Wickstrom Auto Group, a tech-forward dealership in Barrington, Illinois, views each customer as a unique individual with personalized interests, needs, and concerns—all of which can be addressed and resolved through the right technology.
Recognizing that today’s buyers want an experience like what they get at major online retailers, Wickstrom Auto Group needed a solution and a partner that would adapt to their dealership’s specific needs and what their customers wanted.
To meet these expectations—and stay ahead of the competition—Wickstrom Auto Group decided to implement Deal Central, an AI-powered deal-making solution from Cox Automotive.
The Power of Partnership
“…What’s been great about Cox Automotive is they’ve listened to us,” said Colin Wickstrom, dealer partner at Wickstrom Auto Group. “They’ve changed the product to make it work for our dealerships, which should work for any dealership. And they’ve really done a great job of evolving the product to meet the needs, not only of our customers, but also our team.”
As Wickstrom Auto Group and their customers have evolved, Deal Central has evolved along with them. From the ability to change tax information on the fly to the running lease and purchase options side by side, Cox Automotive has listened to Wickstrom Auto Group’s requests and implemented important changes to help the dealership offer an even better customer experience.
Deal Central offers a streamlined, collaborative car buying experience, eliminating the traditional back-and-forth between salespeople and managers. While other dealerships are content to leave the customer while a salesperson checks with the sales manager, sometimes even multiple times, Deal Central promotes a collaborative car buying experience where dealers and customers work together to create the best possible deal.
“What’s great about Deal Central is the sales manager is actually working with the salesperson, but they’re in the background refreshing the deal for the salesperson,” said Colin. “So, if the economics of the deal change, or the vehicle might change, or money down changes, the manager can be inputting the data in the background or the salesperson can be doing it. That’s really [cut down on] a lot of the back and forth. And they can message each other through the tool too…just stay with the customer and keep things moving seamlessly.”
By empowering customers to control their own deals, more are opting for warranty and add-on products, boosting dealership profits.
“We feel having Deal Central is absolutely essential to our business,” said Colin. “Our customers want a product that allows them to complete transactions either in our showroom or at home. Cox Automotive has been very responsive, evolving the tool to a great place, keeping us ahead of our competition.”
Colin Wickstrom
Dealer Partner
Wickstrom Auto Group
