Asked whether the online sales service has helped push sales during lockdown Elvefors said: “It has, and I’m sure that approach is here to stay now. Even with dealerships opening, the social-distancing rules are likely to limit demand, and there are people, such as those on high-risk grounds, who will be unwilling or unable to visit. So we need to make sure we continue to help them.”
“For us and the whole car industry, online sales are here to stay. The big challenge now is to offer all customers the same journey by whatever method they choose. Whether you’re at home or in a retailer, the approach should be omni-channel, with customers able to switch from online to offline and receive the same experience. That’s a big challenge to introduce, but it should become the norm.”
As well as new systems to aid new and returning customers, Elvefors said Volvo also “helped our dealers do whatever it takes to be online”. He added: “We developed material such as videos, e-learning training and PPE guidance for our dealerships to do what we can to keep them running and be prepared as possible for showrooms to open.”
Elvefors said Volvo UK will also embrace greater levels of flexibility and remote working now, based on “how much we learned working digitally” during lockdown.
He added that he has been impressed with the innovation shown by dealers in preparing to reopen, which began with service workshops opening. “We took a staggered approach, getting sales people working even before showrooms opened so they could call customers to set up deliveries or book in test drives,” said Elvefors. “I was really impressed by what our retailers did to be ready.”
Elvefors said he agrees with industry forecasts that the UK market won’t fully recover the sales lost from the lockdown period this year and is uncertain about June sales, given the likely reluctance of customers to visit dealerships when first open. But he is hopeful the second half of the year could be stronger.
“There should be a significant increase in Q3 and the rest of the year,” he said. “We’re confident customers will come back and there are many who will need a new car.