What's your ideal time frame when your doing a "New Car Shop"? How long are you usually at the Dealer and what are some actions you learned waste time that don't help your Shop? We all want to do the best shops possible without getting bogged down in areas that do not enhance our Mystery Shop.


Have you made a Check List and Strategy already created from a program and keep track of time so you can do more than one Shop in the same city? How long do you spend at the Dealer to avoid being spotted as a Mystery Shopper and have you Shopped the same dealer? Is there a limit of how many shops someone doing Oil Changes, New Car Shops and Web Inquiries without getting "made"? What's the best way to do Shops protecting your identity?

Some new car shops' guidelines ask you to keep down the time in the dealerships to 45 minutes. I have shopped the same car salesperson twice. She recognized me as someone who had been there before. She just said, "How long have you wanted a new car? Isn't it time you go ahead and get the car now?" The third time I went there, I made sure to steer clear of her. She did notice me and thanked me for coming in, though.

I have spent as long as 1 hour and 45 minutes at a dealership before. I even told them I had an eye doctor appointment. The salesman just said, "The appointment can be rescheduled." and went on. I was ticked because the appointment was a shop, too!

One thing you can do to save time and prevent being spotted: have an idea of what you do for a living and how much they make. Think about if that person could afford the car you are shopping. Another thing: don't act like you know nothing about cars or everything about cars.
If they think you nothing about cars, they might waste your time explaining how the energy from the gas gets to the motor and the waste from the petroleum goes into the exhaust...or they might try to build rapport for 20 minutes chit chatting about how to ride in a car with a dog. If they ask too many questions or get off the topic too long, you can politely say you would like to get back to the subject of the vehicle.
If let on you know a lot about cars, you might lose track of time discussing the horsepower of different engines in different models and the efficiency of that fuel or another.....
Do your homework before the shop. Get to know what features are in a couple of models that someone would need. If you do not have an assigned model, pick one and look at the details of the features. You can tell the salesperson at the beginning, I would like good gas mileage, the ability to haul large items occasionally, side airbags, and a smooth ride--knowing those features fit one and only one model. Now you just saved 20 minutes of them trying to find the best model to recommend.

As for oil change shops: most cars only need an oil change every three months--six months for the very new ones. Most of them do not pay much except for the reimbursement. I only do them for three or four cars, including a couple of dear friends/relatives.

For mystery shopping in general: try to schedule shops in the same neighborhood or suburb for the same day. Look at a map before you apply for shops if you need to. You will save time and gas.

Sorry for the long book of a comment!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/01/2016 03:19PM by kattyk.

When I go on a route of shops, like I will be later this month, I figure 1 1/2 hours per car dealer, assuming a test drive is required, and an hour if a test drive is not required. That gives me some padding for the other shops on my schedule.

I have a "cheat sheet" printed on 8.5x14 paper that I created in Excel. It lists the shops with the addresses, times in and out, sex/race, hair and eye color, glasses, height, wait time and notes. It rides in the posse box on the passenger seat. As soon as I drive off the lot, I pull over and fill it out with an assortment of abbreviations. The shops are listed in the sequence in which I will do them and the cheat sheet is good for any type of shop. Especially on routes, making efficient use of time is important; heck, it's essential.

One thing I do on car shops is I lock the truck with my regular key so the "valet key" I give the dealer won't open it. I'm in some type of sales when I go to dealers so, if they want to see inside the trunk, I just tell them that there is confidential information in there related to my employer and no, they can't look inside. It's not a total lie as I do have a 3-ring binder on long trips with each shop report printed and in the order that they will be shopped. Can you tell that I believe in redundancy? I will also have three copies of my car's "valet key" made at the local dealership before I leave here. Since the shop requires that my car be evaluated for a trade, I give the dealer a valet key, not my key ring, so that I do have the freedom to end the discussion if they are dragging things out too long. I have a friend in Arizona who was basically held hostage at a dealership until she signed the contract to buy a new car. I was doing a video shop and the dealer wouldn't let me leave. I actually pulled out my cell phone and started to dial 911 before the dealership gave me my keys back. (I was surprised that I got paid for that shop.)

