Always and Never. These are extreme words that are probably not true. They may cause clients to question the report if they are used in a negative way (e.g., “Sally never smiled.”)

Appeared and Seemed. “The floor appeared to be clean.” Well? Was it clean or wasn’t it?

Better Than and Worse Than. You should avoid comparisons in mystery shop reports, such as, “The food is better at Joe’s Diner.” This also goes for other comparisons, such as, “The service was slower than usual.”

Disgusting and Horrible. These words are not only negative and highly emotional, they are vague. What is “horrible service”? Instead of using vague language to characterize what happened, describe what actually happened.

Should. Tell what you observed, not what they should do about it. Sentences such as, “The staff need training in customer service,” should not be in your report.

I Think, I Feel and I Believe. If you are using these phrases, you are inserting your opinions into reports. Mystery shop reports should be objective, and your opinions do not belong there. “I think it was very rude of Jim to ignore me and talk to his fellow employee,” should not be in your report. What should you write instead? “Jim was talking to another employee and did not acknowledge me,” or something similar that describes what happened and not how you felt about it.

Very, Really and So. Saying that the wait was long is not specific. Saying it was “very long” doesn’t add any understanding. Be specific. “There were five people ahead of me in line and it was six minutes and eight seconds before I reached the cashier.”

About and Approximately. More vague language. “There were about six people behind the counter.” Were there six people, five, twenty or fifty? Be specific.

Use specific, objective language in your mystery shop reports to communicate exactly what occurred during your visit.

Assemble everything you will need to do the report before you sit down at the computer. Get receipts, notes, business cards, guidelines, etc. together in one place so you do not have to keep running off to get something else you need.

Eliminate any distractions. Turn off the television, don’t answer the phone, and tell the kids not to disturb you unless there is blood.

When you are doing several reports at once, group some tasks together. For example, scan all of your receipts and save them, instead of scanning each one as you start the report. (Do not try to write multiple reports at the same time, though. That will end up being a confusing mess.)

Do a quick review of the guidelines to make sure you include everything that is required in your report. You don’t necessarily have to read every word at this time. For example, I often go through the guidelines before the shop, highlighter in hand, and highlight anything especially important or unique about that shop. Scanning those highlighted portions before doing the report reminds me of what is needed.

Go through your notes from the shop and enter your yes/no answers, timings and other quick facts on your printout of the questionnaire. Highlighting any ‘no’ answers is also a good idea, as you are usually required to comment on those. Highlighting them means you will not forget.

Do you struggle with spelling? Keep a list of the words that give you a hard time next to your computer. Some commonly-confused words will not be caught by spell check (Is it ‘lose’ or ‘loose’?) and having a quick reference means you get it right without pulling out the dictionary or doing an online search. There are also terms that the report spell check will question, even if you spelled them right. Having the correct spelling on hand makes it easy to confirm. These printable lists of commonly misspelled words http://www.mysteryshoppersmanual.com/spelling-tips-for-mystery-shoppers and restaurant mystery shop terms http://www.mysteryshoppersmanual.com/spelling-tips-for-restaurant-mystery-shop-reports can be a good start.

Save your work frequently. It is so frustrating to enter a long narrative, then accidentally move your hand across the touchpad and be taken to the next page without saving what you just wrote. I know. It has happened to me. Save your work often to avoid having to re-do big sections of your report.

And this bonus tip: Do your reports as soon as possible after the shop visit. When the details are fresh in your mind it is easier to write the report.

One New York professor decided that a Starbucks employee asking if she wanted butter or cream cheese on her bagel was an outrage. According to a report in the New York Post,  Lynne Rosenthal ordered a toasted multigrain bagel — and became enraged when the barista followed up by asking, “Do you want butter or cheese?”

“I just wanted a multigrain bagel,” Rosenthal told The Post. “I refused to say ‘without butter or cheese.’ When you go to Burger King, you don’t have to list the six things you don’t want.” She also has a long-standing tradition of refusing to use Starbucks terminology such as Grande or Venti when ordering. She’s quite the rebel, this one.

