In response to the unique challenges posed by the COVID 19 pandemic, Nissan says it wants to bring the showroom directly into potential buyers’ homes.
“All the most popular services, queries and bookings associated with a trip to your local dealer can now be done virtually from the safety of your living room,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday. “This includes an interactive video call with our dealers nationwide linking digital solutions to the physical dealer environment, enabling our customers to virtually connect with our highly skilled sales executives for a real-time virtual demonstration of the vehicle.”
In addition to South Africa, Nissan has grouped its digital and remote services under a new Shop@Home tab on its websites across Middle East, Turkey and India. Services include ordering online, get a quotation or request a call back.
The buying process can also be completed online with the help of a finance calculator. Nissan says a pre-finance assessment will soon be introduced, as well as comprehensive service and warranty information.
Nissan SA will also be offering home test drives with a few pilot dealers, to support the customers who prefer to physically experience a Nissan vehicle. The next on the list will include a full virtual showroom experience, providing a 360-degree virtual tour of the dealership and all vehicles.
“The digital space offers huge potential to revolutionise the vehicle purchase and ownership experience,” says Guillaume Cartier, Nissan chairman of the Africa Middle East and India (AMI) region. “At Nissan, we listened to customers during this challenging time, and have developed a range of online features and services that allow people to choose, compare, configure and even purchase a vehicle from the comfort and safety of their own homes.”
In addition to the Shop@Home features, Nissan’s website also has a section dedicated to customer wellbeing for the COVID-19 pandemic. It includes fun family activities to do under a lockdown, useful tips to be safe, and updates on Nissan’s contribution in fighting the virus, under its COVID-19 Updates tab.
“The pandemic has had a profound impact on businesses and people,” says Nissan AMI regional vice president Joni Paiva. “We are adapting to a ‘new normal’ by providing the functionality needed around buying and owning a vehicle, with the safety, flexibility, and ease of doing so from home or place of work. It is all about convenience for our customers.”
* To experience the new digital service introduced by Nissan, visit nissan.co.za/shop-home.html