{"id":2758,"date":"2017-06-19T09:00:38","date_gmt":"2017-06-19T13:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.autoraptor.com\/?p=2758"},"modified":"2024-10-11T16:34:41","modified_gmt":"2024-10-11T20:34:41","slug":"telemarketing-compliance-tips-auto-dealerships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.autoraptor.com\/blog\/telemarketing-compliance-tips-auto-dealerships\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Telemarketing Compliance Tips for Auto Dealerships"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"telemarketing<\/h2>\n

Before you pick up the phone to make that next sales call, double check your dealership\u2019s rules for telemarketing compliance.<\/h2>\n

Just off the top of your head, what is your perception of the average telemarketer? Do you picture a sprawling call center filled with hundreds of agents chatting away on headsets? Are they robotically reading from scripts\u2014but mostly getting hung up on by frustrated callers who don\u2019t want to hear from them?<\/p>\n

Telemarketers are so annoying, right?<\/p>\n

Ready for some news that may surprise you? Your dealership likely engages in telemarketing practices. And if you are, it\u2019s critical to the future of your business<\/a>\u00a0that your team is fully on board with telemarketing compliance when reaching out to prospects or clients.<\/p>\n

Under the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act (TCFPA), \u201ctelemarketing\u201d is defined as \u201ca plan, program, or campaign which is conducted to induce purchases of goods or services, or a charitable contribution, donation, or gift of money or any other thing of value, by use of one or more telephones and which involves more than one interstate telephone call.\u201d<\/p>\n

That means when you\u2019re cold-calling\u00a0or making other sales calls, you\u2019re likely engaging in telemarketing. You don\u2019t need to stop making those calls, though. You just need to be smart about telemarketing compliance and ensuring your team is following the rules.<\/p>\n

Telemarketing compliance 101: Get familiar with the Telemarketing Sales Rule\"telemarketing<\/h3>\n

The Telemarketing Sales Rule gives effect to the TCFPA. This legislation gives the FTC and state attorneys general law enforcement tools to combat telemarketing fraud, gives consumers added privacy protections and defenses against telemarketers, and helps consumers understand the differences between fraudulent and legitimate telemarketers.<\/p>\n

How can you ensure your team\u2019s telemarketing practices are on the up and up? Here are a few tips to help you out:<\/p>\n

1. Know the essential information you must disclose during the call. <\/strong><\/p>\n

For example, one portion of the Telemarketing Sales Rule is prompt oral disclosures in outbound sales calls. Before you give a sales pitch, you must \u201ctruthfully, clearly, and conspicuously\u201d state: your identity, that the purpose of your call is to sell goods or services, and the nature of the goods or services being offered.<\/p>\n

2. Don\u2019t get into work early or stay late to make sales calls. <\/strong><\/p>\n

You can only call consumers between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. Anything before or after those hours will violate the Telemarketing Sales Rule.<\/p>\n

3. You must transmit your telephone number and, if possible, your dealership\u2019s name to your caller ID service. <\/strong><\/p>\n

This holds telemarketers accountable and makes consumers feel more comfortable.<\/p>\n

4. Pre-recorded calls aren\u2019t exempt from these rules. <\/strong><\/p>\n

If you make \u201crobocalls,\u201d or calls that you record ahead of time, a customer must give written permission to receive these calls. You cannot just record a call and then blast your entire database, regardless of whether they\u2019ve opted-in or not.<\/p>\n

These tips should not replace actual legal advice from a licensed, practicing attorney\u2014they\u2019re just meant to give you a feel for your auto dealership\u2019s telemarketing compliance obligations.<\/p>\n

The Do Not Call Rule and telemarketing compliance\"telemarketing<\/h3>\n

You\u2019ve heard of the National Do Not Call Registry, right? That applies to your dealership\u2019s telemarketing compliance as well.<\/p>\n

1. If you call a consumer and they ask you not to call them ever again, you must comply\u2014and that doesn\u2019t just mean crossing his or her name off your list.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You must make a note in your auto dealership CRM that this customer does not wish to be called anymore and everyone in the dealership should have access to this information. If a caller asks you not to call them anymore and either you or someone else in your dealership does call them, you could face a civil penalty of $40,654 per violation.<\/p>\n

2. Compare your database against the National Do Not Call Registry at least every 31 days<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

If any consumers in your database are on the registry, make a note of that in your CRM. This doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t call customers you have an existing business relationship with, but you can\u2019t randomly call and try to sell them something.<\/p>\n

3. If you\u2019ve never actually looked at the National Do Not Call Registry, it\u2019s time to get familiar with it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Visit telemarketing.donotcall.gov<\/a>, and you will be able to gain access to the database.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s unacceptable to claim ignorance when it comes to this registry; if a customer complains about your sales call, you can\u2019t say you didn\u2019t know they were on the Do Not Call list. It\u2019s your job to stay on top of the registry to stay complaint.<\/p>\n

Getting your sales team on board with telemarketing compliance\"telemarketing<\/h3>\n

Ensuring total telemarketing compliance within your auto dealership requires more than just an e-mail memo sent around to your team. Schedule a full training for your team\u2014you may want to have your compliance officer<\/a>\u00a0lead the charge\u2014and provide regular reminders and refresher courses.<\/p>\n

And yes, even your most veteran salespeople should be included. The Telemarketing Sales Rule didn\u2019t come into play until 1994, and the National Do Not Call Registry wasn\u2019t created until 2004. That means your more seasoned salespeople may have been trained during a period in which it was okay to call customers at any time of day, not disclose critical information, or keep calling someone even when they were asked to stop.<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t babysit your salespeople to verify that they\u2019re following the rules, but you can give them tools\u2014like checklists, desk reminders, and CRM training\u2014to arm them with everything they need to be successful and accountable. It also doesn\u2019t hurt to make your team aware of the federal penalties that they and the dealership could face if anyone decides to ignore telemarketing compliance. It\u2019s tough love, but if they understand how much is at stake, they are much more likely to stay in line.<\/p>\n

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