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Toyota Canada Will Now Sell You Cars via Video Chat

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Toyota Canada's Easy Shop Video Chat
Photo: Toyota

Toyota Canada has launched a new tool dubbed Easy Shop Video Chat that will allow customers to speak face-to-face with a product advisor at the Toyota dealership of their choice.

The automaker says that more and more consumers are now choosing to browse for vehicles online. With COVID-19 limiting the amount of foot traffic at dealerships, the development of a feature like Easy Shop Video Chat may even seem like a no-brainer.


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Back in March, Toyota had launched Toyota Easy Shop, a new platform of tools created with Canadian tech company Rapid RTC. It had since been updated a few times, but the Japanese brand hopes the addition of video chat will take online shopping to a new level.

“Salespeople are trained experts,” said Glen Demetrioff, president and CEO of Rapid RTC. They’re the most qualified to answer shoppers’ product and pricing related questions and deliver a positive buying experience — both in the showroom and online.”

With Easy Shop Video Chat, customers can, at any time, turn a text chat into a one- or two-way video chat with the dealership representative, who can also share their screen. They can build and price a vehicle together, fill out forms, and submit a request for financing.


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One of the cooler features is that the representative can transfer the video chat from their desktop computer to their phone, enabling them to take customers on a virtual tour of the showroom. Customers can thus explore vehicles and ask questions about their features and specs without ever having to physically go to the dealership.

“We’re excited that we’re able to enhance our virtual showrooms with this important new feature,” said Toyota Canada’s Martin Gilbert. “Our dealers are the best in the industry, and our product advisors at those dealers are the people best able to help our customers decide which Toyota is right for them. Tools like Toyota Easy Shop Video Chat allow us to better connect our customers with those product experts, wherever they happen to be.”

Of course, there could be one hiccup for Toyota. A significant reason people shop online is so that they do not have to interact with other people. Still, with COVID-19 pushing everyone to stay at home, even a virtual tour with a car salesman via voice chat could be a fun experience.