Collecting Data Via Mystery Shops
Mystery shopping programs require a lot of time and effort to successfully put into place. Not only do these companies need to find clients to work with, but they also need to recruit people to perform mystery shopping assignments, schedule the mystery shops during a time frame that the client wants, and train new shoppers.
Once a shop has been scheduled, a system must be put in place so that each shopper receives the appropriate survey form and have time to review it before the assignment starts. Once the assignment has been done, the mystery shopping company needs to collect it and review the results quickly. Many clients want to have this information in hand within 24-48 hours of the assignment being completed.
A plan must be put in place to provide backup in case a shopper is unable to complete an assignment they agreed to take on.
In addition, each shopper who is actively working must be supervised to ensure that they are performing their duties properly. One way that mystery shopping companies ensure that they receive the mystery shoppers’ reports in a timely manner is to set early deadlines to receive them after the shopping assignment has been completed.
Mystery shoppers are given specific guidelines and scripts to follow when they receive their instructions for an assignment. This policy is set so that each shopper who is sent to a particular business buys the same products and asks the staff the same questions. That way, the reports the mystery shopping company has to work with are objective, rather than one individual’s subjective opinion about the business.
Once the mystery shop has taken place and employees are made aware of the results, they may dispute some details about the visit or the shopper’s findings entirely. Sending in more than one mystery shopper to a particular location helps to ensure that the information being presented is as accurate as possible.
That way, the information the client company is being given to work with is as accurate as possible. This is important, since the company will be making decisions about policies and training based on them.