Privacy laws & Salesperson owned laptops

[zekensted]

We have a very motivated salesperson who brought his own wireless laptop in to help keep up with internet based sales leads. He plans on taking the laptop home each night, and on his days off, to keep a check on emails.

Since he will have OUR customers non-public information on HIS laptop, I am not sure this is such a good idea. I also do not want to discourage the salesperson either.

Any suggestions?

[Gerry Laughlin]

I would have him use gotomypc.com. That way he is just using the internet to access the PC on his desktop. I use it a quite sucessfully.
Gerry

[texaslp]

1st he doesn't need non-public information such as dob, driv lic and ss. All he needs is name address phone. I absolutely would not allow him to use anything other than that.

2nd my concern would be, do you want him to take his customer list when he leaves your employ.

Granted, there's nothing to prevent him from going home every night and typing info into his computer at home and you would never know, but the company is responsible for having a policy and taking every reasonable precaution.

[zekensted]

I want to stay legal, and to keep my customers info safe. I also do not want to squelch the amibition of an eager employee.

Arent email adresses sometimes considered personal, non private information?

[texaslp]

If you want to allow it(sounds like you do) then draft a policy re: safeguarding the information. I would include that he has to surrender his laptop to the dealership for deleting of the information should he terminate employment. If you allow him to do have this information and he does not surrender it to you for deletion if he leaves your employment, I believe the law would require you to notify those customers that their private information had been stolen.

Best thing to do, call NADA legal dept for advice.

[jazdale]

Has your store considered implementing a CRM/I-lead system?

Half of the battle of a crm system is getting your employees to use it. Sounds like you're over the hurdle with this employee. You can use his motivation for influencing other sales personnel.

Since this employee is doing his own form of follow-up, you have opened up a few issues to be concerned with.

1. Inconsistent messaging to your prospects and customers.

2. No reportable accountabilty of his efforts (or others). Sure he got 20 deals this month. Is this from 100 or 200 ups? What was their advertising source? Was there any skating of prospects?

3. He will take his database with him when he leaves the dealership. Count on it.

4. Privacy act is a real concern. What if the laptop is stolen?

I applaud the efforts of this one person. Doesn't it send a strong message to the dealer that these contact tools need to be available to all employees?

[Lhansen]

I couldn't agree more with jazdale. I am in dealerships everyday that don't have any consistent CRM, or some that do not even have a PC available for sales consultants to do any training. Shop for a good, easy to use CRM and train everyone on it's use. Then, go one step further and make sure you build in an accountability factor. Your customers deserve and expect professional follow up and owner cycle "touchpoint" communications. It all builds loyalty...referrals and repeat customers!

Linda

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Linda Graham Hansen
Auto Dealer Focus
www.autodealerfocus.com