Car shoppers do much of their browsing long after most showrooms are closed. Most dealer websites let them view inventory and estimate a payment, but then ask them to wait for a callback. While they wait, they’re often looking at other stores. CarJiffy changes that. The dealer-branded digital retail platform lets shoppers structure and complete a deal right on the dealer’s own website. Dealers using it are turning late-night visits into sales.
Joining us on this episode of Inside Automotive is Gary Ng Wai, Chief Revenue Officer at CarJiffy, along with two guests who have seen the platform’s impact firsthand, Tom Jamali, President of Carhub Automotive Group, and Peter Heasty, CPA, CA, President of Baker Tilly Dealer Acquisitions Inc.
CarJiffy puts done deals on the desk
CarJiffy gave Carhub a way to turn website visitors into buyers after many shoppers browsed its inventory but disappeared, according to Jamali. The platform moves a shopper past payment estimates and into an actual transaction, reaching a conditional bill of sale within minutes. Rather than walking in to find a lead, the sales team walks in to a finished deal.
"There's nothing like coming to work Saturday morning. And the sales manager said, hey, boss, we already have three deals," - Tom Jamali
Carhub sold more than 60 vehicles online through CarJiffy in its first four months, generating about $2.9 million in incremental revenue. Jamali said those results proved consumers are ready to buy a vehicle completely online and trust the dealer to handle it.
Carhub’s salespeople also use CarJiffy as a sales tool. When a shopper asks whether a car is available, staff can send a quote or bill of sale for the buyer to review on their own time. Live chat and video trade appraisals help build the same connection the team would create in the showroom. Most of the other platforms Carhub evaluated were fancy lead generators, Jamali said, while CarJiffy shortens the path from hello to appointment from hours or months to just minutes.
CarJiffy has also widened Carhub’s market. Buyers can complete the transaction through the platform from wherever they are. Carhub now closes deals with customers as far as 3,000 miles away, Jamali said.
Why CarJiffy adds to dealership value
Tools like CarJiffy that let customers transact online will shape where dealership value heads next, according to Peter Heasty, a former dealer who now works on buy-sell transactions. Non-dealer competitors already make online car buying easy, and many younger buyers would rather skip the showroom.
Heasty said there’s no downside to the product because it adds incremental business. The stalled agency model showed that consumers still want a local dealer relationship for service and ongoing needs. Stores that make it easy for those customers to buy a car at 2 a.m. add to their own value, he said.
Dealers who wait risk falling behind as digital selling spreads by word of mouth, Heasty said. The topic may not come up yet when he takes a dealership group to market, but he expects it will soon.
"The best dealers I've ever known are the ones that say, look, I'm doing great, but I don't know everything. Tell me more," - Peter Heasty
CarJiffy keeps the transaction on the dealer’s own website, which Heasty said gives the dealer control of the customer and lets salespeople step in at any point. He advises dealers to call CarJiffy, then shop their own website as if they were a customer.
Take CarJiffy on a free 60-day test drive
CarJiffy is built to answer the one question every dealer should ask, Ng Wai said. That question is: When a customer is ready to buy online, can they actually buy from your store?
The test is whether staff can build and send a structured deal and whether the buyer can review it, leave a deposit and keep moving while the showroom is closed, he said.
"If your website cannot move the deal forward, it is not yet a true sales channel," - Gary Ng Wai
CarJiffy supports what Ng Wai called a true “omnichannel hybrid model.” A buyer can prepare the deal online and finish with a test drive at the store. They could also test drive first and then complete the deal digitally from home.
Dealers who want to see whether CarJiffy can deliver similar results can access a 60-day on-us platform use incentive with no strings attached and no long-term commitment. Interested dealers can contact Ng Wai at CarJiffy by calling (647) 631-4488 or emailing gngwai@carjiffy.com.
