MSN Carpoint Upgrades Most Widely Used Customer Relationship Management Tool In the Automotive Industry MICROSOFT LOGO Microsoft company logo. (PRNewsFoto)[PM] REDMOND, WA USA 08/22/2000
17 January 2001
MSN Carpoint Upgrades Most Widely Used Customer Relationship Management Tool In the Automotive Industry MICROSOFT LOGO Microsoft company logo. (PRNewsFoto)[PM] REDMOND, WA USA 08/22/2000
Dealerpoint Now Deployed to More Than 6,000 Automotive Dealers, Enabling Them
To Better Serve Customers and Increase Sales
REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 17 MSN(R) Carpoint(TM) online
automotive service, the most visited car-buying site on the Web, today
announced that it has released and deployed a new version of Dealerpoint, its
customer relationship management tool, which provides dealers with the leading
management tool to better serve customers, manage sales leads and increase
sales efficiency.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO )
Dealerpoint is active on more than 40 percent of dealer desktops
nationwide, including all Honda, Acura and Ford dealers. Compatible with more
than 100 lead generation services and available in customizable private-label
versions, the enhanced version of Dealerpoint provides dealers with
easy-to-use tools to track and manage their online customers. New features
include e-mail templates for rapid consumer response and the ability to track
real-time sales performance.
"Utilizing the most advanced software tools to service and satisfy online
Honda car buyers effectively is an important part of our Internet strategy,"
said John Fulcher, senior manager of e-commerce at American Honda Motor Co.
Inc. "By working with the new version of Dealerpoint from Carpoint, our Honda
Certified dealers have the ability to take the latest technology available and
improve their dealership close ratios and response times and increase overall
customer satisfaction."
From the initial contact to the sale, dealers can customize Dealerpoint to
meet their needs and ensure customers are receiving the best possible online
experience. Features include a home page for consolidating and posting daily
tasks for new sales leads as well as for follow-up leads. The latest version
of Dealerpoint also offers multiple user accounts for salespeople and tips and
information for improved sales results. Dealers are able to track their
results by accessing any one of the 13 real-time reports offered. Dealerpoint
includes a customizable promotions feature that allows the dealer to set
discount offers for set periods to market special events or help move aged
inventory.
According to Jupiter Communications, the impact of the Internet will
increase dramatically in the next five years. It projects the growth of
online-direct and online-influenced new-vehicle sales to swell to more than
$128 billion in the United States by 2004. The Jupiter report stated that
"achieving this market will require automakers, dealers and service providers
to focus on integrating the Internet into their business processes to create a
seamless network of service and product offerings, which will drive benefits
to consumers whether they browse online or buy online."
"Development and deployment of Dealerpoint demonstrates the ability of
Carpoint to create technology and services that respond to the industry's
growing demand for improved consumer satisfaction and provide the best online
experience for consumers," said Todd Weatherby, director of Industry Services
for Carpoint at Microsoft . "Carpoint generates more than
$8 billion in annual sales to our dealers, and many using Dealerpoint have
improved close rates by as much as 30 percent."
In addition, the new version of Dealerpoint offers access to consumer
prepurchase demand data for local markets through the Carpoint Market Update.
This service allows dealers to track the most requested cars and trucks in the
top 50 markets every month, along with trend reports featuring gains and
losses in various categories.
About MSN Carpoint Inc.
Launched in October 1995, Carpoint Inc. (http://www.carpoint.com/) is the
most visited online automotive marketplace, receiving more than
6 million consumer visits each month. From product reviews and surround video
features to new- and used-car pricing, the Carpoint site helps consumers find
the car they love at a price they can afford. With details on more than
10,000 models and 100,000 used vehicles, visitors can research and compare
cars of virtually every make and model, identify local dealers and receive
instructions for post-purchase service and maintenance.
Carpoint generates more than $8 billion (U.S.) in auto sales each year for
its network of more than 5,000 affiliated dealers nationwide. The American
International Automobile Dealers Association exclusively endorses Carpoint.
Carpoint also powers the Autos Channel on the MSN network of Internet services
(http://www.msn.com/). MSN is the most popular destination on the Internet,
attracting 210 million unique monthly visitors worldwide.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services
and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company
offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people
through great software -- any time, any place and on any device.
NOTE: Microsoft, MSN and Carpoint are either registered trademarks or
trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the
trademarks of their respective owners.