As well as refusing to answer a simple question about her preference, Rosenthal screamed at the barista and escalated the situation until the manager called the police. Police told her to leave or be arrested, according to Rosenthal.

My first thought on reading this was that she is an arrogant bi—, but never mind my first thought. My second thought was that she is just flat wrong.

First of all, most people do not want their bagel served dry. They want butter, cream cheese, jelly or something on it. Asking means the barista can give the customer exactly what they want.

Secondly, getting angry, screaming and calling an employee an a–h— (as she is reported to have done) for trying to serve you is simply obnoxious. Even if this were an upsell (“Do you want the combo?”) a simple, “No, thank you,” handles the situation, and does not result in the police being called to toss you from the premises.

Third, you do have to tell Burger King what you don’t want on your burger. If you order a burger, you do not get a plain patty. You get a patty on a sesame seed bun, topped with mustard, ketchup and pickles. Heck, they might even ask if you want cheese on it, or if you want fries. The nerve!

People complain about the quality of service in many businesses these days, and it is true that there are employees who do not give a whit about being helpful to customers. However, there are also customers who are rude, arrogant and just plain nasty to service employees.

“Linguistically, it’s stupid, and I’m a stickler for correct English,” said Rosenthal. But apparently she is not a stickler for accuracy, common courtesy or simple human decency.

Is the customer always right? Absolutely not. And certainly not if the customer is Lynne Rosenthal. She says she will never set foot in a Starbucks again. Good news for Starbucks, not so good news for Dunkin’ Donuts.

Plan your route. Use mapping software, such as Microsoft Streets and Trips, to plan your route before you get in the car. With this software, you can enter a list of addresses, and the software will map out the most efficient route. That way you will not spend a lot of time (and gasoline!) backtracking or getting lost.

Don’t forget your errands. Need to pick something up from the dry cleaner? Mail a package at the post office? Buy toothpaste at the drug store? Include the little errands you need to run in your itinerary for the day and get them out of the way between mystery shops.

Double up. Take a companion with you who can help you review the guidelines and reports for each shop as you drive from place to place. Or have them drive, so you can jot notes from the last shop and prepare for the next.

Catch up. Don’t get to spend enough time with a friend or family member? Take them with you, and use your travel time to catch up. If you need to do your mystery shopper jobs alone, they can pop in to a nearby store or get a cup of coffee while you work.

Learn something. Get an instructional program on CD, such as a language course, and listen to the lessons as you drive. Or choose an audio book of that new novel you have not been able to make time to read. Amazon has great prices on audio books, and many libraries have extensive selections of books on CD.

Be safe. Do not do things while driving that will distract you from your most important task: Driving. No texting, no conversations that cause you to lose focus, nothing that takes your attention away from the road and other drivers.

Using your travel time effectively makes you more productive and more profitable.

Why should businesses use mystery shopping? This video explains what mystery shopping is all about and how businesses benefit.

Should you tell your employees they will be mystery shopped? How are mystery shoppers selected and screened? How much does mystery shopping cost? These questions and more are answered in this video from MSNBC.

It includes interviews with employees and management of a grocery store that uses mystery shopping, as well as Judi Hess of Customer Perspectives and Jeff Hall of Second to None.

If they do read them, why would clients allow that? Doesn’t it make mystery shopping less valuable if the employees know exactly what was reported?

Many client companies do share mystery shop reports with the staff who were shopped. There are good reasons to do so.

One way mystery shop report data is used is to provide feedback to employees. The shop report lets them know how they did—where they performed well and how they could improve. The specific data in a mystery shop report can help employees to improve their performance or get positive reinforcement for doing a great job.

If the mystery shopping company or the client is concerned about the shopper being identified, they may remove identifying data that would make it clear who the shopper was. However, most of the time there is probably enough information (such as the date and time of the shop visit) that the employees could possibly know who the shopper was—especially if they have access to video surveillance tapes and can identify the transaction.

