They also chose it for its new Windows 95 user interface that makes administration easier and can help reduce training time. We want our retail stores to be easily accessible to customers electronically. General Motors already has a number of brand Web sites. In addition, they are offering each dealer a free Web page that will link back to the brand Web pages. This setup will enable customers not only to locate a dealer from the brand Web sites but also to jump from the dealer's Web page back to the brand site for more information on specific products.
Customers can also establish a relationship with a dealer via Internet e-mail.
According to Roesler, the company is currently looking at creating intranet applications to be used within the dealerships. And they're surveying dealers to find out if they're interested in offering additional features, such as service scheduling and inventory availability, through their home pages. We know that today about 50 percent of the time spent with a customer is spent trying to figure out the price of a product. This system can also improve service productivity. Quickly disseminating service bulletins and diagnostic software from GM headquarters as soon as a service problem is discovered and resolved can shorten the resolution of those problems for subsequent customers.