So the company you work for has just launched a mystery shopping program and you want to know how to spot the mystery shopper. There will always be some Mystery Shoppers who are easy to spot. This happens for a variety of reasons, including obvious scenarios/questions from the client, inexperienced shoppers, or incomplete instructions. However, most Mystery Shoppers you can’t spot because they are good at what they do. They look and act just like real customers, so much so, you’d never suspect them. They blend in so well you could be fooled into letting your guard down and giving them minimal service instead of providing great customer service.
The next thing you know… BOOM! You’re reading all about it at the end of the month in a low-scoring Mystery Shopper report and you feel a bit deflated. You either have to accept it and learn from it so you can do better next time, or you could blame the Mystery Shopper or the questions on the survey. You may also be inclined to try and catch the Mystery Shopper before they catch you.
So how do you spot a Mystery Shopper?
While each Mystery Shopping provider has different standards for their shoppers, this is the checklist for spotting a Mystery Shopper who works for Above Benchmark. You may want to print it out and keep it somewhere handy, but don’t let your manager see it, or they’ll be on to you.
A customer might be a Mystery Shopper if they:
- look human
- act human
- are either male or female
- are aged between 18-65 (but could look younger or older than their actual age)
- are casually dressed, dressed up, dressed down, or wearing a uniform from their day job
- are alone, with someone else or with a few people (sometimes it might even be children!)
- ask for help, or wait for you to approach them
- need a little bit of help or they need a lot of help
- know a lot about your products and services, or they don’t know much at all
- have visited before or they’ve never done business with you before
- are familiar to you from somewhere (they might even work nearby!)
- change their mind
- ask you to write something down or they don’t want anything written down
- are ready to buy or they need more time to make a decision
- buy what they asked about, they buy something else, or they don’t buy anything
- accept an upsell or add-on or sometimes they decline it
- ask questions and listen to the answers
- want a receipt, or might not
They could be any customer, at any time! Trust us, Mystery Shoppers are not out to get you. They’re regular people, trying to boost their income and help companies improve their service. They want to catch people doing the right thing and find it rewarding to point out good customer service.
So how do you serve a Mystery Shopper?
Don’t focus on trying to spot them or try to remember when you receive the mystery shopping report. If you do remember a customer after you’ve read the report, that’s a good thing, it means you value your customers. It doesn’t mean the shopper did anything wrong. Just relax and give great service to every customer, whether they fit the profile or not.
So remember, Mystery Shoppers could be anyone at any time, don’t try to spot them, just give all customers great service. It’s their job to catch the Team Members doing the RIGHT thing. By doing this, you’ll boost sales, get a great mystery shopping report, and earn recognition for a job well done.
With our well-designed surveys and crystal clear instructions, Above Benchmark Mystery Shoppers are fully trained and ready to give everyone the opportunity to do well and receive a glowing report. What you get caught for is up to you!
