TEXT2DRIVE: Driving Auto Experience through Messaging

Gregg Owen, CEO & General Counsel
Great ideas do not need validation, all they need is execution. This is the mantra that led Gregg Owen to lay the cornerstone of TEXT2DRIVE (T2D). Against the backdrop of his experience in the automotive industry, Owen foresaw the immense potential of text messaging platform that could enable the auto dealerships to address the growing demand for enhanced customer experience. Studying the market closely, he developed T2D, a non-intrusive text messaging platform, to bridge the communication gap and create more personalized and responsive interactions between the auto dealerships and the customers. The platform not only streamlines communication but also streamlines the workflow of the auto dealerships, enabling the service department to better serve the customers. “Unlike other text-based tools that provide notifications, we believe in delivering high touch experiences by employing people to respond to customer’s messages,” says Gregg Owen, CEO and General Counsel, TEXT2DRIVE.

T2D positions an automotive dealer generations ahead of its competitors in the area of customer engagement. The text messages are shared among the stakeholders at the dealership and the car owners on time, ensuring a smooth workflow while leaving no room for surprises. With the option to pay online and the invoice being sent to the customer as a text message, a customer can collect their vehicle with no hassle. T2D’s online and mobile bill payment capabilities reduce waiting time considerably. T2D helps dealers in educating their customers who are struggling to explore the various capabilities of their vehicle by offering them demonstrations and manual briefing about the best usage of their vehicles. The platform also provides language options that allow dealers to engage with a wide range of customers. Currently, T2D supports three languages, including English, Spanish, and French, and they plan to support more languages soon on their platform.

T2D offers a unique set of mobility features including the T2D app that enables auto dealerships to connect with their customers in real time, exchanging information about the issues with the vehicle in a multimedia format.


Unlike other text-based tools that provide notifications, we believe in delivering high touch experiences by employing people to respond to customer’s messages


The seamless exchange of videos and photographs between the two parties to discuss the vehicle health provides consumers an optimized customer experience. Customers can also share the media-rich vehicle data with their family members to gain more insights into the issues they are facing with their vehicle. Providing interactive website widgets like LIVEchat, TEXTconnect, TEXTcoupons, TEXTvehicle, and TEXT4appointment, T2D caters to the end customers who are more accustomed to using websites to interact with the auto dealership.

Owen brings to bear his experience as a lawyer to meet the stringent regulatory requirements around text messaging. T2D maintains TCPA and FCC legal compliance with double opt-ins and the understanding of laws for text-based messaging for business purposes. Owen explains that a messaging service at the enterprise level requires a standardized authorization and T2D ensures that they comply with all the necessary compliance mandates, comprehensively.

Currently, T2D has established its stronghold in the U.S. market and has extended its reach to venture globally. The company plans to target the Latin American markets in the years to come while registering remarkably growing traction in markets such as Mexico to Argentina. According to Owen, T2D will continue to focus on strengthening the communication between the dealership and auto customers with a keen eye for enhancing the customer experience. “One can have the greatest product in the world, but the differentiating factor for any business lies in its investment in delivering great customer experience,” concludes Owen.

Company
TEXT2DRIVE

Headquarters
Chicago, IL

Management
Gregg Owen, CEO & General Counsel

Description
Provides a two-way text communication between auto dealerships and customers to improve the workflow and customer satisfaction

TEXT2DRIVE