I've never had a salesperson judge my driving. And one sure could have. It was my first Porsche shop and it had been 20+ years since I had driven a stick shift. The first couple of times shifting was a nightmare, but then it came back to me. Perhaps the biggest thing...always use the turn signal, especially when changing lanes. Yes, we should be doing that anyhow, but it's something a lot of us get lax with in our own cars.

The thing that concerns me since I first realized some shops are competitor shops, or commissioned by someone other than the organization I was shopping, is that when you're shopping the client itself, being shopped is part of the employee's job, they know they will be shopped, and the point of it is to give him a review that may lead to raises and bonuses if he does well. So he shouldn't grouse about it.

But when the client is JD Powers compiling statistics ... I have to wonder if the car dealer whose employee's time we are taking up agreed to allow the shops. Or maybe Ford or Honda or whoever agreed to it, and their dealers are stuck being mystery shopped whether they like it or not. Or when it's a competing bank trying to get information on high-dollar client programs at other banks, or those Medicare shops where I don't really know who the client is but I know it's not the salesman I'm shopping, or Apple wanting to know if various cell phone stores are actually recommending their phones ... that's when it bothers me to take up their time on what I know is a lost cause but they don't consider it a requirement of their job and aren't going to see the report or get any pats on the back for how well they did.

I'm starting to get very curious about who actually is the client on some shops. And I'm starting to suspect that the highest-paying shops often are "third party" shops commissioned by someone other than the company whose time we are wasting.

I wish there was more transparency about it. When the "shipping" shops are competitor shops, they say it right in the job description. But I've never seen anyone else announce the fact.

MPorter3112 Wrote:
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> I haven't tried a car shop yet almost entirely
> because of the required test drive. Just the
> possibility of an accident on a test drive freezes
> me with terror!

No worries! Like you, I was always afraid to be the one who would go down in the dealership lore as in, "Once we had a crazy lady and (fill in the blanks)." But wait, they all seem to have a "safe route", which is indeed, very safe and consists of right turns only and is usually on back roads. If I can comfortably do these, so can you, MPorter!

(heart)

"But when the client is JD Powers compiling statistics ... I have to wonder if the car dealer whose employee's time we are taking up agreed to allow the shops." Yes, JD Powers compiles statistics which are published for the public. Many businesses enjoy touting how high they ranged with JD Powers and use it as a marketing tool.

"Or maybe Ford or Honda or whoever agreed to it, and their dealers are stuck being mystery shopped whether they like it or not." Similar to Exxon or Conoco having their franchisees shopped/audited, the car dealers decide who can or can't have a dealership. They want to be sure their brand is being represented properly.

"Medicare shops where I don't really know who the client is but I know it's not the salesman I'm shopping," The ones I've done are shopped by the client. They need to be sure the agent is following Medicare guidelines. I may have misunderstood, but it seems Medicare sends in either employees or contractors to check on presentations. I also thought violating Medicare guidelines could result in some penalties for the provider.

"Apple wanting to know if various cell phone stores are actually recommending their phones ..." Vendor shops are a different animal than competitor shops and vendors do have a need to know how they are being presented and placed within the store. While the individual sales associates may not see the report, often the manufacturer's rep is also being critiqued. If the associate does not appear to have good product knowledge or is not enthusiastic about the product, it could fall to the sales rep to provide further training and generate enthusiasm.

This is the god's honest truth. I once visited a dealer who was having one of their front windows boarded up and joked about someone taking a wrong turn during a test drive. It wasn't a wrong turn, someone had mistaken the gas and brake.

stilllearning Wrote:
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> No worries! Like you, I was always afraid to be
> the one who would go down in the dealership lore
> as in, "Once we had a crazy lady and (fill in the
> blanks)."

In the case of JD Power it's my understanding that the manufacturer has contracted with JD Power to do their mystery shopping program for them (I'm assuming as part of a larger contract including other services) and JD Power has contracted that out to the MSC. If you notice the JD Power shops are among 1 (or 2) clients and not across a broad spectrum of manufacturers, which one would expect if JD Power were trying to compare across the industry.

