Autobytel's New Rapid Response Program Kicks Off Services To Help Auto Dealers

IRVINE, Calif.--Autobytel Inc. , a leading automotive Internet marketing services company, has announced the launch of its new Rapid Response program, the first initiative of the company's "Keep in Touch" (K.I.T.) services designed to make it easier for member dealers to manage and communicate with their online customer leads. The first program of its kind, Rapid Response automatically places phone calls to Autobytel member dealers, immediately notifying them - generally within seconds - each time an Autobytel site customer requests a price quote from their dealership during normal business hours. This unique service generated significant improvements to customer response rates and sales among dealers who participated in the program's beta testing.

"The goal of Rapid Response is to put our dealers on the phone with the customer so quickly that the customer is literally still sitting at the computer," said Mark Garms, Autobytel Inc.'s senior vice president of dealer operations. "Obviously, that sets the stage for better contact rates, but it also creates new opportunities for dealers to interface online with customers, for example by leading them through a virtual inventory walk-around or showing them different color or trim options."

The program offers a "hunt" feature that lets dealers prioritize up to three of their contact numbers for Autobytel to try when a Purchase Request for their dealership comes in. Once the dealer is contacted (and while the customer's number is being pre-dialed), a "whisper" feature provides the customer's name, their site source (Autobytel, Autoweb, etc.), and the make/model/year of the vehicle they selected. The dealer then has the option of either pressing "1" to phone the customer, or simply hanging up if they're busy. Participating dealers receive an online interface that provides detailed back-end reporting on their call activity, including all incoming numbers, which numbers they actually tried to connect with, and call results and duration.

Beta Tests Generated 50% Improvement in Contact Rates, Closing Rates Increased as High as 200%

During the program's beta testing process, which involved 165 dealers overall, customer contact rates improved an average of 50% among the dealers who provided direct contact numbers (as opposed to toll-free and third-party tracking numbers) and who consistently opted to connect with Autobytel customers. Not surprisingly, those improved contact rates translated into more sales for many dealerships, including Continental Honda, located in Countryside, IL (outside Chicago), which went from 5 to 15 sales a month through Autobytel - a 200% improvement - during the beta test.

"Rapid Response puts my sales team in a prime position to speak with Internet customers immediately after they've decided to buy or learn more," said Mike Bromer, general manager of Continental Honda. "That automated connection has completely transformed our online sales process by breaking it out of the computer, so to speak, and putting it in real-time, in the real world."

More "Keep in Touch" Features Coming Soon

Rapid Response is the first of a series of services planned as part of Autobytel's new K.I.T. ("Keep in Touch") initiative, all of which are designed to streamline Internet customer management and communications while improving overall satisfaction and success with Autobytel. "Anything we can do to make it faster and easier for dealers to provide a high-quality follow-up for our customer leads falls under K.I.T.," added Garms. "With new leadership and a new vision in place, we're fully committed to taking the industry lead in providing customer management and communications support for dealers."

About Autobytel Inc.

Autobytel Inc. is one of the largest online automotive marketplaces, empowering consumers to make smart vehicle choices using objective automotive data and insightful interactive editorial content. The result is a convenient car-buying process backed by a nationwide network of dealers who are committed to providing a positive consumer experience. Every day consumers choose Autobytel-owned and operated websites -- Autobytel.com, Autoweb.com, CarSmart.com, Car.com, AutoSite.com, Autoahorros.com, and CarTV.com -- to facilitate their car-shopping decisions. Autobytel's ability to attract millions of highly qualified, in-market car buyers and connect them with retailers has made it a leader in facilitating the entire customer car-buying lifecycle.

The Company's innovative marketing, advertising, data and CRM products, including its Web Control(R) customer management system, Retention Performance Marketing (RPM(R)) service reminder program, Special Finance Leads(SM), and AIC(R) data center, are designed to enable dealers to offer a premium consumer experience. Since pioneering pro-consumer online automotive content and purchasing in 1995, Autobytel has helped more than twenty-seven million car buyers, generating billions of dollars in car sales for dealers.