Mystery Shopper's Manual

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Secret Shopper Catches Embezzler

August 19, 2011 by Cathy Stucker 4 Comments

The Salisbury (North Carolina) Post reports that when employees of a Jersey Mike’s Subs were suspected of stealing cash, a secret shopper was sent in to do an integrity mystery shop to check it out. The secret shopper made a purchase with cash and observed that the employees did not ring up the sale and put the money into the register.

After further investigation, the sub shop has filed a report with local police. Arrests are expected in the case.

Although this mystery shop was done because the business was aware of a potential problem, sometimes the first indication of trouble comes when an integrity mystery shop identifies possible employee theft.

Integrity mystery shops are different from typical mystery shops in that instead of checking things such as cleanliness, courtesy and sales skills, they are done to verify that employees are behaving honestly.
Continue Reading

Mystery Shopping as Undercover Patients

December 1, 2009 by Cathy Stucker 2 Comments

hospital-mystery-shopperAs mystery shoppers, we are often asked to present a specific scenario, and we may have to “act” the part of a customer much different from ourselves. However, the mystery shoppers described in a recent story in the New York Times seem to have taken this to new levels.

De Gelderse Roos is a psychiatric complex in the Netherlands, about 40 miles from Amsterdam. They hired a consulting firm to provide feedback on conditions in a locked ward in the facility, by placing mystery shoppers posing as patients in the hospital. The “undercover patients” were psychiatric nurses who were given detailed back stories and extensive training before being admitted to the facility. And just in case things got out of hand, they even had a “safe word” to use when communicating with the actors playing their family members.

Although the typical mystery shopper would never be asked to do such a potentially dangerous assignment, it is interesting to learn about the ways mystery shopping is being used to make conditions better in all kinds of places.

Secret Shoppers Save Lives

May 20, 2009 by Cathy Stucker 1 Comment

nurse-washing-handsOne of the most important things hospital employees can do to protect patients is to wash their hands before entering and leaving patients’ rooms. However, this simple task is often overlooked. Hospitals have admitted that employees only washed their hands about half of the time, and they knew it had to change.

According to a story by TheBostonChannel.com, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is now using mystery shoppers to watch employees and determine how many are washing their hands. The secret shoppers are employees (such as nurses) who discreetly observe all employees who come into contact with patients to determine how many are following proper hand washing procedures.

The program works. MGH just reported three consecutive months of better than 90% compliance. But the best part is that the increase in employee hand washing has resulted in a decrease in the transmission of disease.

“We’ve seen over a two-and-a-half-fold decrease in the hospital-acquired cases of MRSA [a form of staph infection]” since new the hand hygiene protocol went into effect, said Dr. David Hooper, chief of infection control at MGH.

Mystery shopping serves many purposes. In this case, it is protecting the health of patients and even saving lives.

British Police Using Mystery Shoppers

January 31, 2009 by Cathy Stucker Leave a Comment

bobbySome of the most interesting mystery shopping stories come out of the U.K. We have seen news reports about extreme mystery shopping, mystery worshippers, and now police departments are being mystery shopped.

I have to admit that the headline, “Police search for mystery shoppers,” got my attention. My first thought was, “What did the mystery shoppers do?” But, no, the mystery shoppers are not on the lam. In fact, the Thames Valley Police Department is >looking for citizen volunteers to evaluate the service provided by the staff at local police stations.

Volunteer mystery shoppers will be given a variety of scenarios to use when visiting the police stations, but none will involve making a false police report or other dodgy activities. And, no, you do not have to get arrested as part of the mystery shop.

In addition to interacting with the staff, the secret shoppers will be asked to comment on other issues commonly found on mystery shopper reports, such as cleanliness, waiting times and buy 5.56 ammo online and other weapon related questions. (Uh, does that mean that the police department closes down part of the day? Must be a quiet town.)Continue Reading

What Kinds of Businesses Use Mystery Shoppers?

November 25, 2008 by Cathy Stucker 2 Comments

shopper_with_bags.jpgMost people think of stores and restaurants when they think of mystery shopping clients. You know, “get paid to shop and eat.” There are many retail and restaurant chains that use mystery shopping, but it certainly does not stop there.

