Mystery Shopping: A New Twist to Market Research

chillibreeze writer — Priyanka Suryawanshi

Imagine being paid to go out and shop as well as getting to keep the things that you buy! Isn’t that an exciting proposition, especially for shopaholics? But there is definitely more to ‘mystery shopping’ than just that.

In India, not many are acquainted with the term. However, mystery shopping has been around in the country for quite some time now. There are many reasons why people are still oblivious to it though. One major reason is that it hasn’t received the kind of media footage that it requires.

We could say that the term market research is synonymous with mystery shopping to some extent, the only difference being that the researchers in the latter are the consumers themselves.

Elucidating on it a little more, mystery shopping is a process in which, the consumers go out into the market and evaluate the overall service they receive and present the same to the client who owns that segment of the market.

Sectors like retail, fast food chains, gas stations, health clubs, hospitality and banking form a major platform for mystery shopping.

So, if you are given an assignment to go to a restaurant and have a meal, you will have to do a good number of things besides just having a meal. For example, you would have to check the signage of the restaurant, the hygiene, the customer service, the speed of service, quality of food, accuracy of the order placed, the names of the servers and managers etc. But it does not end here.

After you have finished your meal, you will have to submit an online report detailing your evaluations on the above criteria with an attached scanned copy of the bill as proof that you have visited the restaurant and ordered the specified food. This report is then edited by the mystery shopping company and submitted to the client, who is none other than the owner of the restaurant.

Based on your evaluation, the client gets first-hand consumer information on how the employees are performing in terms of providing the best service to customers who visit the restaurant. Therefore, if you mark the customer service - 5/10, food quality- 8/10, speed of service -9/10, the client will know where and how to improve in order to sustain and stay atop the competition.

Mystery shopping assignments are also available in various other retail sectors such as departmental stores, servicing centers, apparel stores, food outlets etc. Sectors like banking and hospitality conduct evaluations on similar lines. However, the procedure differs to some extent depending on what aspect has to be evaluated.

For instance, assume that X Bank would like to check on how its customer service department is functioning: A mystery shopper would be ideally asked to call up the customer service and open an account, or maybe, apply for a credit card. The assignment will continue from the first call made until the time the a/c is opened or the otherwise specified scenario is completed.

The hospitality industry too functions along similar lines .The assignment could vary from a five- star meal to a five-star stay depending on what the hotel wants to evaluate. Again, an extensive report has to be filled out giving all details of the experience.

So, how does one go about becoming a mystery shopper? The first step is to find out companies that conduct mystery shopping and register with them. You can register on the company’s website, wait for assignments to be sent to you via email and apply for the ones you wish to do.

The company usually calls you and explains the assignment if you get selected to shop.

Your remuneration could vary from Rs. 300 to Rs. 3000 or more depending on the assignment that you have been given. You can make a good Rs. 500 to Rs. 1500 on a retail outlet or have a free meal in a five star hotel! The amount is inclusive of the purchases made. But nevertheless it is like free shopping!

Even though mystery shopping sounds like a lot of fun, it does have its specifications and Do’s and Don’ts. A few are broadly listed below:

- Do provide all accurate details about yourself while registering
- Do read all the guidelines and the questionnaire before you shop.
- At all times, ensure that you are in the guise of a genuine shopper.
- Do ensure that you get all the details that you have been asked for.
- Do make sure you complete the assignment before the specified deadline.
- Don’t make it too prominent while performing a particular scenario in a given assignment.
- Don’t fake reports because if you are caught, then you could be blacklisted and you would not get assignments again.
- Don’t go ahead with the assignment if there is a doubt or discrepancy at the shop. Instead, call the company and check what has to be done.
- Don’t duplicate reports in case of multiple shops, since you would not get paid for either shop.
- Don’t provide too little or too many comments in your report. Make sure the comments are concise and precise.

Haem Roy, who is a regular at mystery shopping says, “I enjoy the fact that I can shop for my requirements or luxury items and actually get paid for it. It's almost like being gifted something you like, and you get to choose it. And you can apply for shops according to your convenience. In return, you require alertness and observation and an eye to observe the minutest details.”

Mystery shopping is ideal for housewives and college students. If done accurately and on a regular basis, you could be listed as a top-rated shopper, which will ensure that you are called most of the time for an assignment.

So, go ahead and shop till you drop!

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Priyanka writes for chillibreeze.

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