Intellishop has been broadcasting assignments stating that they provide shoppers with new and improved evaluation forms. Are they improved and shorter or just improved in some way? I would especially appreciate feedback pertaining to luxury car shops. I have e'd the scheduler asking for the number of questions on the "new" form with no response.

The $20 shops for JD Powers through Intelli-shop are noxious. They are long with lots of narrative. If the salesperson does anything wrong it takes forever to explain it to their satisfaction and they bounce it back and then ding your rating. I used to do these all the time but the two lately for JD Powers were awful.

I do see a lot of emails from Intellishop stressing how easy their new reports are. And I've seen many complaints here in the past about how awful they used to be. Since I only started shopping for them in January, I can't speak to the latter, but I have not found their reports very difficult or time-consuming.

I did have one of the automobile-dealer-rating-assessment shops scheduled (not sure about mentioning that J-name, possible ICA violation), and I printed out the blank report; it didn't look much different from any car-dealer report. But I had to cancel that shop so I can't say what might have happened if I had done it.

Overall my experience with Intellishop has been fairly pleasant, so far. If there were truth to the earlier complaints about them, perhaps the company has actually listened and responded.

*applause*

My husband was ready to tell the editor, "Go read the damn website." The new service center AND SHOWROOM were under construction. He explained that. IN THE NARRATIVES. SEVERAL TIMES.

Do you think the editor got it?

Hell no.

The editor kept writing back, "What did the salesperson tell you about getting service?" and "Did you go into the showroom?" I think my husband was ready to write back, "Are you really THAT STUPID?" What part of "Under Construction, doesn't someone understand?


iblessyah Wrote:
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> The $20 shops for JD Powers through Intelli-shop
> are noxious. They are long with lots of
> narrative. If the salesperson does anything wrong
> it takes forever to explain it to their
> satisfaction and they bounce it back and then ding
> your rating. I used to do these all the time but
> the two lately for JD Powers were awful.

I just completed a auto dealer JD power shop for Intelli-Shop and iblessyah is correct the form is annoying. I wish I never would've accepted the shop. Way more time than it's worth. The form has way too many requests for narrative.

Tactrueblue Wrote:
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> I just completed a auto dealer JD power shop for
> Intelli-Shop and iblessyah is correct the form is
> annoying. I wish I never would've accepted the
> shop. Way more time than it's worth. The form
> has way too many requests for narrative.

Okay. So this is recent and nothing has changed. I assume that the editors are as difficult as ever. Too bad. And I should add that I feel for the scheduler's who are trying to fill these.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2012 02:43AM by KathyC.

Maybe if they would actually adjust the form some, they would be able to assign some in my area. Those always stay on the board. I did one, form was just so much repetition. Salesperson did not open the hood, don't know how to make that any clearer for you. I got an 8 because they had to ask for clarification to the question "What did salesperson say when they opened the hood?"

I assumed saying that the the salesperson did not open the hood nor comment on what was under the hood would have satisfied that question.

While I'm ranting about those assignments, there is something else in the guidelines that IMO really sets up the shopper for difficulties.

They stress do NOT ask any questions. Just let the salesperson lead. However, if you do not ask questions and the salesperson offers just a minimal amount of information there is no way you will be able to fill out that form and possibly answer all that they want answered.

I went on a shop for a new car last week. My total time in the shop was 12 minutes. I had little to report because the salesman and I pretty much stared at the car because I was trying to let him take the lead. He finally gave me a brochure to get rid if me and move onto the next customer. I had very little to report and the MSC questioned my report. I explained that I did not have much to report. The report was verified, but not asking questions is not realistic of a potential car buyer.

lisams901 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> While I'm ranting about those assignments, there
> is something else in the guidelines that IMO
> really sets up the shopper for difficulties.
>
> They stress do NOT ask any questions. Just let the
> salesperson lead. However, if you do not ask
> questions and the salesperson offers just a
> minimal amount of information there is no way you
> will be able to fill out that form and possibly
> answer all that they want answered.

iblessyah Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The $20 shops for JD Powers through Intelli-shop
> are noxious. They are long with lots of
> narrative. If the salesperson does anything wrong
> it takes forever to explain it to their
> satisfaction and they bounce it back and then ding
> your rating. I used to do these all the time but
> the two lately for JD Powers were awful.


I'm really beginning to get burnt out on these, and they have lots of shops in my area. I will probably cut down on these soon. I feel like I am working for minimum wage. It usually takes atleast one hour at the dealership, especially when you get a hard sell and they keep going to the manager over and over again. Then, you come home and have to fill out a report that takes 2 hours with lots of redundant questions. And picky, picky, picky. I am a good writer with 2 master's degrees, and I have had some reports sent back to me. I don't feel you should be penalized unless you can't get back to the editor with an answer in a timely manner.

