Carcode SMS helps create conversation at car dealerships

A new tech startup is helping automotive dealerships spark more conversations with potential customers. Carcode SMS has come up with a website plugin that allows consumers to text automotive dealership staff and inquire about a specific car. The software assigns local cell phone numbers to dealerships so mobile shoppers can text them and provides the dealership with an app that allows staff to respond and manage conversations in a compliant environment. "We can keep track of all of the text conversations with that app," says Steve Schwartz, co-founder of Carcode SMS. Carcode SMS also has a feature enabling the consumer to end the conversation whenever he or she wants to and not have to worry about follow-ups from salesmen. The Ann Arbor-based startup that calls Tech Brewery home recently won the 2014 Edmund Hackomotive contest last month. The three-person Carcode SMS team has completed the initial development of the software and is testing it out at an automotive dealership. "We are currently talking to other dealerships," Schwartz says. Source: Steve Schwartz, co-founder of Carcode SMS Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.