If you are like most people, spending time talking to a car salesman is not your idea of a good time. In fact, an hour at the car dealership may rank right up there with a root canal. So when you see car dealership shops pop up in your inbox, your first inclination may be to pass up on that oh-so-enticing offer to sit in a car dealership for an afternoon. But it may actually be worth your time to give those shops a second glance.
It’s Not Personal! When you go to a car dealership to purchase your own car, there are a lot of emotions at play. You may have found your dream car and can’t wait to take it home. But that pesky salesperson won’t give you the deal you want and frustrations build. Or perhaps on your last trip to the car dealership, you walked away with that great car, but feel you got robbed in the process. You may still be carrying around some of those sore feelings.
The good news about a shop at a car dealership is that you absolutely won’t be making a purchase – not even fuzzy dice or a key chain. You’re not seriously considering buying a car, so all of the emotional aspects of a normal visit to the car dealership won’t be there. You can enjoy an afternoon of tire-kicking and test-driving, and in the process you may actually have a good time. Check out the latest models, and test drive cars you wouldn’t normally even consider driving – like that fancy new sports car sitting on the lot. If you’re up for a little revenge from your last visit to the car dealership, you can even give the salesperson a run for his money by testing out his product knowledge with a “fun” game of twenty questions! Who says you can’t have fun at a car dealership?
Time Well Spent. If you get right down to business with your car dealership shop (and avoid the impulse to see how knowledgeable your salesperson really is), you can make some decent cash in a rather short amount of time. These shops typically pay significantly higher than retail or restaurant shops. Considering the major requirements of a car dealership shop can be completed within about twenty to thirty minutes of on-site work, you really aren’t spending any more time at the car dealership than you would at a retail store, and likely less time than you would with a restaurant shop. Of course, if you take your time and test drive a couple of different cars while you are there, it may take a bit longer.
While the paperwork on these car dealership shops may ask different questions than what you are used to, they take approximately the same amount of time to complete as any other shop. So the bottom line with a car dealership shop is that you can make more money in the same amount of time as any other typical shop.
While a car dealership shop may sound like one of the worst ways to make an extra buck, if you give this type of shop a try, you’ll find that they not only are profitable but you can also have a little fun in the process!
I have always been interested in the car shops and until this week, haven’t had the opportunity to do one. High pressure sales aren’t my favorite thing, but I’m willing to try it since it’s a bonus shop and I can really use the $30. Plus, we are in the market for a new (used) vehicle, so this will be a learning experience and hope I get some good information.
Response to Jay –
Yes, mystery shopping is for real. I work a full time job and do mystery shopping on the side. I’ve made some nice extra money, but don’t think I could make a living at it. My husband and I have been able to eat at some very nice restaurants which normally we wouldn’t have been able to afford. I’ve gotten free haircuts, shoes, clothing, bowling, movies, dog toys/treats, etc. Do a search on line for “free mystery shopping” and also lis the state that you live in” and start registering. I am registered with over 20 companies and the trick to always having shops to chose from is being registered with as many companies as possible. I have never had to pay a fee for a shop listing and would recommend you not pay a fee, as there are many companies out there that do not charge. Even further, the ones that do charge don’t get anything that much different than the ones that don’t charge. Each company is different with how you request a shop (some are self-assign, others you need to request to be assigned) and the paperwork, payment schedule is always different. Having a PayPal account will allow you to register with more companies as some only accept PayPal as their form of payment. Read the instructions thoroughly before your shop, pay attention to the deadlines and don’t schedule anything you aren’t positive you can do. Cancelling and rescheduling shops can really hurt your chances of getting future shops. I would recommend mystery shopping to anyone that is well organized, can keep a schedule, is well written, good with details, can follow instructions and is good with paperwork. Happy Shopping!
Hey Witchmeadowdoc…I have been poking around this and other sites on MS and you post a lot. I notice you always seem to be complaining about not getting paid but say you blew the assignment in one fashion or another. You seem to have a very negative attitude overall and I would just suggest you reread your posts and limit new ones to useful information instead of personal rants. You are obviously experienced and I’m sure you’re insights would help a lot of people if you could just lose the negativity. Good luck!
I have recently began mystery shopping and my first three were car shops. They were easy to do, I took my 3 year old with me and I did one in my town. A few days later I completed a couple days later. The second one I went to the salesman ASKED me what I drove at the first. I was caught off guard but played it off well. Then I went down the road to the third, I was very nervous since all 3 are the same ownership which is how they knew I had been to the Saturn dealer first AND this last one was another Saturn. Besides that making me nervous as we are leaving to go on the test drive the manager that came out and said hello was the SAME manager from 3 days earlier. I thought sure my cover was blown and I wouldn’t be getting paid but all was well. Very much worth the 3-4 hours I spent to get $90!
I sure would like to know how to get hooked up with these kinds of shops.
I have done a dealership shop. Please, be careful. It was a good thing, I took a digital recorder. The shopping company wasn’t satisfied with what you remembered. Read the shop carefully. My shop required a test drive of a specific year and model of car, of which there was only one on the lot. I had to remember the selling points, the description of the salesman, the number of people in the showroom, and more, which made it hard to focus on the sales conversation. I got by because I own a small business and I used to be a line foreman for gm. The shopping company did not want to honor the bonus, because I left of two of the selling points. When, they emailed me I amended the form with quotes. They even commented on how well the amendment was. They told me they were not going to change the report, but they still did not pay me the full payment. The higher the pay, the higher the expectation. I now keep a transcript of all my shops. These shops usually silver or gold certifications.
Good Luck.
Excited and ready!!!!
I’m excited and ready to do the car dealership shopping.I will be an asset to all that employ me for this position!!!
Hello- I am very interested in becoming a mystery car shopper. Please tell me how!Thanks, Darrell
Please send me a assignment, I m very interested. Thank you
I am very interested in this. I live in KY and I am an avid mystery shopper, merchandiser, in store demostrator, and audits.
yes, would be interested in shopping for cars.