Mystery Shopping

What is mystery shopping? is an interesting practice for those businesses that interact with customers on a regular basis. It is an excellent way to collect detailed feedback on a service or product. Mystery shoppers are typically local residents who live within five miles of the company they are visiting. They may be stay-at-home moms or recent college graduates, or they could be retired professionals, traveling by RV. Mystery shoppers don’t get paid as employees of the company, but instead, they receive assignments in which they are required to interact with the company’s staff and management.

Essentially, mystery shopping is the process of visiting a company undercover as a potential customer and assessing its performance against predetermined criteria. This data can range from customer service to product quality to employee behavior. Using a mystery shopper helps organizations gain valuable insight into a business’s service and customer satisfaction. Mystery shoppers are also useful for assessing the physical appearance of a business. For example, they may be assigned to evaluate a retail store’s customer service.

Mystery shoppers provide valuable feedback for companies through their observations of customer service, operations, and merchandising. Many successful companies use the data collected from mystery shoppers to improve their training programs, customer experience, and branding messages. Some companies even use the results of mystery shopping as part of their management bonus programs or balanced scorecards. Mystery shoppers can also be invaluable in improving employee performance and service levels. So what are mystery shoppers? And how does it work?

The process of mystery shopping began in the 1940s as a way to police bad employees. Today, it has evolved into a multi-billion-dollar industry. Mystery shoppers evaluate all aspects of a customer’s experience, from ordering a cup of coffee to waiting for a flight. Mystery shoppers can even complete their assignments online, allowing for faster, more thorough assessments. You’ll be glad you did. And your customers will thank you!