Like Kattyk, my "out" is an appointment of some type. My reply to the salesperson saying it can be rescheduled is a very terse and deliberate, "NO IT CAN'T." Another thing that I learned from a shopper here is, when the salesperson asks you to have a seat while they get a quote is to not sit. I have a bad hip so there are times when I need to sit, but I try to stand as it doesn't put them in an authoritative position and you in a submissive position.

ETA: My Arizona friend returned to the dealership the next day with the car she had "bought" and a lawyer who made it clear that they had gone way to far to get the sale.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/01/2016 03:44PM by GMooneyhan MBSC.

On routes I allow the same times as Gordon although my experience is non test drive shops take 20 to 30 minutes and test drives average 45 to 60. Once in a while you are going to run into a long winded sales associate. Pick and stick for the car you want, don't let them show you dozens. Give them a couple of minutes for chit chat then get back on track. Building rapport is something they are trained to do in order to get your business. They couldn't care less about your kids, dog or job and will be happy to get back to the task at hand, selling you a car.

Katty gave an awesome summary and everyone else's contributions are great too! I would just add to that, do some research about the car you're shopping for, as well as other brand cards in the same bracket, so that you can tell the salesperson you're still shopping and this way you don't look like you're stuck with this model.

Be ready to deal with the kind of stubborn sales people like the ones mentioned above - Those are the time wasters.

I usually get better results as well by just saying I don't know I want to trade in my car, and never ever give them the keys to your car. Say you want to see what the price is before you decide if you want to trade in the car (you can say "maybe I'll just sell it to my brother, he was interested in it anyway".

And, never let them run a credit check on you. Negotiate first, discuss financing at the end if not brought up. You can always pretend you have substantial savings to buy the car cash, but will consider financing if the rate is right.

My horror story about one of these shops: The salesperson who tried to convince me that selling the car $5K over sticker price was fair because "that's how dealers make a profit". Yeah no kidding. Could not give me a car price, instead focusing on what my monthly payment would be (started at $450 and went down to $200/mo, but never told me the car price or the length of the financing). And had to discuss the same with the sales manager and dealer assistant manager (who reeked of cigarette smell).

Good luck!

@jnoyolapicazzo wrote:

...I usually get better results as well by just saying I don't know I want to trade in my car, and never ever give them the keys to your car. Say you want to see what the price is before you decide if you want to trade in the car (you can say "maybe I'll just sell it to my brother, he was interested in it anyway".

Emphasis added...that is the reason why I have duplicate valet keys made. I can give them the duplicate, since a requirement is for the car to be evaluated for trade and that evaluation is done while I'm on the test drive. They can't get into the truck, because it's locked with the "Master" key and that also disables the interior trunk release. And, by them only having a duplicate key and none of my other keys, I'm free to walk out on them if the situation warrants.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/01/2016 08:29PM by GMooneyhan MBSC.

Personally I have never had a new car shop including an evaluation for trade in. If it is not part of the shop do not give up your keys to anyone for any reason. Keep them in your pocket or purse. For those associates who have the cojones to suggest your appointment, real or fake, can be changed to accommodate them, be assertive. Recently I had a shop taking longer than it should because the damn associate couldn't find the car for me to test drive. We completed the shop but during my exit he kept coming up with reasons for me to stay even after I had told him someone was waiting for me. I finally had to get it through to him that no means no

Since no MSC's have been mentioned, Toyota, Audi, and one other have required trade in evaluations...at least with the MSCs I've been dealing with.

I've shopped Porsche, VW, Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Honda, Nissan, Infiniti, Tesla, GM, Acura and probably a couple of others. Maybe even Saturn when they were still around, LOL. Most shops have been for the manufacturer, some for a competitor and some for a third party.

"so that I do have the freedom to end the discussion if they are dragging things out too long. I have a friend in Arizona who was basically held hostage at a dealership until she signed the contract to buy a new car. I was doing a video shop and the dealer wouldn't let me leave. I actually pulled out my cell phone and started to dial 911 before the dealership gave me my keys back. (I was surprised that I got paid for that shop.)"


