Have you ever felt unsure if that chat you are taking is a Sales Inventory Chat or a Sales Inquiry chat?

If so, you are not alone!

• This is a common source of confusion for chat specialists, whether they are newly hired or more tenured.

• Not to worry, though, we are about to deep dive into our protocol for these chat types and how we can tell them apart!

• Primary focus is... inventory.

• The guest in these chats may come in saying something like:

  • "Looking for a Maverick"

  • "SUV"

  • "Got any Forte?"

  • "used F-150"

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Sales Inventory

Since the primary concern of the guest is inventory, we will:

Sales Inventory Chat Steps

​- Ask if they have a specific model in mind (if not already stated) ex. "I would be happy to help you with your search for an SUV. Do you have a specific model in mind?"

- Ask new or pre-owned (if relevant/not already provided) ex. "The Escape is a great choice! Do you prefer new or pre-owned?"

- If the guest wants used, we MUST ask price range before pushing. "What price range do you want to stay within?"

- We will not ask any additional questions beyond these before we have pushed inventory.

- Push a suitable vehicle to the guest based on the criteria we've obtained with "Here's one:" followed by "Are there any special features or color you would like?"

- We will then continue on to ask an additional relevant profile building questions

• The guest will have an additional concern that takes priority over inventory.

• Such as: trade-in, finance rate, credit approval odds, etc.

• Guest may say something like:

  • "Trade-in towards F-150"

  • "Current APR on new car?"

  • "can I get a new car with a bad credit score?"

  • "Do your used cars come with a warranty?"

​

Sales Inquiry

• Sometimes identifying the primary concern of the chat can be a bit trickier.

• For instance, the guest may come in asking something like "Which Lincoln models have leather seats?" or "Do the new Tiguans have heated seats?"

• This type of chat will follow our Sales Inquiry chat steps!

• This is because the primary focus of the guest is the feature while the inventory is secondary.

Trickier Scenarios:

Since the guest has a concern beyond inventory, we will:

​

Sales Inquiry Chat Steps

• ​​Answer any question they ask (leasing options, trade-in value)

• Build a full profile

  • New or pre-owned

  • (Price range must be asked for used )

  • Special features

  • Color preference

  • Year, make, model, & mileage of trade-in

  • Lease term/mileage package

• Push a vehicle with "How do you feel about this _?"

• For Sales Inventory chats, we will keep the focus on inventory—we will only ask specific model & new/pre-owned and price range when guest is referencing used inventory before pushing, then we can resume profile building.

• For Sales Inquiry chats, we will ask all relevant profile building questions prior to pushing inventory.

• For most chats, we can identify the chat type after reading the guest's first message.

  • We will follow Sales Inventory protocol when the guest's primary interest is inventory!

  • We will follow Sales Inquiry protocol when the guest has an additional concern such as a trade-in or financing options!

Key Takeaways:

• The Protocol Guide: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PHkk5kvqKJriCxp6xuy52kW2Rhf4JeV9y-8NmmKnOdk/edit#gid=0

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Helpful Resources:

• ​The Resource Database: https://sites.google.com/gubagoo.com/gubagoodatabase/home?authuser=0

• ​Rocket Chat/Zoom:

  Unsure which protocol to follow? Use Rocket Chat or Zoom to ask Floor Support for assistance. Leadership is always here to help you! (Note: If you are helped via Zoom, please remember to post the Chat ID in RC with a note that you were helped via Zoom.)