21-00080 - Secret Shopper Program (21-00080)

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?