Why would the Car Dealership be so insane to treat your friend this badly? Old School Tactics were bad where someone might flatten the customer's tires by letting the air out or pull a spark-plug, I knew some play dirty but your friend was "falsely imprisoned". I am happy nothing bad happened to them and getting paid is amazing, she probably could have sued after her ordeal. What was going through their heads to keep someone against their will to purchase a car?


Mystery Shoppers have seen some weird things, thank you for providing examples of how to get out of a Salesman's vice-grip, that's too much like out of the 1950s-1970s style dishonest tactics. Things were suppose to be hassle free, not kidnapping!

Thank you everyone for providing excellent advice, I will avoid the "long-winded salesmen" who won't take a second to breath, he's the guy who turns blue from a lack of oxygen. Some try to steer you away from the car your assigned to evaluate, all roads lead back to a car the dealer is trying to unload. It was not uncommon when I was younger to see car salesmen show up at someone's house with the car they were looking at and say "hey, I brought this car home for you to see how it runs over the next 48 hours, Please enjoy!". That's risky, what would you do if a stranger shows up at 9 pm with a car you were looking at?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/01/2016 10:45PM by Pennies4Shops.

@GMooneyhan MBSC wrote:

Since no MSC's have been mentioned, Toyota, Audi, and one other have required trade in evaluations...at least with the MSCs I've been dealing with.

Fair point, though I've never run into a car shop that REQUIRES the car to be appraised. They do mention that the dealer may do a visual appraisal of the vehicle, but at no point they ask me to do that. I'm not saying it's not the case of yours though, just that it sounds as very rare...

I always say I'm going to give my current (2002) car to my son, who's driving something even older than mine.

I have done more than my fair share of new car shops and they take me 45 mins to an hour on average and the reports I have got down to 30 minutes tops. Some tricks are no more than 3 new car shops a day as details on them will blend together I very rarely do 2. If visiting a dealer that sells several brands aka multiple locations with different brands do some homework and say you want to check out a competitor brand that dealer doesn't carry. Never ever say you will be trading in your vehicle unless the requirements say so. I have personally never seen it. Looking to buy within the next week or so. This makes it easier to state you still wish to look at other makes. There is no price that will make you buy today and if they push give some absurd price like $1000.

Have a back-up plan. Have someone call you after x amount of time. Inform the sales person you must leave. This works for me on other shops.

Unless a trade-in eval. is required, just say your current car is leased and the lease expires within a reasonable -sounding amount of time. It then sounds perfectly believable that you're shopping to buy rather than lease again.

As far as any rude salesperson telling me an appointment could be rescheduled, I'd give him or her an astonished look and say "Why in the world would I do that?!" in a loud voice. If the manager hears that, it could get the high-pressure idiot cut down to size.

@jnoyolapicazzo wrote:

Katty gave an awesome summary and everyone else's contributions are great too! I would just add to that, do some research about the car you're shopping for, as well as other brand cards in the same bracket, so that you can tell the salesperson you're still shopping and this way you don't look like you're stuck with this model.

Be ready to deal with the kind of stubborn sales people like the ones mentioned above - Those are the time wasters.

I usually get better results as well by just saying I don't know I want to trade in my car, and never ever give them the keys to your car. Say you want to see what the price is before you decide if you want to trade in the car (you can say "maybe I'll just sell it to my brother, he was interested in it anyway".

And, never let them run a credit check on you. Negotiate first, discuss financing at the end if not brought up. You can always pretend you have substantial savings to buy the car cash, but will consider financing if the rate is right.

My horror story about one of these shops: The salesperson who tried to convince me that selling the car $5K over sticker price was fair because "that's how dealers make a profit". Yeah no kidding. Could not give me a car price, instead focusing on what my monthly payment would be (started at $450 and went down to $200/mo, but never told me the car price or the length of the financing). And had to discuss the same with the sales manager and dealer assistant manager (who reeked of cigarette smell).

Good luck!

Whenever a dealer asks me "what kind of payment are you looking for?" I ALWAYS tell them, I'm more interested in your best price for the car, the math will take care of itself!"

