In mystery shopping car dealerships I have lost count of the times sales people have ignored women shopping for a car if a male is not present.

How dumb is that?

Women comprise about half the population! Many have high earnings. And one way or another they have considerable influence over the other half!

A great example happened right in my own office. I had invited a couple of mystery shoppers in for a chat because they were not just mystery shopping, but actually buying a car.

The couple had been to one of our car customers looking for a 4WD to take around Australia. The sales person didn’t even offer the wife a test drive. She had a bad back and she would not purchase until she was sure that the seat would support her back properly. The husband wanted to buy, but the wife said NO with considerable emphasis.

I wonder how many sales have been destroyed in this way - in the kitchen perhaps, where the objection is never heard by the sales person.

This story was told to us by one of our mystery shoppers. She was not mystery shopping, but buying. She had recently had a baby and needed to upgrade the family car, so she went to a large motor vehicle dealership with her baby and her mum. Here’s what she said…

“My worst (customer) experience was when I was looking to purchase a new  car.  The sales assistant did not take me seriously as my husband was not with me.  The sales person would not provide me with brochures or prices on the car I was interested in and was reluctant to give a test drive of the vehicle despite the fact I said I was looking to purchase a car within the next week.”

Our mystery shopper ended buying a car alright, but it was another brand at a different dealership. She told us that the car she purchased was not her first choice, but after her bad experience at the first dealership she decided not to purchase their brand.

Great service doesn’t mean you will win the sale. BAD service on the other hand is guaranteed to LOSE sales every time.

One of our mystery shoppers told us this horror story about her experience with a small pizza chain. Here it is as a guest post.

My most recent best & worst experiences came from the same business - my favourite pizza restaurant. I was recently served by the store owner and was given polite, prompt service in immaculate surroundings. My order was made exactly to my specification and was cheaper than I expected. Also the owner chatted to me in a friendly manner while my pizza was cooking. And the pizza was delicious!

The following week I was served by a rude, abrupt young man who ignored me for the first few minutes. He was untidily attired and filthy dirty. Food was slopped all over his clothes & dough stuck to his hands. The surroundings were no better. The benches were covered in food, as was the floor. My order was wrong and I was overcharged. And the lad argued with me about the price before telling me “STIFF.”

It will be quite some time before I return!