Secret Shopper Program

The CRTC is seeking to engage a firm that can collect high quality data using reasonable and believable scenarios. The project must use a mixed-methods research design that gathers both quantitative qualitative data from secret shoppers about how telecommunications and broadcasting products and/or services (Communications Services) are sold.

The CRTC’s primary research objective is to gain a better understanding of how front-line employees of the Service Providers sell Communications Services and how consumers experience the sales process to assist the CRTC in its decision-making process regarding misleading or aggressive sales practices. This project must be able to answer the following questions:

• How are Communications Services sold to secret shoppers?
• Is communication (verbal, written, and/or electronic) during the sales process perceived as clear, simple, and not misleading from the perspective of secret shoppers?
• Are there observable similarities and differences in how different Communications services are sold to consumers with a diverse range of demographic backgrounds, including consumers who may be more vulnerable due to their age, a disability, or a language barrier?