As an aside, I was doing a competitor shop at one of the JD Power brand dealerships, and as I was sitting at the salesman's desk I overheard 2 other salesman and a manager. One of the salesmen was asking the manager where his $100 bonus for his mystery shopping report was. So no, in that instance, mystery shops are definitely not wasting the salesman's time.

MPorter3112 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I haven't tried a car shop yet almost entirely
> because of the required test drive. Having (adult)
> passengers to judge my driving makes me nervous
> and distracted, and driving a car that isn't mine
> and I'm not familiar with the placement of
> everything is even more nerve-wracking for me.
> I've never had an accident in 13 years, so I'm not
> sure why it makes me so nervous. Just the
> possibility of an accident on a test drive freezes
> me with terror!

Generally the sales person will drive the car part way and then you can drive the car where you want (to an extent) after that. I would choose a quiet street and maybe hint to the sales person that you want to get a feel for the car and would prefer a drive through a quieter street. Don't let the test drive part deter you.. there are car shops where no test drive is involved too.

Yesterday's shops were a carpet store and the last of Lululemon shops. Somehow I managed to fit these in between my two jobs which I am absolutely dead tired right now btw... 5 hours designing shop instructions and another five on the sales floor.

Today, I will be shopping Rockport, Bluenotes, one Bell store and one Fido store. I am dying for this week to be over.

Here's the reason for the nerves on a car shop. Whoever you are dealing with relies on your purchase as income. Therefore, they will be using ever sales tactic known to mankind in order for you to sign on the dotted line.

You need to be very strong and removed to do these kinds of shops.

Consider this advance notice......

My problem is, the "New" car shops are always so enticing to buy. Luckily I can't afford one, I would have had TWO new cars in the last 7 days! LOL I just keep saying "NO Thank-you" at the end.

I've done a number of car sales shops and at first it was a little intimidating, but now it's just frustrating as I hate the whole car salesman attitude. But I know what I need to get paid to do more, so I will only do them if I get that amount.

My first Porche shop, however was quite fun, but extremely intimidating. I was terrified during the test drive, had sweat dripping down my back! LOL Terrified I would get into an accident! But overall it was fun to custom build a car I could NEVER afford!

I do the car shops because you've got time to get the report done since you have to wait for the follow up call. I'm getting an education is the cars and might tackle the best price scenarios soon. I can get feisty when they start doing prices. One guy was getting on my nerves so when he asked me what I wanted to pay, I told him $1,000. OR I tell them the numbers that other dealers have offered me.

I told one guy that I just assume that they're going to talk some chit, and that I am going to double check every single thing they've told me.

When all else fails I whine about NOT having the ability to completely pick a custom paint color, which does irk me with what a new car costs. Audi was the only one who said I could get any color I wanted and gave me a quote and time frame for it.

I don't like it when it's a new salesperson. THEY take twice as long.

I did a shop for a medium priced car. Salesperson was a female. She went to "check" and the boss came back. She was doing OK. 'Snidely Whiplash' with the slicked back hair and mustache took over. I asked him why as the sales person was as she was doing a fairly good job. He just wanted to 'touch base'. He put his head down when I declined his offer as I wanted to check other cars out. He started he would 'hide this baby on the back lot for a day as it would be gone'. There was 150 other cars on his lot. I wrote the report that I found his interference would likely turn me away from the deal.

Other.. I drive a fairly older car in good shape and it looks nice. I just can't bring my self to do a shop for a BMW . My car would be offended.

I hope you can set aside your fear and do a new car shop. You aren't required to know a lot about cars and don't have to evaluate the car itself. The focus is on how well the sales rep presents the car. I really enjoy them and have learned a lot from the process. As a female, its surprising sometimes the things sales reps don't tell you. Having shopped one particular model at least 8 times, every instance has been different and I really appreciate someone who will tell me about the car and be fairly technical. But that's just me.

