Although tools such as digital recorders are useful, they are not infallible. Batteries die, switches get turned off, or other sounds interfere with what you want to hear on the recording. Recorders should be thought of as backup, not your primary means of getting and recalling the data needed for your reports. And because there are times when it is difficult or impossible to make notes without being observed it is critical to develop a good memory.

Here are some tips on developing memory skills that will not fail you:

Use visualizations.

You have heard the term “photographic memory,” right? By making the effort to remember what something looked like, you may be able to recall the details you need. For example, use your memory to “take a picture” of the name sign at the bank teller’s window, and you will be able to recall the teller’s name by “reading” it from your memory. Or visualizing how your food looked when it was served will make it easier to describe the appearance in your report.

To take a mental picture, look at what you want to remember and make a conscious effort to remember it exactly. Too often, we look at things without really seeing them. Take a few seconds to etch the memory in your brain and you will be able to recall the image in graphic detail.

Use sounds.

Creating a rhythm or melody associated with words you want to remember can help bring them to mind quickly. When you want to recall exactly what greeting the cashier used, set it to music in your head. The music will make it easier to remember. Likewise, if you need to remember a list of items or fact, silently run them through your brain to create a rhythm. Some people create a rap or rhyme to help them remember multiple items.

Use associations.

Associating new information with information already in your brain can make it easier to recall the new information. For example, if you need to remember the name of the salesperson, think of someone you know with the same name.

Each of these methods work, but you may find that some work better than others for you. You may be very strong with visuals and less so with associations, for example. Use the methods that work best for you, but keep in mind that you can improve your success with each of these by practicing. Even when you are not mystery shopping, make an effort to recall things such as names, times, and other details often requested on mystery shopper reports using these memory techniques or others that work for you.

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 have a better mystery shopping experience, work on improving your observation and memory skills. There are many online games and exercises that you can enjoy while making your memory better. Here are some of my favorites:

NASA’s Cognition Lab offers these five memory tools to help you check your skills and better understand how memory works. You can use the Mnemonicizer to create a mnemonic to help you remember what you have to do on a shop. A mnemonic is a sentence that helps us to memorize a string of words. For example, “Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain,” is a mnemonic to assist in remembering the order of colors in the visual spectrum: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. You could create a mnemonic to recall products you have to look for, departments that must be visited, what timings are needed, etc.

Need to remember a list of up to ten items, such as names? Try this exercise or this one.

You will find several tips to improve your memory in this article at WikiHow.