Are you obligated to work with Secret Shoppers?

[vic120]

I got paid on a secret shopper once selling home improvements. The deal with the people was that if I convinced them to put our product on their house, the company would reimburse them their purchase price and I still got a commission.
But every industry uses secret shoppers, get over it.

1st you got paid

2nd you weren't in a time-sensitive industry when you have up till a certain date to sign up

If I were like chazm got held up by a secret shopper dec 7th Id be soo pissed

3rd most industries secret shoppers just look for real issues, not every little fine detail you might have missed

Besides that why should I if I don't have to

 

[The Medicare Gal]

Now we weed them out easily. Just like you said. They have no idea who refered them. And they have other tells. Sorry bub. All booked up.

What are the other tells? Just wondering if I've ever been shopped. Wondering if I just thought it was a time-waster and never made the appointment. When I pretty much know it's a time-waster I set my alarm for 30 minutes and when it goes off I say I need to prepare for my next appointment (true) and politely end the call.

I almost always do a phone appointment before meeting with someone F2F. What should I look for besides the prospect not knowing who the referral source was? This has happened a few times, but I've never been notified that I was shopped.

 

[PA Bill]

What are the other tells? Just wondering if I've ever been shopped. Wondering if I just thought it was a time-waster and never made the appointment. When I pretty much know it's a time-waster I set my alarm for 30 minutes and when it goes off I say I need to prepare for my next appointment (true) and politely end the call.

I almost always do a phone appointment before meeting with someone F2F. What should I look for besides the prospect not knowing who the referral source was? This has happened a few times, but I've never been notified that I was shopped.

In this arena, the only way I see an agent finding out is the secret shopper reported the agent ran afoul of some MA rule like "scope of appointment".
Then you'd find out the hard way.

 

[goillini52]

Not sure I would call it beating the system. But why do the appointment if you already know beforehand that you are just walking into an appointment where someone's sole goal is to find something you are doing wrong and then report you?

Sounds like something the Dems spend all ther time doing.

 

[jacobtn]

Two ways to spot a secret shopper (I was secret shopped every year by the same carrier, now I know what to look for). I have a very large book with them as well and it pisses me off royally. Heres what I look for now after 10 years of dealing with it.

1. They ask for you by name, but cant tell you who referred them

2. They only want to discuss a specific carrier, and usually state this up front (the one that is paying them to secret shop you).

3. Nearly every time they will say they are shopping for their parent/aunt/etc. Not always, but often enough to be something to watch for.

They are easy to spot now that I've had it happen enough. I politely state that I cannot assist them that I am booked through the year.

I even had a compliance rep from the carrier call me last year and complain that I wasnt accommodating their secret shopper (their actual words). I told them "I'm sorry, I'm assisting my clients and booked solid. Have them shop elsewhere"


I have a member of my church who is also a long time client, and he uses a secret shopping app to get free meals at restaurants, and cash other places like car dealers etc. He stopped by my office recently and showed me my name and the ins carrier beside it that was offering to pay 50.00 to someone in exchange for secret shopping me. He was trying to help and warn me. Unfortunately when he selected the offer it was already taken. Guess I'm on their hit list again.

 

[The Medicare Gal]

Thanks @jacobtn that's helpful.

Based on that I think I've probably been shopped, but I make my clients jump through too many hoops (I require them to watch a video before I talk with them). I bet that most of my shoppers have dropped out because it's probably not worth the money. I make sure they fully understand MA plans before I ever meet with them.

I've turned away at least five MA prospects this AEP and referred them to friendly competitors. Don't have time to deal with certain people AND help my actual clients with the PDP fiasco this year.

 

[LostDollar]

If an agent was ahip certified, but only sold pdp, and not mapd as well, would they still get secret shopped?

 

[vic120]

If an agent was ahip certified, but only sold pdp, and not mapd as well, would they still get secret shopped?

Wait a Minute

Lost Dollar Are You secret shopping this forum?

 

[goillini52]

Wait a Minute

Lost Dollar Are You secret shopping this forum?

myinsurebiz has made that accusation before.

Could LD be guilty of "CMS Collusion"?

 

[vic120]

myinsurebiz has made that accusation before.

Could LD be guilty if "CMS Collusion"?

It's hard to tell if he has a Russian accent on the forum