@mainland wrote:

@jnoyolapicazzo wrote:

My horror story about one of these shops: The salesperson who tried to convince me that selling the car $5K over sticker price was fair because "that's how dealers make a profit". Yeah no kidding. Could not give me a car price, instead focusing on what my monthly payment would be (started at $450 and went down to $200/mo, but never told me the car price or the length of the financing). And had to discuss the same with the sales manager and dealer assistant manager (who reeked of cigarette smell).

Good luck!

Whenever a dealer asks me "what kind of payment are you looking for?" I ALWAYS tell them, I'm more interested in your best price for the car, the math will take care of itself!"

Yes, that's what I do - But not that this particular dealer cared. I think they were more into selling financing and inflating prices. So, I think everyone should be ready to deal with these characters every now and then - And make sure you report on that poor job sales! I sure did and I mentioned how I felt insulted by their attitude.

How many Car Shops are practical in one day if your starting a route wanting to build up like all the professionals here? I heard of someone trying to take advantage of one of the Most Reputable MSCs claiming they were doing far more than they actually were. I am extremely cautious and want to avoid not being able to provide stellar reports, do you think three is possible if you were to stop in between using "WIFI" at Starbucks if you hit two shops in one city, move to the next city and catch another Car Shop and a few Eateries? I like the idea of a Road Trip having fun while taking care of business. Thanks again!

It really is impossible to answer a question like that. You are much more concerned about providing a "stellar" report while my priority is knocking out a good report in as little time as possible My larger routes of more technical shops were always video. It was not a big deal to have four or five new car shops and as many as eight apartment shops in a day. Plus, not all new car shop reports are created equal. Some take as little as 30 minutes, some an hour or more.

What you need to do is keep track of how long the shops and reports are taking you then add in travel time. If you are going to be staying out for several days don't forget to include the time it takes to pack/upack, check in and out of hotels, meals and to actually get some sleep. Pad your schedule and talk to the MSC(s) involved about getting an extension on reports.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/2016 03:06PM by LisaSTL.

It all depends how much time you have! The most shops of any kind I've done in one day is 3 because doing 3 shops means, of course, 3 reports to do after. I shop part-time but I still wouldn't want to sit that long doing reports. My FT job keeps me at a desk all day as well.

Keep in mind, for some of us it is our "full time" job. On a multi-day route at least your first $100 is just to cover expenses and it can be more depending on your vehicle expenses, what type of hotels you choose and if you can survive for days eating fast food.

Yes, I give the full timers all the credit! You guys are warriors! :-)

I just cannot imagine doing this as a full-time endeavor. As a retired gentleman mystery shopping is fun and provides me with pocket money to enjoy my many hobbies.

I have performed many new car shop assignments and not once did Imgive anyone my keys. I always told the salesman that the car I am driving is my "beater". No,one ever looks twice at it.

"I always told the salesman that the car I am driving is my "beater". No,one ever looks twice at it."

I always say my ex got the good car in the divorce, and that I'm driving my daughter's college car, lol!

My strategy is, when they ask what I'm currently driving I say it's my boyfriend's car. That usually stops the salesperson from even asking if I have a car to trade-in.

When I get one who just won't let me go, or is just too persistent, I have texted a friend, to call me, and we have a pretend conversation of a family emergency, so I have to leave now. That being said, at one dealership, once I had the minimum information I needed, and they were dragging out financing etc, I ended up walking out. I put it into report, and still got paid.

My last car shop drug on and on for what seemed like hours Oh wait a minute it was hours. The sales person kept going off and leaving me alone while they went and talked to the sales manager or someone else. I finally got fed up and left. She called me and hour later and asked me why I had left. I told her that I had other things to do than wait around. Still got paid though.

@BuffaloNY101 wrote:

I have done more than my fair share of new car shops and they take me 45 mins to an hour on average and the reports I have got down to 30 minutes tops. Some tricks are no more than 3 new car shops a day as details on them will blend together I very rarely do 2. If visiting a dealer that sells several brands aka multiple locations with different brands do some homework and say you want to check out a competitor brand that dealer doesn't carry. Never ever say you will be trading in your vehicle unless the requirements say so. I have personally never seen it. Looking to buy within the next week or so. This makes it easier to state you still wish to look at other makes. There is no price that will make you buy today and if they push give some absurd price like $1000.

How do you do the reports in 30 min? Mine take forever.