Tesla salesworkers have been waiting for guidance from corporate leaders about the vandalism and demonstrations outside showrooms. On the eve of more than 200 planned protests, they received a video featuring a senior executive encouraging them to “stay vigilant” amid a “dynamic and fast-paced environment.”
The video, a copy of which was seen by Business Insider, was described as an end-of-quarter reflection. It featured smiling workers, promotional footage of Optimus and the Robotaxi, and a dog in the front seat of a vehicle.
In it, Troy Jones, a vice president of North American sales and service, described salesworkers as the “heart of the company.” He encouraged workers to look out for each other and “stay vigilant.”
“If you notice something that doesn’t seem right, don’t hesitate to speak up,” Jones said. “Your safety is the top priority. We are used to being in the spotlight, and in this dynamic and fast-paced environment, thank you for remaining passionate about our customers and working together as a team.”
“Your energy, efforts, and determination sets the pace for the rest of the company,” Jones said. “We have an incredible opportunity ahead of us. Every conversation, every relationship is our opportunity to share our industry leading product with the world.”
“This is just the beginning, and I’m so excited about the future,” he said.
Earlier this month, the company sent out a separate end-of-quarter video featuring Jones. It did not mention the protests.
Seven salesworkers, who occupy some of Tesla’s most public-facing roles, told BI the company recently provided employees with general safety guidelines that did not directly address the protests.
One worker called Jones’ most recent video “disappointing.”
“It felt a little trivial,” the worker said. “Like that’s it. Really?”
A spokesperson for Tesla did not respond to a request for comment. Jones did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A wave of protests and vandalism
The video was shared with American sales staff on Friday evening, less than 24 hours before a global day of action organized by the activist group Tesla Takedown. Over 200 protests were planned across the US.
Since early February, there have been a rash of non-violent demonstrations and attacks against Tesla property involving Molotov cocktails, arson, and gunshots. The FBI recently launched a joint task force in response to the vandalism, and Attorney General Pam Bondi has labeled the incidents “domestic terrorism.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has addressed the public vitriol during press appearances and a surprise all-hands meeting on March 20, comparing the backlash to “Armageddon” and encouraging employees to “hang on to your stock.” Aside from that, the carmaker has not sent out internal, company-wide guidance that directly addressed the incidents, employees told Business Insider.
In March, the company sent memos about how to deal with law enforcement and encouraged staff to review safety guidelines and contact Tesla security for issues involving vandalism or trespassing.
On March 20, Tesla told salesworkers it would begin activating Sentry Mode — which allows a vehicle’s sensors and cameras to record activity, even when it’s not in use — on vehicles at the sales centers. Workers were notified of the change several hours after Musk posted about the update on X.
Salespeople look to local guidance
Some salesworkers had been relying on guidance at the store level. They told BI they were told by store managers to avoid engaging with protesters and to only take action if the protesters did something illegal.
“The general guidance seems to be to exit those conversations as quickly as possible because it won’t move business forward,” one salesworker said.
Five workers said they’d dealt with protesters at their facility, and six said they’d had to deal with an uptick in prank calls and disgruntled customers.
Four said they felt they’ve been left mostly in the dark. One said that they were left feeling uncertain about how to interact with both customers and protesters at their sales center, which has seen multiple protests in recent weeks.
The carmaker also had not referenced the backlash in regular internal communication with its sales teams.
Newsletters, which are sent to salesworkers twice a week, are often used to set up uniform practices across the sales centers and provide policy updates. Since the protests began, none have directly acknowledged the incidents. The newsletters have focused on reminders around federal tax credits, and talking points for Tesla’s Cybertruck recall and new Model Y.
The carmaker also holds bi-monthly sales calls with several hundred workers, including store managers and director-level employees. Over the past two months, there was no mention of the protests in the sales calls, one worker told BI. The calls were focused on building relationships with customers and preparing for the end of quarter.
Tesla also sends salesworkers talking points on anything from how to address questions about the recent Cybertruck recall to the Robotaxi. The company had not sent talking points for how to address customers who have questions about Musk or the protests, seven workers said.
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