A Northern California dealership has tapped into the work-from-home trend to solve a hairy challenge — sourcing used vehicles.
Toyota Walnut Creek recruits stay-at-home parents and other remote workers to scour Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and other social media sites for private sellers looking to offload their cars, crossovers and pickups.
The commission-based employees message the sellers online, collect vehicle information and work with the store's used-vehicle department to make offers. Sellers are then directed to the San Francisco-area store to complete the transaction.
General Manager Brad Barnett said soaring prices at auction required creativity in acquiring used vehicles. Barnett looked outside the box for a fix, turning to an unconventional work force — homemakers and moonlighters looking for online work.
The half-dozen employees in Toyota Walnut Creek's At-Home group were recruited via referrals and have never been to the store,…