Has anyone ever had a survey be rejected because they didn't feel you "tried hard enough"? I did my first mystery shop tonight at a car dealership. I tried my best to seem interested in purchasing a vehicle and thought I was convincing, but the sales person did not try hard to sell to me and the entire thing only took about 10 minutes. I'm worried that they will think I didn't try hard enough because it was such a short interaction.

I have yet to try the car shops, I generally don't like to deal with salesman. I have done a number of cell ohone shops though where you're supposed to make it seem like you're interested in switching to that provider. If you're not there at least 15 minutes a prompt comes up asking why you were not there at least 15 minutes. I've gotten it a few times and I just answer honestly about the interaction....usually the sales person didn;t make a good attempt. If a car salesman let you leave after only 10 minutes, unless you were standing there saying you didn;t have a lot of time, or I'm just looking to get info for now......then thats a bad salesman. If you came up there and made it known you were interested in buying and never made some kind of remark to suggest you weren't serious then thats on the salesman. Just note what happened but I don't think you have anything to worry about as long as you never said anything to make the salesman believe you needed to leave quick or were only looking to get info

No, I have had some shops that showed disappointing sales efforts on the part of the salesperson, but I have never had my report disallowed because of that. However, this will be a VERY VERY difficult report for you to write, because you need to be very objective. You need to separate your feelings and your thoughts from what happened. Tell, in great detail, exactly what happened. Don't make any value judgements, like "the sales person did not try hard to sell to me" and do not make a comment like "it only took 10 minutes." Just tell what happened step by step and let the editor and the client who reads the report make the judgement about the performance.

You likely timed the encounter and you will tell what time you arrived and what time you left. Walk through the entire encounter and detail exactly what happened and what he said and what you said. Be very descriptive about how he looked and how he greeted you. Explain how busy (or not busy) the place was. How many other customers? How many associates walking around? Be sure to make some positive comments along with the negative. Was he well groomed and neatly dressed? Was he friendly? Did he smile and make eye contact? Offer you a beverage? Make you feel welcome? Be sure that your report is factual and your timing is correct, because likely the client can run the video.

I'm betting your report will not be rejected. A bad report is much harder to write than a good report. Explain MORE than you think is necessary to avoid getting additional questions from the editor.

Take Jay C's comments and apply them. The only thing that may get it rejected is if you were supposed to take a test drive which on some you are and some you aren't. Also if its intellishop it may be rejected anyway. Of course all the ones with intellishop require a test drive that I have done so It will be rejected if that was a requirement.

And you only have to take the test drive if they "offer" it. You never have to ask them, and if not asked, not required.

@sbobgal wrote:

And you only have to take the test drive if they "offer" it. You never have to ask them, and if not asked, not required.

This must depend on the MSC and the brand. Both car shops I've done have required you to ask for a test drive if the salesperson doesn't offer one.

I agree that the OP's report will be a hard one to write, and Jay's advice is excellent. Personally, I can't imagine ever being involved in a conversation with a car salesman and having it take just 10 minutes! I went into a dealership a couple of months ago just to ask about a car for my son; the one we were interested in was sold, but the guy spent at least 10 minutes with me, asking about my son's needs and preferred models.

Sounds as if the salesperson wasn't very proactive, but if I'd been the OP, I'd have asked more questions or kept walking around looking longingly at the car, stroking it provocatively.... Anything to get more interaction out of the guy!

@BirdyC wrote:

Sounds as if the salesperson wasn't very proactive, but if I'd been the OP, I'd have asked more questions or kept walking around looking longingly at the car, stroking it provocatively.... Anything to get more interaction out of the guy!

Stroking provocatively and guy interaction...it always works for me!

Hopefully you got a name and a business card...

Definitely depends on the MSC. I did a shop for Monterey yesterday that required one.

@sbobgal wrote:

And you only have to take the test drive if they "offer" it. You never have to ask them, and if not asked, not required.