Mystery Shopping Companies Research Jobs

What is Mystery Shopping?

Mystery shopping is a means of evaluating exactly how well a company is performing in terms of customer service, by way of measuring and maintaining the expected level of consistency of service from customer to customer. It's particularly effective because staff are completely unaware of who exactly is responsible for providing the feedback about their performance on any given day and at any given time. The idea, therefore, is to ensure that staff give a standardised service experience to every customer they encounter, as they have no clue as to who might be a mystery shopper.

It's usual for companies to undertake an assessment of the levels of customer service during particularly busy periods, and at various different times throughout the year when customer levels are at their highest. This ensures that the levels of service determined by the retailer are adhered to under pressure and at times when certain areas of service are more likely to suffer.

What types of Products and Services are Evaluated?

There are many different types of retailers who require mystery shoppers for their research: fast-food outlets, restaurant chains, health clubs, cinemas, hotels, and even clothing stores all require regular research into how their staff are performing. It's important not to confuse mystery shopping research with providing the occasional piece of feedback to a retailer - in fact, mystery shopping is considerably more detailed and requires a shopper to observe and report on things which might otherwise escape their notice unless they were specifically required to do so.

How are the Findings of the Research Reported?

The ways in which a mystery shopper delivers their evaluation will vary depending on the retailer. It may simply be a case of collecting information based on a questionnaire. In some cases they might be required to upload a short video of their findings, or they may be interviewed about the results of their experience. In most cases a simple questionnaire suffices, but, if considering this role, you should be prepared to answer some fairly detailed questions based on accurate, unbiased observations. After all, a retailer cannot implement new or exciting changes without clear information.

An important point of note is to be aware that your research begins from the moment you step into the premises - and sometimes you are even required to assess the outside of the premises - so make sure your observation skills are finely tuned, and that you have read and re-read the requirements before undertaking your research.

Typically, an evaluation of cleanliness, tidiness and general ambiance will need to be assessed and measured, so be aware of the need to form an impression of how inviting and enticing the store is when you first enter. This is very important for your overall appraisal as every retailer wants to maximise a first impression opportunity.

Once you've checked these areas discreetly, you can then select your purchase based on what the retailer requires of you. (You will be given this information up-front to avoid the possibility of any blunders.) You may also be required to record your waiting time in a queue, particularly if you are undertaking a research job for a fast-food outlet - this may require more than one timing point.

It's essential to be well rehearsed and to appear confident and in control when dealing with staff during the evaluation; but above all, remember to keep within the guidelines given to you by the retailer or the market research company you are dealing with.

Delivering Results

Your observations and appraisal will go a long way towards improving shoppers' experiences, so it's important that you are not overly-critical of areas that require a certain amount of fairness. For example, if you sitting in a very busy coffee-shop and there are some dirty tables here and there, be mindful that there will be a time-frame in which to assess how well the staff deal with the general cleaning of the seating area.

Mystery shopping research can be fun, engaging, constructive, and is very highly valued by the retailer. Give it your absolute best and help shape the future of retail!