When budgets are tight, can a company still motivate employees and gather reliable customer experience insights? Yes — if the program is built with precision.
A national automotive brand needed a way to evaluate whether dealership associates correctly promoted two special tire offers during inbound phone inquiries. At the same time, they wanted to reward employees on the spot — but only had a strict, limited budget for both mystery shops and incentives.
They turned to Confero for a solution that balanced accuracy, speed, and cost control.
Objective: Evaluate Promotion Delivery & Reward Strong Performance — Without Exceeding Budget
The client wanted to know:
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Were associates consistently mentioning the two tire promotions?
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Would rewards motivate stronger performance?
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Could the program operate within fixed spending limits while providing reliable data?
They needed a turnkey telephone mystery shopping program that verified behaviors and delivered rewards, all while protecting the incentive budget.
Approach: A Structured, Cost-Controlled Mystery Shop Program
Confero designed a program of randomized telephone mystery shops over a set timeframe. Each shopper:
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Called a dealership posing as a consumer seeking tire information.
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Listened for the required promotional mentions.
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Revealed the mystery shop at the end of the call if — and only if — the associate met all criteria.
On-the-Spot Rewards
When associates succeeded, shoppers immediately:
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Congratulated them
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Collected an address for reward delivery
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Triggered Confero’s fulfillment workflow
Confero also created custom-branded gift cards and card carriers, reinforcing positive recognition from the client a second time when the reward arrived.
Solution: End-to-End Execution with Strict Budget Control
To stay within budget, Confero:
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Tracked daily spending for calls, gift card production, activation fees, and reward amounts
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Ensured mystery shoppers awarded prizes accurately
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Completed immediate quality reviews before confirming rewards
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Managed inventory, activation, packaging, and mailing of branded gift cards
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Provided easy, executive-level reporting showing:
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Promotion mentions
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Call transfer handling
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Behavioral trends across dealerships
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This eliminated manual work for the client and ensured every dollar supported the desired behaviors.
Results: A Motivated Team & A Program Delivered On Time and On Budget
Through careful quality control and precise program management, Confero:
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Delivered all calls within the client’s tight timeframe
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Protected the incentive budget with accurate shopper performance
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Reinforced promotion consistency across dealerships
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Helped the client reward associates quickly and meaningfully
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Provided clear insights that strengthened sales coaching and brand consistency
This program demonstrated that effective employee motivation and reliable research can coexist even within strict budget constraints — when designed and managed with care.
Curious to learn more?
Topics that may be of interest with links are:
Telephone Mystery Shopping Services
Automotive Sales & Service Customer Experience Research
On the Spot Rewards Case Study – Tips to Keep Your Mystery Shopping Program Fresh
