Mystery shopping is no longer a secretive, treacherous prank, played by ungrateful employers. It is now a legitimate survey technique that stretches beyond a simple measurement of compliance and service quality. Mystery shopping is a legitimate mechanism for enhancing loyalty and integrity, and is a useful self-evaluation method for employees to improve their work with customers. Mystery shopping is now very transparent, rather than “mysterious”, as employees are encouraged to embrace the usefulness of the results obtained through mystery shopping on the company premises. Mystery shopping, however, is not an ad hoc initiative to surprise, and possibly frustrate, with irrational pressure, but a controlled survey that follows a strict scenario and directions. To learn more about the nuts and bolts of mystery shopping, read further.

Mystery shopping is a realistic experience!

For those who have never been mystery shoppers before, mystery shopping may be a very vague concept, as its name implies some clandestine activity. Moreover, mystery shopping has got itself a rather bad reputation through its alleged background of biased evaluations, untrained mystery shoppers, and the instances of punitive actions undertaken on the basis of the mystery shopping findings.

However, mystery shopping has evolved into a legitimate technique that aims to help both employers and employees evaluate their overall service quality; to help supervisors identify gaps in staff training, and to enhance human resource morale strategically. Mystery shopping is no longer an amateurish staging of customer visits, but a custom-tailored shopping experience that aims to reveal specific aspects of company’s services through a carefully designed scenario. The Market Research Society (MRS) has also acknowledged the legitimacy and usefulness of the practice of mystery shopping. The MRS has also developed a Code of Conduct to supply the ethical and technical guidelines for conducting effective and ethical mystery shopping.

What Mystery Shoppers have to Gain

Mystery shopping has recruited hundreds of thousands of people internationally over the past decade. Even though there is usually no qualification required, mystery shoppers need to undergo some training and follow directions in order to conduct their mystery shopper visits in line with ethics. Companies that hire mystery shoppers usually have precise goals in mind; therefore, mystery shoppers should be instructed how best to follow the shopping scenario in order to collect information that helps achieve companies’ goals. To provide objective insights, realistic impressions and precise customer feedback is what mystery shoppers are paid for. Besides direct payments, mystery shoppers also have a lot of intangible gains – they contribute to the improvement of service quality in their area; they help HR managers design better staff training programs that also enhance worker satisfaction. Mystery shoppers also get a lot of free perks, free merchandise, free services, free vacations and family entertainment opportunities. One of the greatest gains for mystery shoppers is building a reputation, which can help them turn mystery shopping from an off-the-job hobby to a successful full-time career.

Why become a Mystery Shopper?

Mystery shopping is a relatively new area in market research, and as such is developing in new, exciting directions. It is highly rewarding for those who value interpersonal contact, work dynamics, traveling and job flexibility that also allow them to make a significant contribution to improving customer satisfaction. As more and more people abandon their static careers and opt for more flexible jobs that respect their time-at-home needs, mystery shopping has become a viable and alluring alternative for a part-time or full-time job. Mystery shopping, among other telecommuting and work-at-home businesses, can be an exciting opportunity to enter the world of market research, meeting new people, earning cash and free stuff, while having plenty of time to devote to your family, hobbies or friends.