My very first shop was one of the Negotiation Shops for a New Car. Not only could I never afford the car I was negotiating for (twice), I don't even have a Driver's Licence. In fact, I have never driven a car! I had no business being in a Car Dealership! I went late in the day, I thought that would discourage them even offering me a Test Drive, I was not wrong. On my first visit, I had a female salesperson. She was obviously new at the whole Car Sales Thing. I know nothing about cars, and I had to fight myself from doing her job for her. I had researched the vehicle, for days, before I walked in the Door.

When I returned a few days later, to renegotiate. She was not there, despite her telling me she would be! Instead I was told I could speak to another Salesperson. This time I would have sworn I was in a Used Car Dealership, from the 70s. The salesman was dressed in a Vertically Striped Suit, and he spoke to my breasts . He talked down to me. He had the gall to suggest that I should only be concerned about the "color" of the car. He would not tell me anything about the car. And would not put in writing any of the details of this "Fantastic Deal," which only he could give me --- A whole $100 and a tank a gas, above the Spring Discount which was advertised on the Dealership Webpage.

I reported my interation, and got paid. And I have not looked back! That shop gave me the confidence to do almost any shop put before me! I have not done any more Car Dealerships, but mostly because most I see require a Test Drive, which I can not do without a License. LOL. But I am not intimidated anymore. I actually asked my schedular after doing my shop, if I could tell the Saleperson to their face, that I thought they were "Talking out of their Arse," if I decided to do another Shop for that MSC. I was told, do whatever you need to do to get the deal!

Lady Marius
Canadian Mystery Shopper

Car shops are fun; however yes, they can be intimidating. I have done at least eight of them this year which were complicated. The reports that are required to get the better amount of money require that you first do a coaching session with your msp and then you will do two visits to the dealership.
Each time you will negotiate for the "best price" possible. Yes, there is a great deal of paper work to scan into your computer and then put in the report. I like the challenge and it helped me a great deal when I bought a car this year.
The other type of car shop is where you just go in, do a test drive and also negotiate for "best price". You only will do one visit and then you are done. You will get a follow up call and then send the final report that the sales person followed up. This type of shop pays a great deal less.
If you wish to do this type of shop, then do the one where you test drive and do a simpler shop at first.
Best of luck! You will learn a great deal if you are up for the negotiation shop.

The car shops aren't bad. I mean, they can be long if you have to take a test drive and the reports are long, but you have enough time to do them because you have to wait on a few days for callbacks. Also the $17 that most pay aren't that much, but the bonuses can take it up to $30 or so. I have also done a motorcycle shop in which the total was like $40. I often wait because $17 is just not enough. I have done the oil change shops also and they were fine, but it was reimbursement, brake shops don't pay enough.

I am responding to the comment about the Google Voice. You have to be careful if you're doing several shops for the same client. A lot of these companies keep your information in their data base and I believe that they can access it no matter if the location was a different one that you shopped in the past. It's good to have a few different numbers. And I am keeping track of what company & sales person I gave that number to. I have used the same number but I try to make sure it's for different companies so I don't get flagged. Also, it's good to have a few different email addresses and aliases as well. You'll just want to keep track of what name you used at what company and what sales person. It does seem to get a bit tricky when you're doing several shops (even over a longer amount of time) for the same company/client. Anyway, I'd thought I'd chime in on this one.

