CarsDirect.com Supercharges Sales Processes and Service Speeds with Siebel eBusiness Applications
SAN MATEO, Calif.--June 12, 2002--Siebel eAutomotive Streamlines Premier Online Car Buying Service's
Operational Processes and Supports Company's Aggressive Expansion
Siebel Systems, Inc. , the world's leading provider of eBusiness applications software, announced today that CarsDirect.com, the leading multibrand online car buying service, has standardized its customer relationship management system on Siebel eAutomotive, a version of Siebel eBusiness Applications specifically tailored for the automotive industry. Using Siebel eAutomotive, CarsDirect.com has streamlined many aspects of the complex new car buying process, resulting in increased operational efficiencies and decreased cycle time between customer order and vehicle delivery.
"The ability to quickly match the right consumer with the right vehicle at the right price is crucial to our success," said Debra Domeyer, CarsDirect.com chief technology officer. "By focusing on operational efficiencies and using Siebel Systems to strip out layers of complexity in the multistep buying process, CarsDirect.com has been able to achieve remarkable results in compressing the buying cycle, thereby getting customers into their cars more quickly."
Streamlining the Car Buying Process
Thanks to operational efficiencies gained through the Siebel eBusiness Applications deployment and other process improvements, the company has been able to further improve response times -- a key factor in driving sales and overall satisfaction. The number of customers who take delivery in one day has increased 35 percent, and more than 98 percent are so satisfied that they intend to purchase their next vehicle from CarsDirect.com.
The Siebel eAutomotive Solution
CarsDirect.com deployed the Siebel eAutomotive solution to increase sales and customer service capacity, expand customer tracking, improve efficiency of the sales and production control processes, and deepen relationships with customers. The implementation allows CarsDirect.com to more effectively manage phone, email, and fax communications between the company, customers, and its dealer network. By integrating the channels of communication and maintaining customer information in a single repository, Siebel eAutomotive has streamlined the sales process, thereby enhancing the response time and effectiveness of the company's Vehicle Specialists. By giving CarsDirect.com Vehicle Specialists a sophisticated tool to manage all of their customer relationships, Siebel eAutomotive helps drive sales while maintaining high levels of overall customer care.
"Siebel eAutomotive provides a complete understanding of the customer at all times, enabling us to respond quickly and deliver an unparalleled service experience from the first mouse click until the buyer drives off in a new vehicle," said Domeyer. "CarsDirect.com has one of the best customer satisfaction track records in the industry and Siebel Systems helps us maintain and build on that reputation for quality care."
The Siebel deployment is available to more than 100 professionals in the CarsDirect.com Sales Center that support a network of 3,000 automotive dealers nationwide. CarsDirect.com deployed the solution in 90 days and trained all users in two weeks, resulting in a low total cost of ownership and a quick return on the company' Siebel investment.
Support for Rapid Growth
A crucial business objective for CarsDirect.com is to grow the company by continually adding new and enhanced products and services for the consumer and dealer. The industry-specific functionality of Siebel eAutomotive, along with the ease of integration, allow CarsDirect.com to quickly and easily reconfigure and update the Siebel operational backbone as well as make the required connections to other applications. This cost-effective and rapid integration ability creates a significant competitive advantage for CarsDirect.com as it continues its aggressive expansion.
With many vendors and third-party organizations already integrating with Siebel eBusiness Applications, Siebel eAutomotive was an attractive choice for CarsDirect.com. CarsDirect.com chose Siebel eAutomotive for its ease of integration, scalability, and comprehensive industry-specific functionality.
About Siebel Systems
Siebel Systems, Inc. is the world's leading provider of eBusiness applications software. Siebel Systems provides an integrated family of eBusiness applications software, enabling multichannel sales, marketing, and customer service systems to be deployed over the Web, in call centers, in the field, through reseller channels, and across retail and dealer networks. Siebel Systems' sales and service facilities are located in more than 32 countries. For more information, please visit Siebel Systems' Web site at www.siebel.com.
About CarsDirect.com
Los Angeles-based CarsDirect.com (www.carsdirect.com) is the leading multibrand online car buying service, providing new and used automobiles and related products and services, such as loan and lease financing and in-demand aftermarket products including extended warranties. CarsDirect.com is the first online car provider to offer visitors three distinctive car buying options: buying a new car online through the company's award-winning direct channel, being matched with a top-quality new car dealer of their choice via the CarsDirect Connect(TM) channel, or locating and purchasing a previously owned vehicle through the CarsDirect Used channel.
Except for the historical information contained herein, this press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risk or uncertainties. Future operating results of Siebel Systems may differ from the results discussed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements due to factors that include, but are not limited to, risks associated with customer relations, such as the availability of Siebel Systems' products and services, customer implementation of products and services, relationships with customers, third-party vendors and systems integrators, concentration of revenues in a relatively small number of customers, existence of errors or defects in products, ability to successfully manage growth, significant current and expected additional competition and the need to continue to expand product distribution and services offerings. Further information on potential factors that could affect the financial results of Siebel Systems are included in Siebel Systems' Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available at www.sec.gov. Siebel Systems assumes no obligation to update the information in this press release.
Note to Editors: Siebel is a trademark of Siebel Systems, Inc. and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. All other product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners and are mentioned for identification purposes only.
Company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners and are mentioned for identification purposes only.