Intellishop had two different types of car dealership shops. One, JD Powers, was really horrible and the other was okay. I completely stopped doing them, however, when I realized a salesman had received the exact report. He called me and asked if I worked for JD Powers because the report sounded like my visit...blah, blah, blah. It was not a good report, so maybe he got called in for it. I denied it, but the fellow called for months trying to get me back to the dealer. I certainly did not like that they shared the report verbatim and the guy had my personal info. No more car dealerships for me, unless I can leave fake info.

MsJudi,

I have a feeling the same may happen with a dealership shop I did recently for JD Power and Intelli-shop. The shop was terrible. The first dealership shop I've done in awhile and the sales people were so pushy that I got uncomfortable. In order to give the detail that was needed to fully understand the situation, I had to basically put myself out there (not expose as a shopper of course), so if they give the report to the salesmen or any of the managers (who were equally rude and pushy) that I was introduced to, they will know who I was. I've also gotten a phone call at least once a day from the primary rep I dealt with practically begging me to return and offering a better deal than the one he had originally promised was the best deal I'd be able to get from them. I spent 2 hours hearing that they were being generous to me because it was the last day of their fiscal year and they were offering way more than my current car was worth (though they only knew the make and model and an approximate value of what was left to pay it off). I even had to endure my current car being compared to something that "Thugs and drug dealers drive and they come a dime a dozen" Woooow, WTF? When I explained that I wanted to check out other vehicles, of course they asked which ones and immediately began to bash those choices. I honestly felt like I was being bullied into buying a car from that place, whether I liked it or not. Ironically, I was legitimately interested in the vehicle I had to inquire about as it is time for me to get a new car and I was excited I'd get to find out more about that vehicle...but this shop definitely turned me away from ever purchasing from or recommending this particular dealership to anyone, heck maybe even the brand :/

Sorry to thread jack, totally not Intelli-shops fault, I still love them. That was just a terrible experience and I think I'm scarred from ever doing a dealership shop again. Ugh. The form was very simple (just to hit on the actual thread topic! lol!

Just tell them you bought something else or from another dealer. If they ask what/where, just say NUNYA!

p://www.realitybasedreports.com/bnc.php?TP=1&ID=11612&AS=7054&ST=32

KathyC Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Intellishop has been broadcasting assignments
> stating that they provide shoppers with new and
> improved evaluation forms. Are they improved and
> shorter or just improved in some way? I would
> especially appreciate feedback pertaining to
> luxury car shops. I have e'd the scheduler asking
> for the number of questions on the "new" form with
> no response.


The above actually referrers to three different shops. An Oil Change, a Brake inspection shop and a new car dealer shop. That MSP offers all three shops.

OIL CHANGES and BRAKE SHOPS are much easier to report. Much of the redundancy and frivolous questions with narratives are gone. It takes half the time to report and you get a free oil change or brake inspection. The brake inspection is free anyway when you get an oil change. They do it on the courtesy check. If they give a bonus that puts money in the evaluators pocket I would do the brake inspection.

How many oil changes can you get for your vehicle? One every 3000 miles or 3 months. If you get more there is no benefit and no money in your pocket unless the shop is bonused. The invitation to shop suggests you can go out and offer to take other people's cars for the oil change. Where is the money in my pocket? I I do not do charity work.

There is a possibility of making money. You are reimbursed the full price of the oil change and the person that let you borrow their car gets the oil change. If you offer to take a friend or relative’s car for service request that they pay $15 for the $29.99 oil change they save $15. When the Mystery Shop Company pays you the $15 goes in your pocket. If the shop is bonused your friend does not have to know that, It is extra money in your pocket. Your friend may even give you the full price of the oil change as you saved them a chore.

The New car shops are NOT advertised as friendlier or easier. They are the same impossible shops that I REFUSE TO DO. Is a gamble you are NOT in control of. They make YOU responsible if the salesperson does not give you a business card as it is mandatory that you get a business card or the shop is invalid. You can ask for the business card to write notes on before you start. If you do not get it you may as well walk out of the showroom. I am not giving them a free report to have them use my work product.

I bought a few new cars. I ALWAYS asked the salesperson to elaborate and clarify features I was interested in. The guidelines said it is mandatory that you keep you mouth shut and let the salesperson give information. You can not "prime the pump" by asking about features not introduced by the salesperson. You can not ask the salesperson to explain a feature or demonstrate the feature. The client wants to know what the sales person offers in their presentation without prompting.

Imagine "buying" a $50,000 vehicle and not asking any questions. Sit there like a dumb stump while the salesperson offers a sales pitch when a real shopper would ask, “Can you tell me more about that?” They will know you are the mystery shopper after only a few minutes as you are unresponsive.

The salesperson may use you to get a good rating but they will not give you a business card. They will claim they are new and did not get their cards yet or they left their business cards in their other pants. They know the mystery shopper needs a business card. They will waste your time, for wasting their time and having them lose a spot in rotation. Remember the guideline, if you do not get a business card shop is invalid you do not get paid. If you ask any questions a normal shopper would ask you do not get paid.

Piled High:

Good post. Great information. Thank you for that!