Car Sales: USAA Pilots AR-Based Service

The American Bank USAA just launched an AR-based app intended to streamline car sales, anticipating a technological revolution they believe will occur within 18 months. They are also experimenting a new service in their Innovation Lab.

USAA launches a new pilot phase with 1,000 of their customers and employees. This experiment will allow them to try an AR-based app designed by the start-up called Blippar. Interested members must register via the bank’s website for their Innovation Lab to take part in this test phase.

Through the app, customers screening specific cars with their mobile phone are provided access to detailed information regarding the model, year of manufacture, insurance and financing cost. They are also informed if a similar vehicle is proposed for sale nearby. The app identifies 100% of the new or used vehicles (built after the year 2000). It allows them to subscribe a financing option from USAA and connect with a car dealership.

This experiment will run until November the 1st. Each tester is invited to leave feedback about the app and its use. Once the test phase over, these verified views will be aggregated and reflected in the final version of the app. And, if conclusive, USAA will be adding this new feature to their current mobile app.

Comments – Faster customer process when applying for a car loan

According to a study by the Harvard Business Review considered by USAA when they designed this test phase, 87% of the CEOs believe VR-related developments will apply to their companies within 18 months. This pilot is in line with a series of innovative tests managed, for instance, via their Lab. This branch-free bank mostly addresses soldiers' needs, i.e.: essentially mobile customers. USAA is then very interested in all technologies likely to help them track these customers always on the move.

USAA is providing itself with the means to test how far AR may impact customer processes. Similar interest has been expressed by Snapchat and Amazon when they started relying on image recognition for the sake of “social commerce”. In the car industry, other institutions already tested likewise processes. Capital One, for instance, launched Auto Navigator, which, however, no longer seems active, and highlights difficulties in making these innovative services actually last (in terms of use cases and streamlining processes).