Hertz and Konecta have worked closely together in the UK for many years. Hertz looks to Konecta for a wide range of services and solutions, from customer service for its van rentals operation to sales and marketing support for its PCO fleet.
When Hertz was looking to create a new one-stop showroom for the PCO fleet, it initially thought in terms of a physical showroom where licensed private hire drivers could view and learn about the fleet.
But Konecta proposed a shift in perspective: don't make the drivers come to the cars; take the cars to the drivers. In collaboration with Zuant, we built a high-fidelity 3D virtual showroom.
This approach swept aside all the disadvantages associated with a physical showroom: such as where to site it in London’s huge geographical area, the expense of doing this, and the practical difficulties of making sure that the whole fleet, including new models, was available for drivers to view at any time.
Having seen examples of how virtual showrooms operate in practice, Hertz was quickly on board with Konecta’s proposal.
Konecta worked with a third-party supplier, Zuant, which provides automated data capture solutions for lead generation, to create and deliver the virtual showroom for Hertz UK.
The 3D virtual showroom showcases the entire PCO fleet, which drivers can explore on a desktop or other device. Touchpoints around the showroom allow them to access info on anything from mileage rates and luggage capacity to audio and temperature controls. They can transition from "browsing" to "booking" a rent-to-buy appointment with one click.
As soon as anyone enters the virtual showroom, Konecta’s agents can see their browsing activity in real time, with a complete view of what models and features they’re interested in. They can then engage proactively with them via live traditional human chat, helping to convert their interest into sales. Konecta then provides agents to follow up with all visitors with the objective to convert leads to sale.
Hertz is delighted with the showroom, and the way it supports its PCO business. Drivers can browse it from the comfort of their own homes or on the move, and Hertz also uses it as a sales tool in existing physical showrooms.
For example, if drivers go to an office to complete paperwork, the team there can show them the entire fleet. If a new model hasn’t arrived or another model is not available, no problem – it will be in the virtual showroom.
Thanks to Konecta’s proposal and implementation, with Zuant, Hertz has seen a 30% increase in conversions, and a reduction in lead to sales times.
As a result, Hertz is now looking to grow the solution outside the UK, so that other countries and teams enjoy the same excellent benefits.
