When mystery shoppers submit reports to mystery shopping companies, they are reviewed by editors. The editors not only make sure the reports are perfect before releasing them to the clients, they may also score the mystery shopper.
Most companies that rate or grade secret shoppers use a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is outstanding and 1 is for shoppers who ought to start thinking about a new profession. Don’t stress over always getting 10s on your reports. Some companies never give 10s, others give them only for The. Best. Report. Ever. If you consistently get scores of 8, 9 or 10 on your reports, you are doing great.
Even if you don’t always get a 10, there is nothing wrong with always striving for a 10. Doing your best work will help you to land more and better mystery shops. If you want to be a top-rated shopper, there are a few simple steps that can get you there. Here is how you can be a perfect 10.
Review the guidelines, report forms and other materials before the shop. Prepare so you can perform the shop correctly and collect all of the information you will need for the report. Things to watch for include making sure you go to the right location on the right day and at the right time, making any required purchases, asking the correct questions and any requirements specific to the shop assignment.
Ask questions before the visit. If anything is unclear, ask. Contact your scheduler as soon as possible with any questions so you will know exactly what to do on the shop visit.
Get to know the client. Visit their website to become familiar with their business and learn about their products or menu items.
Do the report immediately after the shop. Your memory of the shop visit will be fresh and your report will be more accurate and complete.
Answer every question on the report as accurately as possible. Take extra care to make sure timings are correct.
Include all required comments and narratives, and make sure they are consistent with the answers to the questions. Are they in the proper sections (e.g., comments on cleanliness in the section on cleanliness, etc.)?
When the mystery shopping company provides a style guide, follow it. For example, they may specify that you capitalize the names of products or that you put two spaces after a period.
Verify that your comments are objective and not opinions. Is the tone constructive and helpful and not overly-critical?
Carefully proofread your comments for proper spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Submit any required documentation, such as receipts, business cards, etc.
Get your report in before the deadline. Many companies deduct points for late reports.
Sweat the small stuff as well as the big stuff to make your mystery shopper reports the best they can be. That will get you high scores from editors and lead to more and better mystery shopper jobs.
Want to learn more about writing great mystery shop reports?