Scion, Toyota's new youth-orientated car brand launched in California, has deployed an online chat room feature called LivePerson Service Edition, on www.scion.com.

Through Service Edition, Scion's customers can receive real-time sales and customer service assistance online through live chat while they browse Scion's website.

Scion, the Toyota car brand which was created to suit the demands of an emerging culture of new car buyers known as 'Gen Y', added live chat to their website to be able to connect with their customers in real-time and in an informal environment, providing a more interactive communication tool than email.

LivePerson provides Scion with data on 35% of their inbound inquiries through pre- and post-chat surveys. For example, although Scion vehicles are currently only available in California, Scion has learned that over 50% of all inbound chat inquiries originate outside the state, and, in addition, 80% of those customers who chat with a Scion agent are prospective rather than current owners.