Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has launched an iPad-based sales aid.

It is designed to improve the customer experience and streamline the van selection and purchase process.

The iPad product can be used in a showroom, or taken, as ‘showroom in the hand’ to a customer’s premises for a meeting.  

Highlights of the tool include a ‘smart questions’ function which analyses the customer’s business needs, and, taking into account requirements for payload, dimensions, crew carrying capacity, economy and equipment, makes recommendations of suitable vehicles.

‘Know it now’ helps customers and sales staff access key information, saving the need for multiple brochures and data sources; while a one-click email function enables all the information discussed during a meeting to be sent straight to the customer’s inbox for further review or reference.

A three month pilot has been run across 20 van centres.

Following a review of the pilot, it is planned that the iPad sales aid will be rolled out to the entire network of 72 centres by the end of the year, and will become an integral part of the sales process.

Kirsten Stagg, head of marketing at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said: “Our new iPad sales aid is the next step in the journey towards the digital showroom of the future and is another example of how we are continuing to put our ‘Working With You’ strategy into action.

“As a brand we continue to look at introducing new and innovative products and services to help deliver the very best levels of service throughout the sales and aftersales processes.”