The new Karoq SUV was placed in the Live Tour three months before it went into retailers for an exclusive first-look tour. Nearly 20 per cent of initial hand raisers that came from the Live Tour have been converted into sales.
The ŠKODA Live Tour, powered by Whisbi technology, is open from 11am – 9pm on weekdays and 11am to 7pm on weekends via www.skoda.co.uk/livetour. Currently available to tour in the digital showroom is the new Karoq, seven seat Kodiaq and the ŠKODA Octavia.
