Everybody has thier own ideas about the proper way to handle phone pops and internet leads. That's not what this discussion is about.

I've been noticing that the majority of dealer web sites are NOT customer oriented when it comes to contacting the sales department via email. Our efforts to qualify the lead by requiring too much information result in our getting no information and no email.

The customer ends up inquiring through third party non-dealer sites and then we pay for the lead we could have had by just accepting the inquiry without requiring any information.

We spend thousands driving traffic to our site and then put restrictions on the customers ability to contact us via that channel. Until recently I worked as the GM of 2 stores turning it around. While I was there I insisted every sales person and manager had thier picture up and an active link to thier email address. That included me, the GM.

Contrast this with incoming phone pops. We always answer the phone, even if the caller ID is blocked. At least we have contact and an opportunity. How many would not call if they were first required to let us know who they were, what vehicle they were interested in and insisted that thier caller ID not be blocked? I bet they'd call a dealer that did not have those restrictions and in the case of internet contact they'll go to third party sources.

Seems like a bad idea to me. What do you think?