Just about any organization that has contact with the public may use secret shoppers. That means not only for-profit businesses, but non-profit organizations and government agencies, too. People can check out utilitysavingexpert.com, if they need the best insurance services.

Secret shoppers may not disclose specific clients for whom they have shopped due to the confidentiality agreements we sign. However, it is acceptable to discuss the types of businesses that get mystery shopped. Here are some of the ones I have heard of. Although this list is far from complete, it will give you an idea of the many industries that rely on mystery shoppers to give them information about their businesses (including some kind of odd ones).Continue Reading

Mystery Shopping on the Telephone

November 2, 2008 by Cathy Stucker Leave a Comment

telephone.jpgTelephone mystery shops involve calling a client location and interacting with one or more employees over the telephone. Sometimes the entire shop is conducted over the telephone, and in other cases the mystery shop includes both the call and an in-person visit.

The information that the client wants from a telephone shop relates to the same issues as in-person shops: Were employees courteous? Were they able to provide accurate information to the customer? Did they follow proper sales procedures?

When doing a telephone mystery shop, you may complete a written report or the mystery shopping company may have you record the call and submit the recording as your report.

Here is what you can expect when completing a mystery shopper job involving a telephone shop.Continue Reading

Medical Mystery Shopping

October 27, 2008 by Cathy Stucker 1 Comment

Earlier this year, the American Medical Association took up the question of whether or not to endorse the use of medical mystery shoppers. Although they did not take a position on whether or not to endorse it, medical mystery shopping has been going on for a long time.

Jodi Manfredi, President of Examine Your Practice, recently shared information with other MSPA member companies about the ins and outs of medical mystery shopping. The information she presented about healthcare mystery shopping, and what secret shoppers need to know about it, is summarized here with her permission.Continue Reading

Apartment Mystery Shopping Tips

September 18, 2008 by Cathy Stucker 1 Comment

for_rent.jpg

Mystery shops of apartment complexes are designed to test the rental consultant’s sales skills. Often, the shops are targeted, meaning that you will be asked to make an appointment to visit with a specific rental agent.

During the visit you will do the things that a person looking for apartment normally does. You’ll talk about your needs, look at apartments and listen to the agent present the features and benefits of the apartment complex. If you have ever rented an apartment, you should have no problem conducting an apartment mystery shop.

Here are some tips to help make your next apartment mystery shop go smoothly.Continue Reading

Shopping Under the Influence (SUI)

August 8, 2008 by Cathy Stucker Leave a Comment

sui.jpgHave you ever done a shop where you had to drink alcohol? There are bar and restaurant shops where you may be encouraged or even required to order cocktails or wine, but drinking alcohol on a mystery shop can create problems if it is not handled properly.

Becoming inebriated can mean that you do not get all of the information you need for your report. And if you are drunk enough, you may behave completely inappropriately and not even realize it.

I had to do a fine dining mystery shop where my husband and I were required to order drinks in the bar, then a bottle of wine with dinner. That is a lot of alcohol, but with planning and thought, we kept our wits about us and did not become intoxicated.

Here are some things you need to remember when drinking while mystery shopping, and how to handle your liquor without getting out of hand.Continue Reading

Integrity Mystery Shops

August 7, 2008 by Cathy Stucker 1 Comment

bartender.jpgAlthough integrity shops may include some elements common to other types of shops, such as customer service and cleanliness issues, they go beyond the basic questions found on most shop reports.

In integrity shops, the secret shopper may be asked to verify that cash handling procedures are being followed, or even test an employee to determine if they are behaving honestly.

Integrity shops are often performed in bars. The shopper will observe things such as if the bartender is providing free drinks to friends or favored customers, “overpouring” when serving drinks, or drinking while on duty behind the bar. Secret shoppers also watch for improper cash handling, such as leaving the register open between sales, or not ringing cash sales and placing all of the money in the tip jar. All of these actions cost the business money.Continue Reading

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