By Elizabeth Wulfhorst
As nonessential businesses gradually reopen around the state, store owners can take a cue from car dealerships which opened their showrooms to sales by appointment only a few weeks ago.
“The safety of our customers and employees has always been and remains our top priority,” said Lawrence Powell, the general manager at Circle BMW in Eatontown. Which is why the dealership has taken safety protocols seriously. Shields are up in the reception area, employees are wearing face coverings and social distancing, and disposable seat, wheel and shifter covers have been placed in all vehicles. In addition, they established a test drive cleaning protocol and hourly and nightly cleaning of the building.
The dealership is also operating with shortened hours. Ray Catena Mercedes-Benz of Edison has taken all the same precautions.
“If somebody comes in, they’re not wearing a mask, we remind them to go back out to their car and get their mask,” said Doug Wells, general manager.
Wells said Ray Catena is using technology similar to iPads for completing and signing forms. Screens and pens are constantly wiped down and all paperwork is downloaded onto a USB drive for the customer to take home, so paper never changes hands.
Buying a new car usually means time spent going over all its features with a salesperson, from the windshield wipers and turn signals to the navigation system and any other hightech packages. If buyers are concerned about being in a closed environment for a prolonged period with the salesperson, even though they will be masked and gloved, Wells said customers can opt for “virtual delivery”; once a car has been delivered to a customer’s home, a delivery consultant will review the entire car with them via FaceTime.
To make shopping easier, Wells said they moved much of their inventory to the front of the building and placed QR codes in the windshields so customers can scan with a smartphone to learn about a particular vehicle and even live chat with a salesperson. Ray Catena also offers a digital online purchasing tool, which was being developed before the pandemic, but quickly implemented during quarantine.
Customers at Circle BMW are greeted by employees Jillian Clancy, left, and Makayla Soto, wearing face masks and seated behind plexiglass shields, just a few of the new safety precautions being taken by the dealership as show- rooms reopen.
At Circle BMW, Powell said customers can start the buying process online and virtually shop inventory, manage payment options and complete most necessary documentation from home.
Although showrooms have only recently reopened, most dealership service centers have remained open throughout the pandemic to meet customer needs.
“Our commitment to be available for our customers to repair and maintain their BMW at all times is paramount to our business model,” explained Powell, who said their center remained open six days a week.
“Our team was swift to institute safety protocols,” he said. When a vehicle comes in for service it is fitted with plastic covers on the seat, steering wheel and gear shift. Vehicles are cleaned and sanitized when service is complete and any cars loaned out during service are sanitized and cleaned after each use.
Powell and Wells share similar outlooks for the future of auto sales.
Vehicles at Circle BMW in Eatontown are sanitized before and after test drives and after servicing for safety.
“Did our business slow down when this first happened? The answer is ‘Yes,’ ” said Wells. “But right now, business is extremely busy and the people want the cars.”
Wells said he thinks a couple of circumstances are pushing this demand. “People weren’t spending the money that they’d normally be spending during a normal situation, so all of a sudden, now they want to get their new car,” said Wells. “They have that extra money and the pent-up demand is there.”
His concern is that, if business continues as it’s been going, the dealership will run out of inventory by July, he said.
Powell concurs. “In the short term the automotive industry will probably experience a new vehicle supply challenge due to factory closings. Our hopes are that once processes are in place that keep everyone safe, the factories will get back to full production,” he said.
But it’s not just the factories that have to get up to speed. The entire supply chain has been disrupted because of the pandemic. “Our Alabama plant was shut down (recently) for an extra week because parts suppliers weren’t open so they didn’t have parts,” said Wells.
He also said the stock of pre-owned cars is down but will increase over the next few months as people who held onto older or leased cars during the quarantine finally decide to trade them in for new models, which means lots of options for buyers looking for a pre-owned vehicle.
Wells said the dealership was heading for a record March when everything shut down, but he believes that, as other businesses open, “we can get past this little bump in the road.” He explained how the automotive industry, which accounts for $4 million a day of tax revenue in New Jersey, is a good indicator for other retail. “If we start clicking, I think everything else will click,” Wells said.
The article originally appeared in the June 11 – 17, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
