Dilawri adapts to remote sales and service

With 75 franchises covering five geographic regions and representing 32 car manufacturers, Dilawri Group of Companies is Canada’s largest automotive dealer group. Recently, this forward-thinking organization created a roadmap for Dilawri Anywhere, a program with the goal of digitally enabling remote customer-convenient transactions. When COVID-19 halted in-person purchase and service appointments, Dilawri needed a way to execute paper agreements remotely and facilitate payments to keep dealers’ doors open. DocuSign eSignature bridged the distance between customers and their car needs, ensuring business continuity across the country.

The road to electronic signature

Bills of sale, work orders, credit applications, and lease agreements, represent the backbone of transactions in Dilawri’s auto dealerships – and all require signatures. Facilitating remote signatures became an operational necessity to comply with social distancing measures and create a simple, contact-free customer experience. Dilawri recognized that remote operations would require a high level of client trust to smooth the adoption of new online procedures. Moving from manual, paper-based systems to digital documents and e-signatures would be an adjustment for their customers, as would touchless interactions at the store level.

Dilawri chose DocuSign eSignature for several important reasons:

• Functionality, simplicity, and security
• Brand familiarity, built-in trust
• Options for future integrations
• Ability to get started quickly

With the agreement signed, integration work began quickly and within 30 days, every dealership had active DocuSign accounts and training across the country was complete. While similar businesses were forced to close, Dilawri’s commitment to digitizing transactions with e-signatures on all standard paperwork meant their entire family of franchisees was able to continue to serve customers.

Integration: the on-ramp to payments

Now with the challenge of executing remote paperwork solved, Dilawri turned their attention to facilitating online payments. Enter DocuSign Payments. A simple integration with the Stripe payment platform allowed dealers to collect payments at the time of signature. (DocuSign generates the document, puts it into an envelope for eSignature, then attaches the payment request.) The combined experience removed all friction and created a single, seamless experience for every customer.

Dilawri also leveraged online ID verification using the DocuSign “add an attachment” feature, requesting a copy of the buyer’s driver’s license to assure remote payment and delivery to the correct person.  

Keeping drivers on the road from a safe distance

A commitment to public safety combined with Dilawri’s existing pledge to modernize the automotive consumer experience created the perfect opportunity to accelerate digitization plans. It was a move that kept the majority of their dealerships in business during lockdown. Dilawri has proven that if you provide a transparent, seamless, straightforward experience online, there is a willingness and desire for customers to complete that transaction remotely. Plans are in the works to build deeper integrations with DocuSign, including the addition of e-commerce to support transactions from parts to vehicles. DocuSign’s API will allow Dilawri to extend online options to a host of other agreements on their road to full digital transformation.