Car shopping has gone online during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Cadillac has one of the most powerful online shopping tools we’ve seen.
Cadillac Live lets shoppers take a one-on-one guided tour of any Cadillac vehicle. Not a pre-recorded event, the Cadillac Live session includes an agent to walk a viewer through the features of a car and answer any questions.
Guided Virtual Tours
GM maintains a virtual showroom/film studio (the location is kept secret) where each Cadillac model sits in a camera-ready environment. Shoppers can schedule an appointment with an agent, who will give them a personalized tour of the vehicle. Group tours are also available.
Every Cadillac in the lineup is available to tour, even the upcoming Lyriq EV.
As the shopper in this scenario, you can hear and see the agent. With a suitably equipped computer or smartphone, you can ask questions directly. The agent can hear, but not see, you. If you’re more comfortable typing your questions, that’s an option, too.
Not A Sales Pitch
The agents don’t attempt to sell you the vehicle. They’re not there to discuss prices or contract details. They will, however, walk you through its features and take time to answer your questions one-on-one, filming any angle of the car that you’d like to see. They also keep typical baggage on hand to demonstrate storage space (including hockey gear – the idea originated with GM’s Canadian arm), and common cell phones to demonstrate pairing and working through the infotainment system and apps.
Want to take the next step after your virtual visit? Cadillac Live will help you book a test drive (touch-free, if you prefer) at a nearby dealership.
Buyers Are Happier Shopping Online
Last year, a special pandemic edition of Cox Automotive’s Car Buyer Journey Study found that online shopping had cut the amount of time it took to buy a car and resulted in happier buyers (Cox Automotive is the parent company of Kelley Blue Book). With more car companies jumping on the online-only sales bandwagon, we expect to see other innovative new sales tools.
But Cadillac Live is one of the best we’ve seen. Its unique, we-don’t-sell-you-the-car approach encourages comfortable conversation, but it does turn buyers loose into the dealership environment to complete their deal.
Kelley Blue Book’s own At Home Services allows shoppers to comparison shop, schedule test drives, and even arrange touchless delivery of your new car.