Does this mean that if you return to a location the employees will spot you as the mystery shopper. Possibly, but probably not. If you are concerned about that possibility, consider changing your appearance slightly on future visits. Nothing extreme—just style your hair a little differently, wear glasses instead of contacts, or other minor tweaks.

We may think we have been “made” when in fact we haven’t. That is just a part of the paranoia that comes with secret shopping, especially when you are new. Something to keep in mind: If they know I am the shopper, why do they not get a perfect score?

As mystery shoppers, we are there to observe and report, not to influence the outcome of the shop. One of the best ways to do that is by talking no more than is necessary.

Obviously, we need to speak on mystery shops. There are questions that need to be asked or answered, and appropriate conversations to hold. Saying too little is almost as bad as saying too much. But saying too much can affect the outcome of the mystery shop.

Here are some ways that talking too much on a mystery shop can make the shop go wrong.

You say too much and cut off questions. Most of the time, salespeople are expected to ask questions to determine a customer’s needs. That may be part of the report. If the mystery shopper starts off by saying, “I need to buy a birthday gift for my nephew. He’s nine and loves soccer. And I don’t want to spend more than $30,” they have eliminated several questions that the employee might ask.

You give too many details. Keep both your questions and answers short and to the point. When you need to ask for a receipt, simply say, “May I have a receipt?” Do not launch in to a long explanation of why you are asking for one. Too often, when secret shoppers think that something they must say or do on a shop will make them look like the shopper, they do something even more attention-getting to try to cover. Just act natural when talking with employees, and remember that real customers do some of the goofy stuff we are asked to do.

You lead the employee. Sometimes employees do not ask the questions or make the recommendations we expect based on the mystery shop guidelines. The temptation is there to ask about those things; however, if the employee is supposed to bring them up, you should wait for the employee to do so. For example, the report may ask if the salesperson told you about this month’s special offer. Asking if they have “any special deals if I buy today,” might lead them to tell you about the special, even if they would not have mentioned it without your question.

You are too knowledgeable. In most shops you are supposed to represent the typical customer. I have a background in life and health insurance. If I were evaluating an insurance agent, I would not let them know that I have years of experience in the industry and that I am a licensed agent. That would influence how they presented to me. Asking questions that a typical customer would not ask also makes you stand out. Be a blank slate, there to learn.

You use their jargon. The shop guidelines may use terminology that is specific to the industry or the client. Tossing around these terms by saying things such as, “I need to talk to a CSR about taking out a GR7 unsecured loan,” instantly marks you as something other than a typical customer. They may suspect that you are the mystery shopper, or they may fail to give you all of the information about the product, assuming that you are already very familiar with it.

You don’t let them talk. If a secret shopper keeps up a steady stream of chatter, the employee may not be able to ask questions, make suggestions, or otherwise say and do the things that are expected of them. Give them a chance to speak.

Remember that as a mystery shopper your job is to listen. Know your guidelines so that you ask the questions you need to ask and give appropriate answers to employees’ questions. Then be quiet and let them speak.

SQM recently answered some questions about mystery shopping for them. Here is what they had to say.

Describe the ideal shopper.

We have shoppers all around the world, ranging from ages 18 an older. Most shoppers do have some education background, usually a minimum of high school completion. Generally though, we do not have a specific description of a shopper. We look for individuals that are mature, reliable and detail oriented. Most importantly, someone eager to get started who has a flexible schedule.

What types of shops does your company do? What types of reports are used?

We have shops in the following industries:  Fast Food, Restaurant, Accommodations, Transportation, Auto – Sales and Service, Health/Exercise/Beauty, Parking, Retail – Clothing, Shoes, Sport, Department Stores, Electronics, etc., Telecommunications,  Events, Banking, Associations, etc.

We choose our questionnaires based upon the industry and style or type of evaluation being completed. We use everything from tick-box, dialogue list, short narrative and long narrative. We rarely use standardized forms, opting to customize each questionnaire to the needs of the client and their specific project.

What is the best way for a new shopper to get in the door and get a first assignment?

