I’d respond while at work and just not say anything
I am sorry. It sounds like a bad dilemma.
It sounds like sales might not be the right type of job for you. A good salesman should always be prospecting for new business. Most people who buy cars don't do so during regular business hours as they have jobs of their own to attend to.
Does your dealership pay for your home Internet access?
I bought my current car from a Chrysler dealership in Texas, and I live in Florida. But that’s just an anecdote.
As I technical supervisor with workers on various shifts, I had to carry a pager, which I hated. But I was on salary, so sort of on the clock all the time. Hourly employees should not be on call for free. Being on commission, are you on the clock? That may make a difference.
It would depend on whether you are salary or commission based. If you could drive up your commission 25% by taking leads then it would be worth your time. If you are salary and it doesn’t matter-it doesn’t pay, it only benefits the company and no proceeds to you.
Constantly responding can lead to burnout. I am convinced this is not healthy if not managed properly. Just my .02
Do what you want but I found out the more I worked on “my time”, the more I got paid when working on “their time”.
In your situation I would split the difference, if possible, and make a set time outside of work when you attend to work matters, and neither think about nor respond to work matters outside of that block(s) of time.
Again, you'll probably get some replies telling you that you should be slavishly thankful to your employer for condescending to permit you to work for their glorious advantage, but I'm convinced some people around here would say the same thing to the starving peasants licking crumbs off the boots of textile mill oligarchs.
What percentage of Internet inquiries actually result in a sale? Your boss should have that figure at his/her fingertips. If it’s single digits, then I’m thinking your energies are better spent on the lot with real customers. Every Sunday you see people kicking tires on lots with no immediate intent to purchase. The Internet is like Sunday tire kickers.
Are you paid
Hourly? charge it on the clock. Document time spent.
Salary? you’re expected to do what it takes, that included. Do it, and pursue policy change.
Commission? chase that dollar. It’s a lead.
I’m salaried. Deadlines & emergencies happen. Plan around 40 hour weeks, but 80 hour week if necessary (without being told even) - get it done. Co-worker is on call: server has a problem, he fixes it regardless of hour.
BTW: I dislike the “instant callback” handling of internet inquiries. If I want to talk to someone I’ll call. If I inquire by internet, I expect a response emailed during next regular business hours; I specifically am making the internet inquiry to AVOID talking to someone.
Tell them they’re misunderstanding customer dynamics.
Salaried workers work on their own time. I know. I was a salaried worker and it becomes a necessity.
I get a quote over the internet before I show up.
Works for me.
Even call them for details.
If the dealership doesn’t have an “official” Internet department, it should be up to you whether you want to participate or not. Does the dealership pay for your cellphone and home internet? How are you supposed to know what vehicles are in stock if you’re not at work anyway. But if you choose not to participate in the Internet thing, and you end up selling a car to someone who initially made contact with another salesman thru the Internet, you should have to share part of your commission with them.
No, you should not.
However, you're employer can require it of you 7x24x365. And fire you for not doing it.
You're a 100% commission, exempt employee.
Assuming that you get a commission for each sale, answering e-mail inquiries after hours would seem to be profitable. Other Internet advertising with inquiries directed to you personally would seem to be even better.
I’ve bought my last few cars via the Internet, both for me and family members across the country. Arranged things just fine remotely. This has been for both new and used cars.
Used cars I don’t bother contacting until I’ve found exactly what I want and I call to make an offer. I know what a fair price is, can figure out how long the car has been on the lot from the carfax and know how desperate the dealer might be. Usually, my first offer is accepted because both myself and the sales manager know we’re making a fair deal.
For new cars, I send price queries via whatever the mechanism is for such on the dealer website. I never hear back at all from some such requests, so don’t know why they bother. Some send pro-forma email responses with pro-forma prices; these I ignore. A few send email responses worth consideration. But the best responses result in a phone call where I can speak with an actual person, either right from the start or at my request after an interesting email response. Responses that come in days later have lost out on the sale.
Ultimately, I buy based on price, reputation of the dealer, and whether I’m treated fairly, professionally, and by knowledgeable and helpful people. Generally, this starts with a few back and forth phone calls, but eventually after a certain point, the final details are hammered out with a few back and forth emails.
Salaried or hourly?
Salaried are generally expected to ‘be on the job’ as needed.
Hourly are generally expected to be on the clock during certain hours.
There are certain benefits and detriments to each.
I worked Internet car sales, and have also bought cars from dealers 1000 miles away. The Internet is where the action is going. If you need to stay gainfully employed for another 10 years, “seize the day!” Become your dealership’s Internet go-to guy. Set a few ground rules about working after hours, and go for it.