Mystery Shopper's Manual

Should Doctors Be Mystery Shopped?

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doctor.jpgSecret shoppers evaluate the services provided by stores, restaurants, banks, florists, and all kinds of service providers, including government agencies. But should doctors be immune to check-ups by undercover patients?

Medical mystery shopping is not new, but the American Medical Association (AMA) recently took up the issue at their annual meeting. The AMA’s Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs recommended that members officially endorse the use of secret shopper “patients” as a way of evaluating and improving patient care. The issue was voted on during the annual meeting earlier this month.

Many doctors object to the practice, saying that “fake” patients can interfere with access to care for those who are truly ill. However, there are doctors who see the benefits of using mystery shoppers to evaluate medical services. Continue Reading

Secret Shopping and Acting

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movie_star.jpgHave you ever done a mystery shop where you had to pretend to be something or someone you are not?

Most mystery shops do not require a specific scenario. You simply visit the business and act like a customer. For example, you go to a restaurant and order a meal, get your hair cut at a salon, or make a small purchase at a retail store. There may be questions you are to ask, or specific items you are to buy, but there is not a detailed scenario.

However, there are shops where as the shopper you must:

  • Pretend that you are getting married and need to buy a gown, or a ring or worst case, even homecoming dresses.
  • Present yourself as someone who is looking to invest $400,000.
  • Say that you are looking for day care for your children, or elder care for a parent.
  • Act like you are looking for a new house or apartment.
  • Be able to appear knowledgeable about hunting, motorcycles, art or other subjects.
  • Represent yourself as a member of a profession, such as an interior designer.
  • Give the impression that you are pregnant.
  • Be willing to hide your knowledge of technology, financial matters or other subjects.

The important part is not that you actually are what you claim to be during the shop, but that you can realistically present yourself that way. You can do a shop where you claim to have $400,000 to invest even if you don’t even have $400, as long as you come across as someone who would have $400,000.

If the scenario you are asked to use is not your real-life situation, you will need to do a little acting and a lot of preparation. Pretending like this is not dishonest–you are not doing it to deceive anyone, only to do the evaluation. It is simply a form of acting, and you will probably enjoy those occasions when you get to play-act a situation.

Here are some tips for performing scenarios that require you to present yourself as someone or something you are not.Continue Reading

Mystery Shopper Tips for Bank Shops

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bank.jpgBanks are frequently mystery shopped, and there are many different types of shops. Secret shoppers may be asked to apply for a loan, ask about opening an account, inquire about investments, or just interact with a teller.

For some bank shops, being a current customer of the bank is required or preferred. For others, it doesn’t matter. If you are a customer of the bank, it is easy to do a transaction such as a deposit or withdrawal. If you are not a customer, you may be able to buy or cash traveler’s checks or complete another transaction that does not require an account. Where you bank doesn’t matter for shops where you inquire about applying for a loan or opening an account, but there are shoppers who have opened multiple accounts so they can easily perform teller transaction shops at many of their local banks.

Here are some additional tips about mystery shopping banks.Continue Reading

Hotel Mystery Shopping

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hotel.jpg Hotel secret shoppers get paid to evaluate all aspects of the guest experience in establishments ranging from motels to luxury hotels, resorts and spas. Do you think you would like to get paid to stay in hotels, order room service and more? This article tells what hotel mystery shopping is like, and how you can become a hotel secret shopper.Continue Reading

Competitive Mystery Shops

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In most mystery shops, the client and the business you visit are one and the same. However, in competitive secret shops, the client hires mystery shoppers to visit their competitors. Why would they do this, and is it ethical for mystery shoppers to do competitive shops?Continue Reading

Extreme Mystery Shopping

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As a secret shopper, I have been asked to do some things that seemed a bit, well, odd to me. Those were pretty tame though: things such as buying mismatched shoes or asking silly questions. I have never flooded a basement or crashed a car as part of a mystery shop, but Colin Shaw has.Continue Reading

Reveal or Reward Mystery Shops

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One thing you never do when secret shopping is identify yourself as the mystery shopper. That is why they call it “secret” shopping. The exception to this rule is when you are doing a reveal shop, also known as a reward shop. These shops can be great fun, because not only do you get to tell them that you are the mystery shopper, you get to . . .Continue Reading

Restaurant Mystery Shopping Tips

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restaurant-mystery-shopping.jpg

Mystery shopping a restaurant is more than getting paid to have dinner. Restaurant mystery shops require lots of details: names, timings, and much more. Do your preparation, follow the guidelines, and make good observations to do a great job on your shop report. Here are some tips for making your next restaurant shop easier and more successful.

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