Mystery Shopping works! But how?
Whether you want to know how Mystery Shopping delivers results for a business, or you fancy doing a bit of mystery shopping yourself, knowing what makes a good shopper is fundamental.
As a Mystery Shopper your findings are the foundation of what we do, so it is essential that your work is carried out to the highest standard. So what's required to be a good Mystery Shopper?
1. Honesty
First and foremost, shoppers must be honest and unbiased. Your feedback should provide the client with a clear, accurate and complete picture of your customer experience. As well as answering specific questions, you may also be asked for your own personal viewpoint. Your comments should always be objective and a fair reflection of your experience.
2. Act Natural
You should only take on projects that you are comfortable with as it is important that you enact your scenario in a natural, convincing manner. Do not give a running commentary on what is happening or comment on the appearance or performance of the store or staff in relation to the mystery shop as you may be overheard.
3. Ability to Follow a Brief
I cannot stress how important this is! Each mystery shopping project will come with a specific project brief, designed by the client. This will give you an understanding of what the client is looking to measure during your visit and prevent you prompting staff to do things they are being measured on. If a brief isn’t followed correctly it may mean the Mystery Shop is invalid, and the client business won’t get the valuable and realistic feedback they rely on to monitor their business.
4. Writing and PC Skills
Although you don’t need an English degree or to be an IT genius, you do need to have basic English writing and computing skills. It is very important that shoppers write clear and concise reports, including specifics of the project. Make sure you re-read your work, looking out for spelling and grammatical errors before submitting. Think about how the client will be reading the report, set the scene and write a story for them! Writing information-rich and factual reports will increase your chances of taking on more mystery shopping projects.
5. Good Memory
Obviously, you can’t walk around the stores with a pen and paper in hand, so a good memory is key! It is helpful to print off a copy of the brief and questionnaire to complete by hand straight after your visit, while the details are still fresh in your memory. This should obviously be done out of sight of the location and staff and transferred onto the online system when you return home.
6. Reliability
Be realistic when accepting a project and do not commit to anything if it puts you under too much pressure to complete it in the agreed timescale. Do what you have agreed to do - unreliable mystery shoppers can jeopardise a whole project. If you do have a problem, communicate immediately so a solution can be found. Questionnaires must be submitted the morning after your visit so results can be processed as soon as possible, and a client reassured that their programme is active.
7. Remain a Mystery
The identity of a Mystery Shopper must always remain a mystery and should never be revealed during a visit! All projects that you undertake are strictly confidential and you must not disclose any information relating to your projects to third parties.
So, there we have it – easy right? And it's these exacting standards that ensure that the best customer focused businesses gather regular insight on their customer's experience, and take regular improvement action to do better every day.
If you'd like to know more, our friendly and experienced Insight Team are on hand to answer any questions you may have every step of the way. You can reach us on 01403 230650 or projects@yomdel.com
Or if you'd like to become a mystery shopper, please visit our website to sign up. https://www.yomdel.com/become-a-yomdel-shopper