SQM needs Mystery Shoppers daily! It is surprising to many people how easy it is to become a mystery shopper. On our website www.sqm.ca there is a link “become a shopper.” All applicants must click the link, fill out the application and wait to be approved. There is no fee and it is easy to do at home, or anywhere with Internet access.

How long after a shop are your shoppers typically paid? Do you use/require PayPal? Do you plan to?

Payments are sent out in batches and received promptly after assignment completion. The majority of our shoppers use the direct deposit method, however, we also have the option of receiving a cheque.

How can shoppers qualify for your best (highest-paying and most interesting and enjoyable) shop assignments?

We have criteria that must be met to quality for our best shop assignments:

1)History -  We look at shoppers past records. Everything from their grammar, to their notes as well as their records with deadlines.
2)Demonstrate willingness to go – When a shopper is contacted they are ready and accept assignments.
3)Flexibility- We look for individuals that are able to complete an assignment during specific times.
4) STEP – Shopper Training Educational Program – the SQM training program  which has levels 1-9.  The higher the level a shopper achieves, the better the opportunities.

We maintained a record on each shopper and later, these attributes are used to determine who qualifies for any given assignment.

What are the biggest challenges facing mystery shopping companies today?

It is difficult for Mystery Shopping companies to recruit Mystery Shoppers. Currently there are many scams, where the returns “look too good to be true” and people get taken advantage of. When people hear about these experiences they become nervous about signing up and are no longer are interested in the opportunity. Our challenge is being able to stand out from these companies that scam shoppers and attract those that are truly interested in participating in mystery shopping with an honest company.

What do you see as the future direction of mystery shopping?

We believe that companies in the service industry will continue and increase their use of Mystery Shopping to monitor their brand standards. We predict an increase because these companies realize that while comment cards and feedback are great, they do not give detailed information directly about their brand standards. Because we predict an increase in use as well as understanding and importance of Mystery Shopping, we also believe that the qualifications of Mystery Shoppers will improve. It is also important to note that while Mystery Shopping companies don’t have unlimited funds, once there is an increase of Mystery Shopping,  payment will also increase, and only the best will be hired.

Anything else you want to add?

Some advice to all shoppers out there is be cautious but not scared of mystery shopping. There are plenty of legitimate mystery shopping companies and the industry is growing and will continue to do so.

Thank you to the folks at SQM for taking the time to answer our questions. You can learn more about SQM, and apply to be a mystery shopper for them, at http://sqm.ca/.

The use of the MSPA name is clearly an attempt to make the scam look legitimate to people who are not acquainted with secret shopping, or have just a vague awareness of it. Doing a search for Mystery Shopping Providers Association or MSPA would show that MSPA is a legitimate organization. That might cause an unsuspecting person to believe the scam is a real offer.

Here are the things that should tip you off that this is a scam:

The email is badly written, with misspellings, improper capitalization and other errors.

Although the email claims to be from the MSPA, they ask that prospective “shoppers” respond to an AOL address. Most legitimate companies use email addresses at their own domains, not AOL, Hotmail, Gmail, etc.

MSPA is not a mystery shopping company. They are an industry association that the companies that hire shoppers belong to, but MSPA does not hire shoppers.

$300 for a simple assignment is way out of line for shopper pay.

Any time someone asks you to wire money to someone it is a scam. No matter what. Always.

Mystery shopping companies typically do not pay shoppers before the assignment is completed. In rare situations, they may provide a gift card to be used to make a purchase, but most of the time companies do not send money before the shopper has done anything.

The email comes out of nowhere. The person has not applied or authorized the “extensive background checks” the scammer claims to have run on them.

In short, do not trust unsolicited emails offering hundreds of dollars for an hour or two of work. Never wire money to anyone you do not know, for any reason. And remember that people who will steal thousands of dollars from you will lie about who they are. Do not trust that an email comes from the person or organization it says it is from.

I have reproduced the email below. If you get one like this, just delete it and go on with your life. Do not respond to them.

Dear Representative,

You have been selected for an assignment as a Mystery Shopper through extensive background checks. You will earn $300 being a mystery shopper. Your employment packet will include funds and instructions for every assignment.

