A Marketing Revolution for Cars
~Gulliver Car Connection Center~
It’s been about one week since the grand opening of the Torrance branch of Gulliver. For this issue we spoke with Chris Hung and Tim Koide who are currently working there. Incidentally, Chris’s wife is Japanese, as are Tim’s parents.
Q: Congratulations on the opening of your new branch in Torrance. It’s only been a little while since opening, but what has been the reaction of customers?
A: Things have gone very smoothly – thank you very much. In L.A. the conditions are good for introducing things that are new as well as good, and when customers know about Gulliver’s “C2C” system, users will soon increase greatly.
Q: Regarding actual customers, are there more customers who are buyers or who are sellers?
A: Um… it’s about half and half. There are customers who want to buy a car and who want to sell a car at the same time, and there are big advantages for both sides - buyers and sellers - to use our services.
Q: I know that the customers who have visited until now have been very diverse, but why do you think they pick your company and not others?
A: Customers have seen the actual car lot and have seen advertisements in newspapers and such, and there are those who are interested in our company’s “C2C” service and free appraisals, for example, who come with a feeling of wanting to casually stop by and find out more. Also, this is a big car lot along Hawthorne Boulevard, and we have put up a big sign that says, “Gulliver.” There are Japanese customers, of course, and there are many cases of people already knowing about a new company called ‘Gulliver.’ We have just opened, so when customers come in, there are still many who do not understand this “2C2” system one hundred percent. They hear our explanation, and the people with whom we are actually dealing with look at the cars up close. There are many cases whereby customers are satisfied and entrust us the rest of the way.
Q: What kind of cars do you actually have the most of?
A: It’s not possible to say, ‘We have the most of this car,’ in one word. We deal with a really large variety of cars. And among those, we have confidence that we can definitely find a car that fits the needs of our customers.
Q: When a customer who wants to sell a car comes in; including the pricing, what kind of advice do you give that customer?
A: The one who decides the selling price is the customer. However, if the car cannot be sold, it doesn’t mean anything, so Gulliver estimates the car’s condition and the market price, and then gives advice on the appropriate pricing from a professional point of view. In case a person shows up who wishes to buy (the customer’s car), Gulliver gives the explanation, the test drive, and so forth, and when the contract is finalized, the processing of the paperwork and the collecting of the payment are done in a trustworthy, reliable manner.
Q: What about for a customer who wants to buy a car?
A: When it is time for customers to purchase a car, the main standards for judging are how the car is to be used and how much it costs. But there are cases where customers themselves don’t clearly know their own needs, so from the standpoint of the car advisor,
what is most important is to help in the task of clearly answering the question, “What is it that you really need?’ Buying from Gulliver is different from a normal transaction between individuals: the condition of the car and the background check are both safe, and our customers feel reassured when they choose a car.
Q: By going through Gulliver, the buying side and the selling side don’t have to face each other, and at the time of purchase troublesome paperwork that is needed can be entrusted to others, which makes for a system a customer can feel comfortable with; but, in fact, how is the level of satisfaction of your customers?
A: At first glance it seems to be contradictory, but selling high or buying low can be done in a transaction between individuals. But in many cases, individuals have had transactions end up in failure, or have bad memories of negotiations, so our mediation service is extremely popular with our customers. Payments are involved only when a contract is finalized, so the system is easy to try and it pleases customers.
Q: Even troublesome paperwork can all be entrusted to Gulliver, which I think is probably a strength of your company, but do you have confidence in other areas besides this? Is there anything else you can brag about to customers?
A: We believe there is. The merits of using our company can be roughly divided into three areas: “It’s possible to buy low and sell high,” “there are no hassles,” and “there is no risk.” On our website (gulliverusa.net) things are explained in detail, so by all means take a look. On the website you can see almost all of the cars in stock, so it is possible to see the cars in advance from your home. You can even make reservations for a test drive.
I actually tried to use that website, and it is very easy to understand. Especially for someone who is busy and can’t go to see the cars at Gulliver, or for someone who lives far away and can’t always go in person, I think it is an easy-to-use system.
Of course, for someone who is thinking about buying or selling a car right now, or if someone is thinking of doing it in the long-term - in either case - try visiting the website soon. You should be able to find a car for sure that is to your liking.
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