eLEND Solutions integrates LetzChat technology for multi-language translation in Express Credit App

Imagine going through the auto-finance process in a foreign language.

New technology from eLEND Solutions is looking to eliminate that potentially awkward or frustrating situation.

On Tuesday, the company increased consumer access to its credit application program with the addition of a multilingual feature that can detect and seamlessly transitions into the customer’s preferred language on any device or browser.

Supported by LetzChat Automotive’s patented online language translation technology, eLEND’s Express Credit App can now enable dealerships to further customize their remote digital credit application process to meet each customer’s language preferences and needs.

“eLEND streamlines the digital credit and finance experience by making it easier for consumers to obtain auto loan pre-approvals quickly and securely. This is good for customers and good for dealers. Language barriers, however, can make the sensitive auto finance process more time-consuming, while risking the loss of the customer,” eLEND Solutions CEO Pete MacInnis said in a news release.

“This new translation feature intuitively detects customers’ preferred language, meaning they can complete pre-qualification and pre-approvals online in their native language with confidence, and auto dealers can better serve their diverse and multilingual customer bases,” MacInnis continued.

On average, eLEND Solutions said it processes 72 Express Credit Application submissions per dealer per month for more than 700 dealerships nationwide, with over 36% converting to sales inside of four weeks.

The company offers credit solutions that are dealer configurable to fit both the dealership’s process and each customer’s preferences, and that are compatible with existing auto dealer service providers. This includes digitizing and streamlining the entire showroom credit process, transitioning online shoppers to instore buyers and enabling customers to do more of the car-buying process from their own device.

With the integration of LetzChat Automotive’s translation technology, customers can now view and complete eLEND’s online pre-qualification and pre-approval process in their native language instantly.

“eLEND continues to push innovation forward in automotive retail, and this is one more example that has special importance to our dealership. Like so many dealerships across the country, we serve a diverse community: approximately 12% of our website visitors are Spanish-speaking,” said Brad Mugg, managing partner of Honda of Downtown LA, one of the largest Honda dealerships in the country.

“In just one month leveraging eLEND’s multilingual finance experience, over 40 Spanish language applications were submitted online and we expect that number to grow,” Mugg continued in the news release from eLEND Solutions. “This clearly demonstrates the power of multilingual credit application access: it ensures that we are able to reach, and communicate with, all of our customers, while improving their auto buying experience.”

Greg Iverson, vice president of partners with Letz Chat Automotive, noted that industry data indicates approximately 10% to 20% of dealership website traffic is non-English, often representing seven to 10 different languages, depending on the market, with Spanish being the No. 1 language detected and translated.

In addition to the 104 different languages it recognizes, with the integration of LetzChat, Express Credit App can also translate into 17 different Spanish dialects.