CarMax, Coronavirus, and Customers. Maintain a Safe Distance?

Recommendation: Solo test drives, wear gloves if you “try on” cars on the lot, and buy on-line.

Was wondering how Covid-19 would impact CarMax operations.  Their stock plummeted along with most, and yet there are attributes of their business model that concern me.  Here’s a link to the CarMax press release detailing adjustments, which you won’t find on the shopping page – had to go looking.  For the most part they are doing what all major employers are doing for their employees.  Doing the best they can.

Copied the part that addresses customers below.   Wondered about doing test drives with sales reps who may or may not be carriers, and pleased that CarMax will allow customers to do solo test drives if we want.  What’s not addressed is the risk of leveraging one of my favorite CarMax benefits – wandering the lot and sitting in all the unlocked cars on the lot.  Used to do it for fun every now and then.  My local CarMax has 635 cars on the lot.  Imagine hundreds (?) of customers sitting in maybe a dozen (?) cars daily and the opportunity for cross-contamination is huge.  Would be an enormous task to clean all the cars at the end of every shift, let alone several times a day.  Probably not going to happen much.  I’m thinking I’ll avoid the lots for a bit.  Stay safe.  

Taking care of our customers

• CarMax is working hard to ensure we can support our customers’ transportation needs during these circumstances.
• CarMax Auto Finance customers who have been negatively impacted by illness due to COVID-19 and need additional assistance with their account should contact our customer service team at 800-925-3612.
• Customers can test drive a vehicle alone at all open locations if they don’t feel comfortable taking a test drive with an associate.
• Many CarMax stores offer expedited pickup, which allows customers to do more of the car buying process online in advance and spend less time in store.
• We also offer home delivery at many of our locations, where customers can choose to complete the car-buying experience from home and have the vehicle delivered by a CarMax associate.