Secret Shoppers

[jerrykramer64fan]

Maybe I'm stupid or not informed, but does anyone know details? I was at a long term care CE seminar/certification and before the guy running started talking he asked two questions. He said" Is anybody here a representative of the insurance commissioners office? You have to tell me. Is anyone here a representitive of CMS? You have to tell me." Everybody just laughed, but after I left I started thinking. Was he right, they have to tell him? Under what circumstances is this true? If someone calls me and I ask them those questions, do they have to tell me? I go to someones house and there are some people there (friends) that I didn't know were going to be there, and I ask those questions, do they have to tell me? I do an educational event and ask those questions, do they have to tell me? Is this a major CYA that isn't advertised, or is it only true at these larger events or only under certain criteria? Anybody????

 

[bluemarlin08]

Why would it matter? I sure hope they attend some of the "seminars" that are targeted at Seniors, I know I have exposed one outfit and the Attorney General was sending someone to the next event.

 

[Norwayguy]

I don't work this market but would be interested to find out if its true...I wonder if this would work...."Are you just sitting here to waste my time...you know you have to tell me" Actually act first glance I thought the question is cheesy and might put you in the wrong light with clients....but on the other hand I would hate to waste an hour of my time doing a presentation for a secret shopper with no interest in buying from me but to just waste my time and try to find a me slipping up on a rule....

 

[jerrykramer64fan]

I guarantee I could put it as a joke and they would think it's funny. It would also make them realize that buying health insurance is a little more serious than buying donuts. Most people have no idea of the rules and regulations that we have to comply with and that not just any *** can sell insurance (most, but not any). I have always wondered exactly how they do the shopping. Are they people employed by Medicare that really don't need coverage and are just seeing if you are compliant or are they people that really need it, but are also a secret shopper. Yes, I would like to know if I'm just wasting my time. I don't think it's right if they use people that don't need the coverage, make you spend the time to shop their med sups, advantage plans, part D, with no chance of compensation. On top of screwing with commissions and not releasing the 2nd half of my legal/valid commissions owed to me for advantage plans. When will we get that?

Heck, if they told me they were, I might give them the presentation anyway just to see what they think.

 

[jdeasy]

I've never done seminars, but, I know many agents that do them all the time. To a person they say they can spot a secret shopper a mile away.

I suspect that I could as well.

 

[Guest]

I have heard about AARP sending secret shoppers to seminars. Try this link.

ConsumerMan: Shady retirement seminars - ConsumerMan- msnbc.com

 

[Todd King]

I would imagine that's like the old, "are you a cop, you have to tell me" thing....no, they don't have to tell you anything! I wonder how many have gone to jail over thinking they had to be told.

 

[allhealthandlife]

Maybe I'm stupid or not informed, but does anyone know details? I was at a long term care CE seminar/certification and before the guy running started talking he asked two questions. He said" Is anybody here a representative of the insurance commissioners office? You have to tell me. Is anyone here a representitive of CMS? You have to tell me." Everybody just laughed, but after I left I started thinking. Was he right, they have to tell him? Under what circumstances is this true? If someone calls me and I ask them those questions, do they have to tell me? I go to someones house and there are some people there (friends) that I didn't know were going to be there, and I ask those questions, do they have to tell me? I do an educational event and ask those questions, do they have to tell me? Is this a major CYA that isn't advertised, or is it only true at these larger events or only under certain criteria? Anybody????

I had a secrect shopper in one of my seminars at Golden Corral.

How did I know ? Was it the fact that this lady was younger and asking more intelligent Medicare questions than most people in attendence ? Was it the fact that she was there by herself to collect information for her mother or the fact that she was taking notes dilegently in her legal pad ? Or the fact that she left promptly after I was finished talking without staying for a free cookie ?

No - the way I knew it was a secret shopper was because the dumbass forgot to take her legal pad with her and left it on the table so I could read her notes.

Whats even better is that in her notes that she forgot to take with her she noted that I didn't disclose that I was compensated for enrollments which I did. In fact my manager happened to be sitting in on the seminar and witnessed my statement.

I was kind of hoping a complaint would come down from the carrier so we could expose the incompetence of this secret shopper.

 

[jerrykramer64fan]

Now my bet is that that person actually worked for Medicare. Where else could you get such sharp people?

 

[Norwayguy]

Now my bet is that that person actually worked for Medicare. Where else could you get such sharp people?

Now that comment is funny....sharp people?