Dumb mistakes? Yeah, but every shopper has probably made a dumb mistake or two somewhere along the line. So what do you do now that you have really messed up on a shop?

Some mystery shopping companies have a “one strike and you’re out” rule, and if you make a major mistake that would cause the client to reject the shop report, they will deactivate your account. Others will consider your history with them and other factors. Even the companies that will automatically deactivate you may reconsider if you take the right approach.

When you realize you goofed up, fess up and apologize. I once missed doing a shop on the required day because I didn’t realize that location closed earlier than others, and I got there too late. Dumb mistake—I should have verified the hours when I was planning the shop. As soon as I got home, I emailed my scheduler and told her what had happened.

I didn’t know if there was any flexibility in the deadline, but I told the scheduler I would do the shop first thing the next day and immediately submit the report, if that was acceptable. She said that would be fine, and I was able to complete the shop and submit the report. Whew! No harm, no foul, as it turned out. Many times (but not always) the company has a little “fluff” built in to the deadline. Don’t count on it, but it could save you in case of an emergency or a dumb mistake.

Offer to do the shop on the day of their choosing. That may be the next day, or it may be another day if they are coordinating with other shopper visits. And what if that is not acceptable? Apologize again and ask what you can do to make up for your error. You caused the scheduler extra work, and may have caused lots of problems for the mystery shopping company. If you have a history with that company, remind them that you have always been reliable in the past, and this was a one-time occurrence. Many companies will not want to lose a good shopper over one mistake, even a big one.

What if you don’t have a history with them, or maybe with anyone? Impress upon them that you understand the seriousness of messing up a shop, and that it wasn’t because you took your assignment lightly. The fact is that there are a lot of shoppers who do not care about doing a good job—the “flake rate” for mystery shops averages about 25%—and you do not want to be lumped in with them.

If you are sincere in your dealings with the mystery shopping company, all may be forgiven. If not, well, there are lots of other companies out there. Just don’t make that mistake again! Once was enough for me to learn my lesson and make sure I verified all the location information before the shop. If you haven’t made one of these big mistakes, learn from my experience and don’t blow a shop–ever!

I just completed a secret shop, but I have forgotten the name of the employee who assisted me. The report requires the name. What can I do?

Whenever there is a problem in completing a report, one option is to contact your scheduler and ask what you should do. For example, they may be able to accept a description of the employee instead of the name.

You may be able to salvage this situation on your own, though. If you did get the name, but just can not remember it, make an attempt to recall how you got the name. Was the employee wearing a name tag? Did she introduce herself? Did you overhear another employee call her by name? The more you can recall about how you got the name, the more likely you are to remember the name.

Still don’t have it?

It may be possible to call the location and get the name. This requires some finesse. Do not call and say, “I was in earlier today to mystery shop you and I can’t remember the name of the person who helped me. Who is the blonde woman who was working in the shoe department at 2 o’clock?”

First of all, you should never identify yourself as the mystery shopper, even over the telephone. Secondly, they may lie and give you the wrong name, just to mess with the mystery shopper.

One solution might be to call back with an additional question about your transaction or about the products you were shown. Even though you have completed the shop, do not come up with an outrageous story that will make you memorable or cause them to identify you as the mystery shopper. You might want to shop there again some time.

You might say something such as, “The sales person I talked to was telling me you may have some new styles in next week, and I wanted to ask a couple of other questions. Is she there now?” Or you could ask about something you think you may have left behind (which of course you did not). Giving them a brief description of the sales person might cause them to say, “Oh, that was Laura. She is on break now. Would you like her to call you back?” and you have the name you need.

You could even get lucky. If you call back shortly after the shop, the person who helped you may answer the phone and give her name. In that case, you do not even have to mention that you were in earlier because you already have your answer. You can ask a question about their hours, or just say you have the wrong number.

When in doubt, though, ask your scheduler how the situation should be handled. They have heard this question before, and they can tell you what they and the client want you to do.

To avoid this problem in the future, take a minute or two to check the hours of business before heading out to do the shop.  Even if you think you know their hours. I once had to reschedule a shop because I was certain a location was open later than it actually was. Checking first would have saved the need for an embarrassing email (“I’m sorry, but I am an idiot . . .”) to the scheduler, asking if I could do the shop the following day.

Web sites often list the hours along with other location information, such as address, phone number, maps, etc. However, I would not trust the web site. Hours can change without the change making its way to the web site.

The best way is to call the location. You may be required to make a phone call prior to your visit anyway, so use that as your opportunity to verify the exact location and hours of operation.

It is also a good idea not to show up ten minutes before closing time. Many guidelines will specifically say that you are not to begin the shop within 30 to 60 minutes of closing. Even if that is not part of your instructions, showing up at closing time will not give an accurate and fair report.

So you know how to prepare for the next shop, but what should you do now, standing in front of a closed business?
Obviously, you can not complete the shop now. Your next move depends on the shop deadline. If you have more time to do the shop, plan to do it another day before the deadline. This may be inconvenient, and you may even have to make a special trip back, but showing up after closing time was your error. You are still responsible for completing the shop.

