Original text: Fleet Europe
OPENLANE is not just any online car auction platform. Its unique business model and pan-European scope ensure transactions are fast, easy and hassle-free. Customers are satisfied, their numbers increasing rapidly. Here's how OPENLANE is aiming for the top.
Since its inception in 2004, OPENLANE has processed more than 100,000 used-vehicle auctions. Last year alone, 42,000 cars were sold via its B2B platform, an 18.7% increase over 2016.
From its start in Belgium, the company has expanded into Germany (2006), Italy, Spain and France (2007) and the Netherlands (2012) - the main source countries for the more than 25,500 cars on offer every single month on OPENLANE’s platform.
8,300 BIDDERS
These are end-of-contract cars from lease and rental companies, and other vehicles ready for a second life, from manufacturers, dealers, importers and fleet owners. In all, more than 1,500 partners are selling used vehicles via the platform.
The vehicles are sold to more than 50 countries, with Eastern Europe the primary destination. More than 40,000 dealers are registered as customers, and at any time around 8,300 bidders are active on the OPENLANE platform.
“More than ever we are focusing on offering the best sellable used cars to a growing customer portfolio”, explains Johan Meyssen, CEO of OPENLANE.
CREATING SECURITY
Uniquely, OPENLANE does not merely function as a meeting place for buyers and sellers. OPENLANE is a party to each trade, buying the vehicle from the sellers, selling it to the buyers. This creates security, transparency and uniformity.
For each vehicle, OPENLANE experts provide a full damage report, photo gallery and valuation assessment. OPENLANE also takes care of the admin involved in cross-border trades (both within and outside of the EU) and provides logistical solutions.
MOBILE APP
Any questions are answered immediately, online or via phone, in the language of the customer, who is invited to evaluate OPENLANE after every trade. That client-centred approach has led to an average customer satisfaction level at an industry-leading 8.3/10.
In all, 89% of customers are 'satisfied' to 'very satisfied'. Even so, OPENLANE systematically follows up low-scoring feedback to improve its services. One example of services that saw daylight after such feedback is 'Optimo'. Optimo provides customers with delayed payment, extra inspections and priority transport.
Another example is a mobile app, launched to improve the auction experience of customers on the go. “We will continue improving our processes to make buying and selling at OPENLANE easy, fast and hassle-free”, says Johan Meyssen.
NUMBER ONE
In February 2018, OPENLANE acquired GWLISTE.DE, both growing its volume and expanding is sourcing on the crucial German market. The move is part of OPENLANE’s ambitious growth plans, backed by the capital and know-how of majority shareholders Vortex Capital Partners and ABN AMRO Participaties.
This year, OPENLANE aims to increase volume by 25% to 70,000 units sold, a figure slated to increase to 100,000 by 2021. Its ambition: to be one of Europe’s top 3 remarketing auction sites and the number one partner in exporting to Europe and beyond.
