What to Expect from a Mystery Shopper Assignment
When you decide to become a mystery shopper, you can look forward to some interesting assignments. Some mystery shopping assignments are one-off jobs that only take less than an hour to complete, others might be carried out over a period of time. You will be sent details of each assignment in writing, but some mystery shopping jobs could involve a telephone briefing or a short training session. It is important to perform each mystery shop assignment correctly, while posing as an ordinary customer or usual type of client.
♦ What to expect from a mystery shop assignment
Mystery shopping assignments can vary from the mundane to the exotic. Assignments you are offered should match your personal profile. You could be asked to open a bank account, use a business services, shop online or visit a specialist store. You might have to order a meal in a restaurant, take an air flight or visit a health spa.
Whatever the assignment requires you to do, you should not expect to relax and enjoy it as an experience. You need to be making a mental account of everything you see and do. You have to be discreet in your note taking, and take great care not arouse suspicion that you could be a mystery shopper.A mystery shopping assignment will specify exactly when and where to purchase an item or use a business service. There will be a spending limit imposed, and strict guidelines to follow. You will be expected to submit a mystery shopping report after completing a task, and to meet the deadline for sending in your full report.
The report you submit for each mystery shopper assignment provides proof a job has been completed, and you need receipts for everything you are required to purchase.
Each mystery shopper report will be checked for inconsistencies or errors in carrying out what you were assigned to do. Omitting to notice something important could prevent you from being offered similar assignments in future, or you might not be paid if you fail to perform correctly.
♦ What you need to remember for your mystery shop assignment
1. When you fill in a mystery shopping report, you may need to record the speed of getting served, or state how long it took you to find what you were looking for. It is important to note the exact time of entering a store or business premises, and the time you departed as a satisfied customer.
2. Your mystery shopping report will include details of what happened, what you noticed and how you were treated as a customer. You could be asked to provide a brief description of the person who attended to you, also to rate the quality of service and attitude of individual employees. You might be required to comment on how products were displayed, how clean and tidy the premises looked, and on general standards of hygiene.
3. Mystery shopping reports provide useful feedback to business managers, and for company owners who wish to know how they could improve customer service. You could be asked whether or not you would personally recommend a store or a service, and to state your reasons, after completing the assignment.
The best way to perform a mystery shop assignment correctly is to be conscientious and carry out duties exactly according to guidelines. You will prove yourself worthy, and get paid to mystery shop, when you complete your assignments correctly and efficiently, report back truthfully and provide some constructive criticism.
