Do Local Car Dealers Recognize Secret Shoppers? Insights from Industry Experts

Within the automotive industry, the skepticism surrounding whether local car dealers actually recognize secret shoppings is a common topic. Typically, these secret shoppings are conducted to evaluate service, product knowledge, and overall dealership performance. However, the reality often differs from what outsiders might expect. Let's dive into this matter and uncover the truth.

Secret Shoppings in the Automotive World

Many publications, including automotive magazines and websites, rely on direct sourcing from manufacturers for long-term tests and reviews. As a former employee of LandRover, Jaguar, and Volvo, I have firsthand experience with how these relationships work.

Occasionally, we received requests to supply cars for auto shows or press use, but even these typically go through a formal process. These setups are not what one would call a lsquo;secret shopperrsquo; test. They usually involve proprietary documentation and coordination to ensure the vehicles meet specific criteria. The concept of a ldquo;secret shopperrdquo; for routine reviews at dealerships is less common because it’s often easier and more cost-effective to gather reviews from legitimate customers. This approach provides more genuine feedback without the artificial environment of a controlled test.

Internal Secret Shoppings: A Way of Ensuring Quality

Internal secret shoppings, on the other hand, are a different matter. My dealer network frequently conducted such shoppings to ensure salespeople adhered to protocols and provided excellent customer service. This practice was implemented to maintain high standards and to reinforce the dealer grouprsquo;s values and processes.

Interestingly, these internal secret shoppings were often very easy to detect. The reason for this is that the upper management often scripted the interaction too thoroughly, making it evident when the salesperson was following a prepared dialogue rather than engaging in a genuine transaction. For example, during an internal test, the salesperson might randomly drop questions like, ldquo;What are the core values of your dealership group?rdquo; or, ldquo;Tell me about the aftercare programs at XYZ Automotive Group.rdquo; They would use exact wording from the dealer grouprsquo;s training materials, such as using ldquo;aftercarerdquo; and ldquo;core values,rdquo; and always referring to ldquo;XYZ Automotive Grouprdquo; rather than ldquo;your dealershiprdquo; or ldquo;hererdquo; or the brand name.

This scripted interaction often set off red flags, making it quite obvious that a test was in progress. While it is possible to conduct secret shoppings without the salesperson noticing, the experience tended to be more effective when the test was subtle. However, the internal structure of these tests can sometimes make it challenging to ensure a natural and authentic buying experience.

Conclusion

The automotive industry’s approach to secret shoppings, whether conducted by external organizations or internal ones, is interesting. While external secret shoppings are less common due to their high cost and the availability of natural reviews, internal secret shoppings remain a vital tool for ensuring service quality and adhering to dealership protocols.

For those seeking to assess the performance of a car dealership, it’s essential to consider the context in which these tests are performed. Whether they are conducted by an external organization or an internal team, the results can provide valuable insights into the dealership’s practices and services.