[Lando]

Scion wants customers to be able to buy their next Scion vehicle in less than an hour.

To that end, Scion has created a program called "Pure Process Plus." The program aims to integrate and streamline the car buying steps. Right now the program is online in about a dozen dealerships, but the program should go nationwide in 2016.

Scion vice president Doug Murtha says the program "enables a customer to bring as much of the purchase process into their living room as they choose."

Pure Process Plus has customers go online and "build" their car. It then searches local dealerships for availability, gives pricing and tax information, and gives pre-approval for financing.

Surveys show that the pilot program has been received well.

http://news.boldride.com/2015/07/scion-sell-cars-in-less-than-hour/84481/

 

[SRV]

Smart, I mean everyone else has been doing this for at least the last 2-3 years so I'm glad Scion finally joined the party...

 

[scionic]

Indeed a smart move, many folks have the idea that going to a dealership and dealing with that whole process could take a good couple hours. With how busy folks are these days, that's A LOT of time to be asking for which this clears up.

 

[Lando]

It really makes sense for the Scion brand too. This will appeal to younger folks who are internet savvy, it also makes things even more simple and streamlines which is in line with the one size fits all standard models where you don't have to worry about choosing options.

 

[SRV]

Honestly, the traditional dealer experience is somewhat valued by consumers. Teslas super streamlined model doesn't work well for consumer satisfaction...supposedly...

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2015/07/tesla-dead-last-dealer-experience-first-pr/

 

[Moe]

Plus it helps when not everyone goes looking for information like we do, doing all the research and community involvement we get involved in.

Educating the buyer in that sort of environment helps.

 

[Lando]

I think that people are just expecting something different. They have kind of been primed for the whole dealership thing. It's funny because most of the time I don't hear about people particularly happy about heading to the car dealership.

 

[SRV]

I think that people are just expecting something different. They have kind of been primed for the whole dealership thing. It's funny because most of the time I don't hear about people particularly happy about heading to the car dealership.

thats because of crude sales people not because of going to a brick and mortar location. People want to try things, its the exact same reason why online shopping never took over brick and mortar stores in terms of shoes and pants for example...

 

[scionic]

It might not be able to take over completely but it has taken over a good portion of sales. I think returns for online purchases like that is somewhere around 30%

 

[Lando]

I do agree that its the sales people and pressure and not the dealership itself that makes people not like car shopping. I don't see car sales people toning it down though. I bet some people may like to do the shopping themselves online without the pressure of a sales person.

 

[SRV]

I do agree that its the sales people and pressure and not the dealership itself that makes people not like car shopping. I don't see car sales people toning it down though. I bet some people may like to do the shopping themselves online without the pressure of a sales person.

what people dont like are bad salesmen. You're completely ignoring the value or excellent sales people on the process. People will return to the same dealer for years simply because of a sales representative...

 

[Moe]

An advancement I can see happening is APP's taking up some of the things sales people would have to do, making it easier for customers to get familiar with the vehicle, answering questions they might already have and even letting them purchase right through the same interface.

 

[SRV]

interesting article here, will online dealers replace brick and mortar? it deals with used dealers, but i think still relevant to the conversation... http://www.bmwblog.com/2015/07/21/will-online-dealerships-replace-physical-car-dealerships/

Who knows if these new-age car buying companies will last and if they will really shake up the used car industry, but we do know that big investors see serious potential in them. We can only hope that these companies work out well, this way we can have an easier and hassle-free used car buying experience. No more dealing with used car salespeople.

 

[Moe]

At the end of the day people want to see cars in person, an element that will always need be in the process, as long as they can keep that up there shouldn't be a problem with getting APP-based buying to work.

 

[scionic]

I'd like to see this actually happen, one downside is the loss of jobs by a kiosk, app, or what ever other form there will be for purchasing. But we need automation.

 

[Moe]

I'd like to see this actually happen, one downside is the loss of jobs by a kiosk, app, or what ever other form there will be for purchasing. But we need automation.

That's just the way things have to be with the advanced in technology. It's even getting to the point that in Wal-Marts and McD's kiosks are replacing cashiers... something i'm in favor of.

 

[Lando]

That's just the way things have to be with the advanced in technology. It's even getting to the point that in Wal-Marts and McD's kiosks are replacing cashiers... something i'm in favor of.

So yes some jobs are becoming unneeded but I have two responses to this:

1. There are some job losses, but there are also new jobs that replace them (though maybe not employing as many people, so its not equal). The new jobs are in the tech sector. Repairing apps, designing them, etc... They are high skill jobs that aren't accessible to the same people who are losing their job as mentioned before.

2. The way society is set up makes it so that everyone needs something to do in order to make a living, even if we have progressed to a level that makes it so that there actually isn't something for every person to do. Society doesn't like the idea of providing for people who don't do anything. It's a conundrum that we haven't figured out yet, and I only think that this issue of eliminating low skill jobs will continue and intensify in the future.

 

[Moe]

That mention of skill is an important one, with technology working its way up to doing things requiring the least about of effort and skill, people will have to work on improving their skill sets. Funny enough though is even for some companies its hard to find good workers regardless of previous experience.

 

[SRV]

So yes some jobs are becoming unneeded but I have two responses to this:

1. There are some job losses, but there are also new jobs that replace them (though maybe not employing as many people, so its not equal). The new jobs are in the tech sector. Repairing apps, designing them, etc... They are high skill jobs that aren't accessible to the same people who are losing their job as mentioned before.

2. The way society is set up makes it so that everyone needs something to do in order to make a living, even if we have progressed to a level that makes it so that there actually isn't something for every person to do. Society doesn't like the idea of providing for people who don't do anything. It's a conundrum that we haven't figured out yet, and I only think that this issue of eliminating low skill jobs will continue and intensify in the future.

You're forgetting the third and vastly important point. The system will never harm itself, automation will never progress to the point where the pool of consumers has become significantly dry.

Consumption is what drives automation, yet if you don't have significant numbers of consumers to justify a high volume automated system you've simply engineered a far more expensive low level employee then 10$ per.

The fact that society doesn't want to provide for people who do nothing isn't a conundrum, its a fact of nature, even monkeys shun the one who does nothing

 

[Moe]

I'm actually looking forward to what more will be automated in the future, starting to think they can automate services that need to be performed on vehicles, but that's a long way out.