It is a pleasure to inform you that you have been cleared to be one of our agents. The Mystery Evaluation Team invites you to run a survey on one prominent company in your area.

Your First Task is to evaluate a Western Union Location closest to you.

About Western Union Money Transfer Service:

Western Union offers one of the easiest ways for families and friends to send money and stay connected almost anywhere in the world. It all comes down to the relationships we’ve established over many years. We take pride in being close to our consumers. Together with our Agents, we speak our consumers’ languages and live in our consumers’ neighborhoods.

And we share our consumers’ cultures.

As a result, our Agents and employees are more like ambassadors. They are ambassadors of trust, ambassadors of responsibility and ambassadors of hope. They are the living, breathing manifestation of who we are as a company and everything we stand for:

Integrity. Partnership. Opportunity. Passion. Teamwork.

About Your First Evaluation:

Our client: Concorde International, LLC. www.concordeintl.com

The management and staff of Concorde International has reported some lapses in the services of the Western union locations in some locations around the AMERICAN CONTINENT, Canada and Europe. Their complains were based on reports which their customers forwarded anonymously and Phone calls which were also made to the head office. The Western union locations were reported for evaluation for the following reasons:

(i) Slow services
(ii) Unbalanced exchange rate
(iii) Poor services
(iv) Rudeness to customers
(v) Excess charge

ASSIGNMENT PACKET :

Before any assignment you would be with the resources needed which we would mailed to you via ups or usps courier service containing either a check/money order which you are required to cash at your bank after which you would remove your survey fee of $300 and proceed with the assignment with the remainder funds which you would be instructed to carry out. Then we would be providing you details via email with your first assignment instructions, but you follow every single information given to you as a secret shopper.

Note that your activities as a secret shopper should be kept “confidential”, no third party should be involved.

Please re-confirm your details

Full Name:
Address: (Not.P.O. Box):
City:
State:
Post code:
Age:
Valid Phone Number(s):
Alternative email address (if any):

Email the above details to our evaluations department: mspassociations@aol.com

I will await your prompt response.

Best Wishes and Regards.
James Bradson
HEAD OF RECRUITMENT

Most people hate form letters; however, many mystery shoppers like to submit “form reports.” By that I mean reports that all read alike, and appear that they could be submitted for just about any shop assignment by changing a few details.

Each mystery shop experience is unique, and your reports should reflect that uniqueness. When a client receives a batch of mystery shop reports that are nearly identical, they may start to wonder if there is truly any value in mystery shopping. And companies that receive cookie-cutter reports from a shopper may wonder if the shopper really did the assignment, or if they are simply recycling old reports.

Here are some tips to make your reports accurately reflect what happened during your shop visit while adding variety and interest to your reports—and also making it less likely that your reports will be questioned by the mystery shopping company or the client.

Never copy and paste. It may be tempting, when you have just done three shops at different locations of the same client, to copy and paste comments from one report to the next, then change the names and other identifying details. Doing so, however, means that you have not given an accurate description of what happened. Even when shop visits are very similar, they are not identical. Take the time to write every word of each report.

Comment on different issues. Of course, when you answer “no” to any question you must make a comment. You should also be commenting on some of the “yes” answers to give a full picture of your experience. Instead of writing comments on exactly the same questions each time, mix it up a bit based on what was most important or memorable about each visit.

Be specific. Instead of saying that the employee was “helpful,” describe what she did to help you. Reports filled with platitudes such as “friendly and helpful,” “polite,” “welcoming” and “courteous” all start to sound alike. (The same goes for negatives, such as “rude” or “unfriendly.”) Instead of vague terms that do not tell the client what happened, describe what the employee did.

Include relevant details. By getting down to the nitty-gritty details, you are guaranteed to have unique comments. Can you quote exactly what greeting the employee used? Which products did the salesperson recommend? Including the details makes your report more useful to the client as well as helping you to make it unique.

Put in the effort to make your reports accurately reflect your experience and give clients the feeling they were there with you on your shop visit.