The Cobalt Group Launches Upgraded CRM Tool to Help Auto Dealers Communicate With Customers
29 November 2000
The Cobalt Group Launches Upgraded CRM Tool to Help Auto Dealers Communicate With Customers
SEATTLE--Nov. 29, 2000--Cobalt's New Lead Manager Version 1.5 Makes It Easier for Dealers to
Manage Leads and Measure Online Success
According to a recent study conducted by Friedman-Swift Associates and The Cobalt Group(1), 82% of online car shoppers said they prefer email responses to their dealer inquiries.
To help dealers manage this critical customer communication process, The Cobalt Group , a leading provider of e-business products and services to the automotive industry, today announced the launch of version 1.5 of its Lead Manager product. Lead Manager, part of Cobalt's suite of customer relationship management (CRM) tools, is designed to help dealers manage and respond to all of their leads through a single Web-based software application.
"Dealers who use Cobalt's Lead Manager 1.5 can quickly respond to their online leads more frequently, gaining competitive advantage and increasing customer satisfaction," said John Holt, president and CEO of The Cobalt Group. "And now with wireless upgrades to Cobalt's Lead Manager 1.5 that allow dealers to receive leads on their pagers and cell phones, dealers can respond quicker than ever to online customer requests."
Cobalt's Lead Manager 1.5 utilizes Java technology to create a powerful, easy-to-use tool that allows auto dealers to manage sales inquiries and evaluate return on investment on lead sources and salesperson effectiveness through statistical reporting. Lead Manager 1.5 maintains an in-depth database of customer interactions, routes leads to the appropriate salesperson and tracks response time.
Lead Manager 1.5 upgrade features include:
| -- | increased speed and performance |
| -- | lead assignments by vehicle make and model and type of lead (new vehicle, used vehicle, parts, service, or finance) |
| -- | automatic alerts through wireless communication tools (email, cellular phones and pagers) |
| -- | alerts for unanswered leads so customers don't fall through the cracks |
| -- | ability to send attachments such as vehicle photos with email responses |
| -- | automated sales processes that guide staff through responses step-by-step |
| -- | flexible AutoResponder email templates that offer more choices in how and when dealers respond to customers |
Cobalt's Lead Manager 1.5 dealer is available to manufacturers, dealer groups and individual franchised dealers. Manufacturers and dealer groups can license the product for their dealer networks and dealers can purchase it for their dealership for a monthly subscription fee.
ABOUT THE COBALT GROUP
The Cobalt Group(TM) , headquartered in Seattle, is a leading provider of e-business products and services that help automotive dealers and manufacturers effectively manage their businesses online. Cobalt's suite of e-business solutions includes Web services, Web site hosting, e-commerce applications, Internet-based customer relationship management applications, data management, and best practices training and consulting.
Nearly half of the nation's auto dealers use Cobalt's technology, including nearly 6,400 Web services clients, and more than 10,000 PartsVoice(R) (www.partsvoice.com) clients. Cobalt's e-business products and services are endorsed by 15 automotive manufacturers and more than 50 of the 100 largest dealer groups in the United States.
Cobalt operates MotorPlace.com(TM) (www.MotorPlace.com), a business-to-business information and e-commerce exchange where auto dealers can find the latest news, software applications to improve their business operations, parts locating tool and wholesale vehicle exchanges. Cobalt also operates DealerNet(R) (www.dealernet.com), one of the most widely visited consumer automotive information portals on the Web. Cobalt owns IntegraLink Corporation, the auto industry's premier provider of advanced data collection and reporting services. Cobalt offers Web site services that are endorsed by the National Automobile Dealers Association.
Cobalt has offices in Seattle, Wash.; Portland, Ore.; Detroit, Mich.; Columbus, Ohio; and Austin, Texas. For more information, please visit www.cobaltgroup.com or call 800/909-8244.
1 Study: A Consumer Look at Dealer Web sites, Friedman-Swift Associates and The Cobalt Group, Oct. 2000