The Mystery Shopper’s Manual

I got started in mystery shopping back in the “old days,” before the Internet. When reports were mailed, there was not a big rush to get the report submitted within hours of completing the shop visit. Of course, smart mystery shoppers did their reports soon after the shop so that all of the details were still fresh in their minds; however, that didn’t have to mean staying up all night to get the final report completed within six hours of leaving the client location.

These days, report deadlines are very short. Many reports must be submitted within 24 hours of completing the shop, but others may have to be done within six hours, or within twelve hours, by midnight, 10:00 a.m. or noon the following day.

The deadlines have gotten shorter for us because mystery shopper reports have more value when they are fresh, so clients want the reports as soon as they can get them. They may expect to have a report 24 or 48 hours after the shop visit. Remember that the report has to be reviewed by an editor before it can be released, so that means we have to submit the report within several hours after the visit to meet the client deadline. And if the editor has questions about your report, you need to be available to answer them quickly, so the report can be finalized and released.

What can you do to make sure you produce quality reports by the deadline? Here are some tips.

Keep the deadline in mind when scheduling the shop. The mystery shopping company will often tell you when the report must be completed before you apply for the shop. If the shop visit must be done in the evening and the report is due 12 hours later, make sure you can do the report as soon as you return home, or that you will be available to do the shop in the morning.

When a report specifies a time of day, rather than a number of hours after the shop visit, pay attention to what time zone they use. For example, if they say the deadline is 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, but you are on the west coast, the deadline is 7 a.m. in your (Pacific) time zone. Always account for time zone differences.

Most companies will not object if you miss a deadline by a few minutes, but do your best to get the report in before the deadline. If something happens to delay your report (e.g., your Internet connection goes down), contact your scheduler as soon as possible.

Effective preparation can make doing the report easier. Read and understand the guidelines so that you get all of the information you need for the report. Print out a copy of the report form and become familiar with it before the secret shop. (Never take the report form into the client location.)

Start completing the report as soon as you can after the shop. If you have someone with you, let them drive while you make notes on the report form. Highlight the questions that receive “no” answers so you can be certain to provide comments about them. Some shoppers do a “brain dump” of everything they remember from the shop into a digital recorder while driving home.

When possible, do the report as soon as you return home. If you are very tired, or the shop required that you drink alcohol, you may want to get some rest and attack the report in the morning. If you didn’t make notes in the car, take a few minutes to write down names, timings and other important details before you go to sleep. Gather anything you will need for the report, such as receipts and other documentation.

Although speed is important, accuracy is critical. Do not rush through the report. Take the time to get it right. The client is counting on you.