See your company through the eyes of a mystery shopper

What is the Mystery Shopper method? In practice, a Mystery Shopper is a professional auditor who, by observing the premises, assessing the environment and talking to employees, inspects the level of service. The audit takes place secretly, so that the information gained during the Mystery Shopper study and the detailed report of the Mystery Shopper provide an objective source of data, allowing to concretize the direction of necessary changes. The definition of a Mystery Shopper survey emphasizes that the auditor behaves just like a typical customer, thus not revealing his own identity. The covert identity of the Mystery Shopper is a factor that enables credible audits to be carried out

The Mystery Shopper research procedure depends primarily on the individual needs of the clients commissioning it. Of primary importance is a skillfully constructed Mystery Shopper questionnaire, i.e. a scenario of conducted observations, which organizes the schedule of the audit to be conducted and allows to obtain the necessary information.

A mystery shopper can theoretically appear in any industry where there is contact with the customer - not only directly face-to-face, but also by phone and online. What does a mystery shopper check? A mystery shopper's report focuses on the quality of service and knowledge of the products and services offered. 

The company's mystery shopper evaluates both the way the merchandise is displayed, the knowledge of the assortment and the personal culture of the attendants.

For example:

• Retail-related industries - grocery stores, clothing stores, furniture stores, home appliances stores, drugstores, specialty stores (e.g., coffee, tea, wine, stationery, pet stores, etc.). A secret shopper in a grocery or clothing store checks how products are displayed, how customers are informed about promotions and discounts, the quality of service, the personal culture of the attendants. A secret shopper in a drugstore, for example, can check the knowledge of the store's staff on the composition of cosmetics and their suitability to the skin, hair or skin type of customers, and in a grocery store the observance of expiration dates of products sold, etc..;
• The food service industry, including restaurants, pubs, fast food bars, cafeterias, cafeterias. In such places, the silent customer verifies the attitude of service to customers, the quality, taste and freshness of the food and drinks served, the waiting time for meals, cleanliness;
• Beauty industry - beauty salons, hairdressers. Mystery shopper survey in such places is usually an assessment of professionalism and culture of employees, skills, time and manner of service;
• Medical industry - pharmacies, hospitals, doctors' offices, clinics - the hidden customer evaluates the quality of the staff's services, their professional attitude and knowledge, the cleanliness of the facilities;
• Hotels, boarding houses, spas - mystery shopper surveys cover the quality of customer service, the personal culture of employees, the standard of establishments (hotel rooms, catering facilities belonging to the establishment);
• Service-related hotlines, customer complaint and information points ( telecommunications, IT) - quality of services related to providing information, accepting complaints and technical advice.

Virtually all industries based on customer contact can employ a silent customer for verifying the authentic state of service quality and improving the company's image in the eyes of customers who use the services in question on a daily basis, thus increasing sales of products and services. 

A mystery shopper survey looks at the most important things for improving sales performance and ordinary customers' perceptions of an establishment's features regarding service, the condition of the establishment and the display of goods or the way services are offered.

An auditor - a mystery shopper is a person who should fit a profile related to the specifics of a particular business. What does a mystery shopper evaluate? First of all, the quality of services provided, competence, professional attitude, and, in the case of product sales, also the way products are displayed, whether the average customer is informed about news and promotions and encouraged to buy or use services. 

A mystery shopper survey includes all the important points that determine whether the provision of services is being done in the right way and whether the company is losing out by hiring the wrong people. Cursor is a company that will help you conduct such audits. A mystery shopper who will provide services and make surveys for you and your company has all the necessary qualities. Our consultants and sales specialists and all the services we provide to companies like: event marketing stand at the highest level in every respect. 

Each of our interviewers - mystery shopper is a carefully selected person with regard to the characteristics of the business. All the various stages of the study mystery shopper from Cursor performs in a professional manner. The person who works as an auditor of research - mystery shopper must be reliable. As an incognito customer, shopping in a store or deciding to use a service in the investigated establishment, he or she must come off one hundred percent professional.

We take into account all characteristics - from age, gender, interests, interpersonal skills, to experience in undertaking similar work. A mystery shopper, in addition to self-confidence and resistance to stress, must have the right attitude for the task at hand. A bit of acting skills wouldn't hurt either. When developing an observation sheet, the mystery shopper himself should have a well-developed sense of observation, have a memory for details such as the display of products on shelves, the names of the establishment's staff (if possible). 

Marketing research a mystery shopper must conduct reliably, and often you have to rely precisely on a good memory and a keen sense of observation. And don't forget the proper training that a mystery shopper must receive. Is it worth deciding on such a job? An interesting experience and the possibility of additional earnings are certainly motivating. Cursor organizes many events related to business activities, such as experience marketing or consumer programs. Many companies have seen the effectiveness of our activities, increasing the reach and sales of their services and products.

Do you want to check the reliability of the service you hire? Our mystery shoppers will be happy to do it for you

The interviewer, who plays the role of a Mystery Shopper, evaluates the quality of service, the staff's knowledge of the current offerings and proposed assortment, the staff's skills in the context of presenting the available products, the approach to consumers, etc.

The Mystery Shopper research method is designed to review the level of service in the context of the company's standards and the professionalism, interpersonal skills and commitment of its employees.

In addition, marketing research Mystery Shopper is used to control the way the assortment is presented in the audited outlet - Mystery Shopper checks the level of supply, hygiene and presentation of available products.gi, the condition of the outlet and the display of goods or the way services are offered.

Mystery Shopper, playing the role of an ordinary customer, visits points of sale or service premises and inspects their service, based on a prepared baseline scenario, thanks to which he/she maintains the necessary objectivity to collect the data expected by the principal.

In addition to observation, the auditor may ask employees for assistance, purchasing advice, recommendation of specific items - the course of the audit is determined by the nature of the information to be obtained during it.

Thanks to many years of experience, Cursor offers clients the possibility to perform a professional Mystery Shopper survey, adjusting its methodology to your needs and expectations. Each order is carried out in an individualized manner, by specialized and perfectly prepared interviewers, who are a guarantee of the highest quality of the obtained data.

Each audit performed by Cursor is based on an individualized scenario, tailored to the type of information our clients care about.

The Mystery Shopper visits designated points and, using a ready-made questionnaire, conducts the survey, maintaining high quality standards. The visit ends with the Mystery Shopper preparing a detailed report, presenting the exact results of the survey, often supported by photo documentation. On the basis of the report, customers can select areas of a store or service/retail outlet that require intervention and raising service standards.

The purpose of the Mystery Shopper survey is primarily to skillfully optimize the sales process. Thanks to the collected data, our clients can act very precisely and only in those areas that really need changes, thus saving the necessary resources.