What if the shop had to be completed today? That was the case of the shop I messed up on. There was only one day to do it, and I missed it. I immediately went home and sent an email to the scheduler, apologizing profusely for my error. I asked if it would be possible to do the shop the following day, and said I would the do the shop in the morning and immediately submit the report.

I was lucky. The scheduler replied that it would be fine if I did the shop the next day. They had enough cushion built in that a one-day delay was not a problem, in this case.

If she had said no, I would have apologized again and asked if there was anything I could do to make up for my mistake. Do not be afraid to grovel when you are in the wrong (as I was). Own your mistake.

One good thing that came from this is that now I always check the hours before doing a shop. Learn from my mistake, and you will, too.

As a mystery shopper, you should also have a shopper emergency kit. These are the supplies you may need when you are out on the road doing shops.

The specifics of what will go into your emergency kit are up to you and will depend on the types of shops you do and how you work. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Batteries for your camera, digital recorder, etc. (Change the spare batteries in your kit out from time to time. They can lose power over time.)
• Memory cards. Have you ever gone to take photos and discovered that your memory card was back at home, still in the card reader? Extra cards are inexpensive and having a spare can save time and aggravation.
• “Disguises.” Simple changes can help you stay incognito. Glasses, something to pull your hair back, hats, a sweater or jacket and other accessories can modify your appearance just enough that you are not recognized as the person who was there a couple of weeks ago.
• Paper and pencils. Having a notebook or two on hand is always a good idea. And pencils do not run out of ink or leak all over your pocket or purse.
• Other office supplies. Envelopes (for receipts and other paperwork), a stapler, paper clips, and anything else you may need.
• Stopwatch. I have had watch batteries die suddenly on more than one occasion (but fortunately not on secret shops). Having a spare watch or stopwatch on hand can be a lifesaver.
• Car charger and/or AC power inverter. Buying a car charger for your cell phone is a must. You might also consider an adapter that you can use to convert power from the car to AC power you can use just like a wall socket at home. In a pinch, you can plug in your laptop or other equipment.
• Contact information for mystery shopping companies. If something goes wrong on a shop, you should let your scheduler know immediately. You can store phone numbers (or email addresses) in your cell phone or laptop, but it is also a good idea to carry a printed list.
• Change of clothes. You do not want to have to go back home to change clothes if a zipper breaks or you spill something on yourself. Keep a spare outfit in the car.
• Change. You may need quarters or other change for parking meters, tolls or other small expenses.

You may not need all of the things on this list, and there may be things you carry that are not on this list.

What is in your secret shopper emergency kit?

Why not just call your best friend and ask her to handle the shop for you? Well, there are lots of reasons why not. We will look at those reasons, then examine what your options might be.

The main reason why you should not get someone else to complete a shop that was assigned to you is that you were probably selected for a reason. The client may have specific criteria regarding who performs the shop, and you were chosen because you meet those criteria. It may be demographics (e.g., your age, family income, or other characteristic), experience or another factor. Whatever it is, it matters to the mystery shopping company and their client.

You also have to consider that your friend may not do as good a job as you would, causing your shopper rating to fall. That will hurt you the next time you apply to that company. And, if the mystery shopping company learns that you deceived them by handing off your assignment to someone else, there will not be a next time because they will probably deactivate your account.

So what can you do? If at all possible, find a way to do the shop. The mystery shopping company is counting on you, and you agreed to take this assignment. If doing the shop is impossible, let your scheduler know right away. Today. This minute. Some companies will be understanding, as everyone has an emergency now and then. However, they have heard every excuse in the book for not doing a shop, so some will not be sympathetic to your situation. (Did you know that shoppers “flake,” that is, cancel at the last minute or just do not do the shop, about 25% of the time?)

Sometimes the scheduler can offer an extension of a day or two on the deadline. Perhaps with the extension you can get your car out of the shop and find someone to stay with your sick kids (and the cat) long enough for you to get the job done. Do not ask for extensions lightly. Asking for more time month after month will hurt your reputation and make it harder for you to get assignments.

If you do have a friend who could do the assignment, especially if that friend is already registered with that company as a mystery shopper, suggest them to the scheduler. A friend of mine called because she was ill and could not complete a shop. She gave me some basic information about the type of shop and asked if I could do it if the company approved. Then she called the mystery shopping company, told them she was sick and could not do the shop, and said I was available. They called me a few minutes later and assigned the shop to me. Although the shopper created a problem for the scheduler by canceling, she also solved the problem by recommending a replacement.

You can also avoid these problems by not overbooking yourself with too many shops and by doing mystery shops as early as possible. If you have two weeks to complete the shop, do it on day one or two, not day thirteen or fourteen. That way if you have an emergency, there is still plenty of time to get the shop done.

Take your secret shopping assignments seriously. When you have an emergency, handle it professionally and deal honestly with the mystery shopping company.