Tawanaa

You should have your backup scenarion on your head. Be very confident and research about similar brands before your visit, so your objection can be 'I will think about it, and Im between this brand a and brand b' which is impossible to overcome which will let you to extract yourself from the purchase. Because at car dealerships, if the sales guy is annoyingly talkative and trying to close the sale really hard then it is likely to hear a question like 'What is stopping you from buying the car today?' Be very careful and try to relax be confident and all will be okay. Enjoy your pay, refreshments and the test drive

I love the new car dealership shops. I find them easy. Would love to buy a new car, so I am getting to see a lot of different ones and when I am ready, I will know what I want. They are fun. You will remember everything the sales consultant told you about a particular car. I use a digital voice recorder on every shop that I do. Tell it my start time and just let it run. Then tell it my end time. It picks up everything that is said. No guessing what was said and when. I carry it in a small net draw string bag. Do not carry a purse. I bought it to carry my Frio case for my insulin when I am away from home. Just stick the recorder in it with everything else. It is never seen. Just be sure the speakers that record are on the top.

The oil change shops and tire rotations are easy also. Don't be shy. Take one and try it out. Have had my car for 5 years now and when I need an oil change, there is always one available. Reimbursement is paid quickly.

Once upon a time I was intimidated by car shops. After doing three, I am more intimidated than ever.

The first one went amazingly well. Because the shop paid an above average fee, I expected that the report would be detailed and time consuming. I studied the guidelines well, took notes during the shop (normal for someone thinking about buying a car), took pictures without worrying about being detected, went home and entered the first part of the audit (two visits required), went back two days later, got the second written offer, then finished the report. Kaa-ching. $75.

The second one, at a dealership right next to the first one, seemed to be going smoothly until the report kept getting rejected because of a very anal editor. He insisted on the impossible. For example, I explained in detail that I moved heaven and earth to get that second written offer, which the salesman would not provide. "You have to make a deposit -- company policy," etc. I tried everything and explained everything to the editor. After a lot of back and forth about time spent on two visits, fulfilling the shop requirements as best I could and submitting a detailed and timely report, we finally agreed on a reduced shop fee and a vow from me that I would never deal with this particular mystery shopping company again.

The third, for another mystery shopping company,happened to be at a dealership fifteen miles away from the first one but for the same brand of luxury auto. When I sat down with the salesman, he immediately said "Your picture is in our lunchroom. You are a secret shopper, right?" Game over. He had the picture!

While these shops pay well, they take WAY too much time, require two visits, and worst of all involve dealing with salespeople. Give me an $80 apartment video shop any day, with lunch at Chipotle or Buffalo Wild Wings on the way home!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/2014 11:35PM by DoogieZZ.

I've never had a car shop that requires two visits.

I think Doogie is referring to the one where you have to return and attempt to get them to reduce the price even further. Sounds like something you could not pay me enough to do.............usually.

(heart)

Car shops are fun I think. I usually don't get nervous about those. Just think they are only thinking about making that commission on you. So excited doing my first video car shop tomorrow!!

Ok, the oil change shops are easy. Make notes on an index card of the key points, check out the bathroom and check the notes to make sure you covered everything...and, if in a one party state, record the shop on your phone. I was doing the shops on two cars, several or more a year. Big savings on car care.

I also was doing dealership shops, good money. Test drove a BMW, Nissan, Toyota, Chevy and Infinity. Might have been others, but the mind is old. : ) Loved the Infinity, but over $50K, not me. The BMW was nothing special (which surprised me) and I asked the Chevy salesperson to finish the test drive because I was not comfortable with the pedal placement with the kind of shoes I wear.

We went to visit family in Savannah for Thanksgiving. The rental was a Nissan Versa Note, and both my husband and I really liked it. Having driven all of those other models, I mentioned I liked the car, especiall the ROOMY back seat. Tuesday he said he wanted to trade our 2 Saturns in on a new car. We drove the Versa Note home, and then drove it to CA Wednesday! Interstate, we got 45 miles a gallon. Without test driving all of those other cars, it would not have been so easy! Give it a try and have fun!

BMWs tend to have a slightly rougher ride for two reasons. First, they have a sports car heritage which translates into more feeling the road. Second, most dealers that I've shopped put run flat tires on the cars and run flats have a rougher ride. If I were looking at that category of vehicle, for the money I would spend the few extra dollars and get the luxury of a Mercedes.