Mystery shopper: what is a mystery shopper, how to become a mystery shopper and is it worth it? These questions will be answered in this article. The purpose of a mystery shopper is to see if the service in a particular store is adequate and meets all standards. In the profession of a mystery shopper, perceptiveness, the ability to handle unusual situations and, of course, a minimum of acting skills to do the job decently will certainly come in handy. Honestly, in this job we don't have to do much. It's enough to go "shopping" which everyone does from time to time, but in this case we need to pay attention to the behavior of salespeople and general standards of service.
What is this research and how does it take place?
In order to start earning money as a mystery shopper, you first need to think about whether you want to do it online or in-store. If you want to do it online you can use sites such as Secret Shopper or Market Force. Once you've made that decision, you need to register with an audit database and fill out a personal questionnaire, which includes information such as basic personal details and some information from your life. Now you're probably wondering why they need such information from our lives? Well, this will allow them to tailor the assignment to us and our preferences. It will also be necessary for mystery shopper jobs to undergo basic training, so that we will know the rules of the job. Once we are prepared to work as a mystery shopper, we need to familiarize ourselves with the script we receive for the assignment. The assignment itself will probably take us about five minutes to thirty minutes at times, depending on whether it is an online or in-person assignment. After completing the assignment, we need to fill out a report and include our impressions there.
What are the benefits of such marketing research?
The vast majority focus on the fact that, thanks to the knowledge obtained from the research data, we can increase sales profits by auditing the factors that reduce them. Through the activities of mystery shoppers we can find out what sales potential is not properly used by salesmen. Improper identification of customer needs can cause the customer to leave the store without making a purchase. Identifying this problem will allow the company to confront it and raise the staff's commitment to active sales, for example, through training and a system of control and motivation. As a result of research techniques, we can also make fewer people leave without making a purchase or with an incomplete basket from a given store. Certainly among the benefits we can include checking also such factors as:
- what happens when customers interact with employees,
- to what extent employees know and apply prevailing customer service standards,
- which and what standards need to be changed or improved,
- how customer needs are identified and whether they are effective,
- whether salespeople use customer contact appropriately and effectively,
- what is the waiting time and proper service,
- whether salespeople can properly finalize transactions,
- the appearance of the point of sale and its surroundings, cleanliness, aesthetics,
- availability of assortment, posters, newspapers, flyers, etc.
Who can become a mystery shopper?
Anyone can actually be hired, from a student to a pensioner. It can be said that the age limit is 18-80. People who are observant, able to focus on several things at once and behave naturally in such situations are hired to carry out orders. Working as a mystery shopper primarily involves observation and careful analysis of the environment. Once you have shown your willingness to cooperate, the question may arise, how to become a mystery shopper? For this purpose, it is worth checking job offers issued by sales support companies.
What are the earnings of a mystery shopper?
Earnings in this field vary widely, but lately employers are offering less money for this than before. It used to be possible to earn several thousand zlotys a month. Today, it is much more common to receive gift certificates instead of real money. A mystery shopper's earnings will depend on the type of audit he has to conduct. A simple store visit, an audit of complex procedures, an on-site audit or an exit audit are all factors that will affect the rates. However, to average it all out- a common rate is $5-20 net for a completed assignment.
If someone is looking for extra income, this may be just a nice alternative of income to the household budget, but it is not worth considering as a main source of income. Also remember to watch out for scammers!
