Car Dealership Mystery Shopping:
Test Drives and Sales Evaluations
Car dealership mystery shopping gave me the opportunity to test-drive vehicles I might never have driven otherwise.
I've completed a number of automobile dealership assignments, including luxury-car shops and hidden-video evaluations.
These assignments can be interesting, but they involve more than walking into a dealership and asking for a test drive. You have to understand the scenario, know what you're looking for, interact naturally with the salesperson, and remember the details you'll need for your report.
Most importantly, you have to be believable.
Want more help getting started? My book, Take That Job And Mystery Shop It!, walks you through finding assignments, completing shops, writing reports, and avoiding many of the mistakes new shoppers make.
Prepare Before Visiting the Dealership
For the assignments I've completed, I was usually expected to act like a legitimate potential customer.
That requires preparation.
An assignment may specify a particular vehicle or type of vehicle you're interested in. Before arriving, I would familiarize myself with enough information to have a believable conversation with the salesperson.
You don't have to become an automotive expert.
But if you walk into a dealership supposedly interested in buying a vehicle and know absolutely nothing about what you're looking for, you can make the scenario more difficult than it needs to be.
Read the mystery shopping instructions first. If the assignment provides specific questions or a scenario, follow those requirements.
You Need a Believable Story
This was particularly important on some of my luxury-car assignments.
A salesperson may ask what kind of vehicle you're looking for, what features interest you, what you're currently driving, or what price range you're considering.
Your answers need to make sense together.
I don't recommend inventing unnecessary personal details. Use the scenario supplied by the mystery shopping company and be prepared for reasonable follow-up questions.
The goal isn't to fool the salesperson with an elaborate performance.
It's to behave naturally enough that the salesperson provides the same presentation a legitimate prospective customer would receive.
The Sales Presentation
Once I entered the dealership, I evaluated how the salesperson handled the interaction.
Depending on the assignment, I might observe how quickly I was acknowledged, what questions the salesperson asked, how well the vehicle was explained, whether certain features were demonstrated, and whether the salesperson tried to move the conversation toward a sale.
A car dealership mystery shopper needs to pay attention while still participating naturally.
That's harder than it sounds.
You can't spend the entire presentation staring at your phone and taking notes. You need to interact with the salesperson while mentally keeping track of the information the client wants.
Taking the Test Drive
Some of my dealership assignments included a test drive.
If your instructions require you to accept a test drive when offered, that's part of the assignment. Other projects may have different requirements.
Again, follow the scenario rather than assuming every automobile shop works the same way.
During a test drive, the salesperson may continue explaining features and asking questions. That means the evaluation hasn't stopped just because you've left the dealership.
Pay attention to what's being discussed and anything specifically mentioned in your questionnaire.
My Hidden-Video Dealership Assignments
I've also completed dealership evaluations using hidden video equipment.
Video adds another dimension because the client can see and hear much of the sales presentation rather than relying entirely on my written description afterward.
For the shopper, however, it adds another responsibility.
Before entering the dealership, I needed to know that my equipment was working and positioned properly. I still had to follow the scenario, interact naturally, and complete the written requirements afterward.
Anyone interested in this type of work should gain experience with regular mystery shopping before jumping into hidden-video assignments.
The Lincoln Continental Assignment
One of my more memorable experiences involved several luxury-car shops.
For those particular assignments, I needed transportation that fit the scenario better than the vehicle I normally drove.
The mystery shopping company arranged to cover a rental car for me—a Lincoln Continental.
I had the car for two days and completed four dealership assignments.
That worked for both sides. The company had several locations it needed evaluated, and I had already completed assignments for them, so they knew I was dependable.
For me, it also meant spending a couple of days driving a Lincoln Continental.
Not a bad mystery shopping assignment.
But I wouldn't assume a mystery shopping company will normally pay for a rental vehicle. That was a particular arrangement for those assignments.
Car Dealership Mystery Shopping: Look at the Entire Assignment
Car dealership mystery shopping can require considerably more time than a quick retail visit.
Before accepting one, consider the entire assignment:
How far is the dealership?
How long might the sales presentation take?
Is a test drive required?
Is hidden video involved?
Are there specific questions you must ask?
How detailed is the report?
Are follow-up contacts part of the evaluation?
Those details determine whether the assignment is worthwhile.
Don't accept a dealership shop simply because driving a luxury vehicle sounds fun.
Be Accurate After You Leave
Once you're away from the dealership, record the important details while they're still fresh in your mind.
If you're completing a written shop, good notes can make the final report much easier.
If you're completing a video assignment, verify that your required recording was captured properly and follow the company's instructions for submitting the files.
Your report should describe what actually happened rather than what you think the salesperson should have done.
That's true whether you're evaluating a convenience store, hotel, dental office, or automobile dealership.
Car dealership mystery shopping can be one of the more interesting assignments because you're evaluating a longer and more complicated sales presentation.
Sometimes you even get to take a pretty nice car for a drive along the way.
About the Author
I'm Mystery Don (Donald J. Servais, Jr.), and I've completed mystery shopping assignments for restaurants, hotels, apartment communities, automobile dealerships, new-home builders, and other businesses.
I created MystShopper.com to share what I've learned from my own experiences, help new shoppers avoid common mistakes, and explain how legitimate mystery shopping really works.
I'm also the author of Take That Job And Mystery Shop It!, which includes beginner-friendly advice, real-world mystery shopping experiences, and a directory of more than 150 mystery shopping companies.
Drawing on my 45-year career in television, I've also written 7 Keys to Success in a Changing Television Industry, a guide for people interested in building a career in television and video.
My goal is simple: honest guidance without the hype.
We're always looking for new faces to visit different places.
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