Mystery Shopper's Manual

When Is It OK to Cancel a Shop?

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When a mystery shopper accepts an assignment, that is a commitment to follow through and do the shop. A shopper who doesn’t complete an assignment as agreed risks being deactivated from the mystery shopping company’s data base and receiving no future jobs from them.

Schedulers get frustrated when shoppers cancel at the last minute or just fail to do a shop. It happens more than you might think. In fact, it happens often enough that we have an industry term for it: It is called “flaking” on a shop.

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Can Mystery Shoppers Take a Sick Day?

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You felt fine last night, but this morning you have a sore throat, your nose is running and you have a headache. In fact, your whole body aches. And, you have several mystery shops scheduled for the next couple of days. You don’t have time to be sick!

No matter how well you take care of yourself, sooner or later you are going to get sick. With many jobs, you may be able to call in sick for a couple of days and rest in bed until you feel better while your co-workers fill in for you. As a mystery shopper, though, there aren’t any co-workers to pick up the slack. So what can you do when you are too sick to do a shop?

First look at the shops you have scheduled and check the deadlines. Perhaps some of the shops you were planning to do in the next couple of days are not really due until next week–you were just trying to get them done well in advance of the deadline. You have some breathing room for those mystery shops.

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What to Do When You Mess Up on a Mystery Shop

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embarrassedYou always do your best as a mystery shopper…until that one day. Maybe you didn’t get an important bit of information for the shop, or you went on the wrong day, or at the wrong time or to the wrong place. Or you completely forgot to do the shop.

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.Continue Reading

Forgot a Name – What Can I Do?

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forgot.jpgQuestion from a mystery shopper:

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?Continue Reading

Check the Hours Before Doing a Mystery Shop

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hours_sign.jpgIt has been a long day, but you have arrived at the final location you are to mystery shop. You head toward the doors and . . .uh, oh. Is that a “Closed” sign you see?

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?Continue Reading

Mystery Shopper Emergency Kit

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Anyone who drives should have a roadside emergency kit in the car. Things such as jumper cables, a flashlight, reflectors, duct tape and other supplies can be not only handy but lifesavers if your car breaks down.

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:Continue Reading

Secret Shopper Subs – Can You Get Someone to Fill in For You?

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sick_woman1.jpgYou had every intention of completing the mystery shopping assignment you accepted, but the deadline is nearly here, your kids have the flu, your car is in the shop, the cat just threw up on the carpet, and you are not feeling all that good yourself. You do not see how you can get the shop done on time.

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.Continue Reading