Challenge
The sales process at DGDG relied on a traditional mix of software and manual processes. Unfortunately, this approach was not only labor and time-intensive but also unpleasant for customers and staff. Coupled with the COVID crisis, DGDG sought to empower customers with a seamless, no-contact purchase experience, allowing shoppers to complete a majority of their sales online.
DGDG required a digital solution that could:
- Streamline the customer journey by creating a connected online, showroom and financing experience
- Provide the ability for customers to complete the majority of the sales process online and schedule vehicle delivery and pick-up
- Gain more creditworthy borrowers and close deals faster with AI-powered Financing capabilities
- Equip sales staff with robust performance analytics and customer activity dashboards
- Integrate seamlessly with CRM, trade-in valuation, F&I and third-party price validation solutions
About Del Grande Dealer Group (DGDG)
Headquarters:
San Jose, CA
Locations:
20 locations spanning 15 brands
Staff:
Over 1,200 employees, including 159 product specialists
Sales:
Over $1 billion in sales and 35,000 cars sold annually
Solution
DGDG conducted an in-depth evaluation of potential solutions, even considering building a proprietary retail platform, before finalizing their decision to select Upstart Auto Retail as their sole automotive retail platform across their entire dealership group.
Once Upstart Auto Retail was selected, the customer success team worked carefully with stakeholders across DGDG to successfully create an onboarding and training strategy for a large staff spanning 20 locations.
Upstart Auto Retail was selected as the best fit for the following reasons:
- Delivery of the “No Brainer Checkout” experience, a complete online checkout process connected seamlessly with a robust mobile in-store sales platform
- Transparent real-time reporting dashboards
- The customer success team’s expertise with digital retail utilization and hands on assistance in creating an optimal customer experience
Results
Upstart funded loans had a 58% higher PVR than non-Upstart funded loans across all dealerships¹
137 Upstart-funded loans in September 2023
Increase in online closing ratio from 8% to 14%²
DGDG and Upstart Auto Retail collaborated on a concise way to deliver information to 13 dealership teams using an organized three-part training process. It’s been a great partnership — two companies with an end goal in mind to elevate the automotive experience for all.
- Findings are from September 2023 reported by Upstart. Average back-end gross for Upstart-funded loans was $2,754 while non-Upstart funded loans were $1,514.
- Findings are from September 2023 reported by Upstart.
Download the full DGDG case study
