Mystery shopping is a method by which a mystery shopping company uses trained shoppers to observe front line staff performance by which the actual performance will be compared to the intended performance.

Based on an agreed questionnaire and scenario, the mystery shopper visits a location to evaluate customer service, operations, merchandising and product quality and product knowledge. The mystery shopper registers the findings in the questionnaire. Mystery shopping programs can include mystery visits, mystery telephone calls and web shopping.

Other names for Mystery Shopping are: Mystery consumer, Mystery Buyers, Secret Clients, Secret Shopping, Experience Evaluation, Mystery Customers, Anonymous Audits, Performance Audits and Fulfilment assessment.

Mystery shopping began in 1900 as a mechanism to measure employee integrity. Nowadays mystery shopping is used in every branch where there is customer/business interaction, from hospitality to governmental organizations.

• Why use mystery shopping?
• Who uses mystery shopping?
• How is mystery shopping done?
• How to recognize a good mystery shopping company?

Must reads

If you want to learn more about mystery shopping click on one of the links below to read more.

• Mystery Shopping As A Way to Business Excellence, written by Harvey Gilbert.
• Powerpoint presentation mysteryshopping_mspa
• Read more about Mystery Shopping on the website of the MSPA or the IMSA