Make Some Extra Money by Mystery Shopping

What Exactly Is Mystery Shopping?

Mystery shopping refers to a market research tool intended to assess the quality of retail service of a company.  Mystery shoppers pose as regular customers in a retail shop with the specific purpose of evaluating the behavioral pattern of the shop staff toward customers and provide feedback. A retail outlet may not be the only venue for a mystery shopper. Movie theaters, banks, apartments, and health clubs are some examples of places where mystery shopping is done to survey customer satisfaction.

What Are The Objectives?

To start with, the client company ties up with a company providing mystery shopping services. A well defined survey model is drawn up with a specific view to enhance the quality of client company’s services. Assignments are allocated to mystery shoppers to conduct the survey in a particular method. The job involves a number of activities including:

* Assessing the number of employees in the store.

* Gathering the names of the employees.

* Judging service impressions during first contact. For instance, whether the response was quick enough and friendly or slack and lackluster.

* Evaluating the expertise of the service staff by asking probing questions of the product and its applications.

* Judging whether the employee made a genuine effort to close the sale.

* Noticing the speed of expediting service.

* Observing the upkeep and cleanliness of the store.

* Assessing the employees’ eagerness for follow up.

What Are The Methods Employed By Mystery Shoppers?

Observational techniques are considered the most valid method to do a mystery shopping survey. Observation is usually covert in nature where the surveyors do not identify themselves or divulge the purpose of their visit.

How Long Does A Mystery Assignment Take?

The time depends entirely on the type of assignment. In most cases it should not take more than 30 minutes. However, you need to add the time required for familiarizing yourself with the questionnaire and briefing and also doing some homework. After the assignment is complete you have to add the time required for posting the results on the web.

Does The Mystery Shopper Need To Adhere To A Schedule?

Yes, definitely so. Once the mystery shopper accepts an assignment, he or she will have to confirm the date of survey as well as the date of submission of results.

How The Shopper Is Paid And What Are Are The Modes Of Payment?

The quality control section of the services company evaluates the results of the mystery shopper. Thereafter the payments are processed. This procedure may take up to a maximum of 4 weeks. Payments are usually done via electronic transfer to the mystery shopper’s bank account.