Automotive News [AN, sub] reveals that ChryCo's been running the "Chrysler Multi-Million Dollar Mystery Shop Challenge" since May 12 (way to stay on top of a story). From that fabled date until the end of the year, "the automaker will conduct more than 20,000 mystery shopper visits, roughly one for every sales consultant at every dealership." Salespeople who pass the test with "flying colors" are entered into a draw for $1k. Woo-hoo! Only AN forgot to ask how many C-notes will be awarded. Anyway, is Chrysler checking the honesty and integrity of their dealers' sales staff? You know: making sure there's no bullying or misrepresentation? Are they Hell. "Chrysler hopes the program will get the sales force focused on the attributes of its vehicles… Chrysler claims the program can be a motivational tool and can focus its sales force on promoting the virtues of its vehicles, rather than deals." As churlish as this sounds, is that really a good idea?
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Hey, anything that improves customer service can’t be that bad.
Look what Saturn’s reputation for customer service did for them, basically it kept them going despite weak product.
If you’re a salesman trying to sell a Sebring on “the virtues of the vehicle”, I’d venture a guess that you could be sued for libel or forgery. The deal is the only way to sell a horrible vehicle such as that one.
It might be just to increase showroom traffic by 100% – paying mystery shoppers to take up space acting like real customers.
It is a “lag” indicator, which has limited value. Better to spend time on “lead” indicators, like:
-Who are you hiring as salespeople?
-What type of customer actually deals with salespeople these days (i.e. non-wired, elderly, immigrant, etc.)? Is this customer more naive and thus more susceptible to devious sales tactics?
-Does management encourage honest sales tactics?
This program is worthless. There must be an other motive for it–perhaps it is a devious way to gather evidence against a dealership so that they can close it down without having to pay off the franchise?
There is a lot more to a good car buying experience than a sales person that can recite the manufacturer’s marketing material but I guess every effort, however small, should be applauded.
Mystery shoppers are not so bad as their used in retail all the time (which also has service issues!). At least their interested in improving customer service.
Whatever happened to Chrysler’s Executive Phone Bank effort? Who wants to bet we will never hear boo from Chrysler about that program again?
The real mystery is that they still have people shopping at their dealerships. Just think, Toyota sells 1,071 cars per location and Chrysler sells 115. (Automotive News is the source)
Shoppers are obvious at the Chrysler dealership.
No mention of the service department. It would be nice to have a mystery shopper bring in a “lemon car” for warrenty work, and then fight to have tooth and nail to get warrenty work approved-only to have the same problem resurface soon after.
Some math:
Chrysler has ~20,000 sales reps in dealerships. It sells about 2 million cars. So each sales rep sells 100 cars a year, right?
Let’s say the rep gets paid $100 per sale. He makes $10k per annum, which works out to $5/hour.
Cashiers in my area make $11 per hour.
SHould the product is good it’ll sell by itself.
I used to live in a small town BC Canada. They say Honda sell by itself no need salesperson.
Except in our town the Honda bike/ ATV dealer has a idiot owner who treats u better when u buy a jug of oil than buying a bike.
The evidence support by going to the local dirt bike track, one cannot see more than 10 Honda bikes there. The owners all seem to came from out of town, the locals just avoided the Honda like Plague.
So if Chryslerbus has good reliability/dependability the salesperson will be a non issue, and probably can even sell them at full profit.
i can make this simple. Toyota is God. Jim Press led Toyota. So Jim Press is God (or God like, but I digress). This program is problably initiated by Jim Press so it is from God. There, see how easy that was?
“Salespeople who pass the test with “flying colors” are entered into a draw for $1k. Woo-hoo! Only AN forgot to ask how many C-notes will be awarded.”
A $1,000.00 prize would consist of 10 C-notes.
gamper:
Text amended.