What does mystery shopping mean? Who is a secret shopper and why is one needed? Spies Among Us

On modern job search sites you can often find advertisements for recruiting people for the position of secret shopper. These can be either one-time promotions or (much less often) permanent work.

For those who are interested in a similar vacancy: IQReview understood the intricacies and nuances of the secret shopper’s work.

What does a mystery shopper do?

ABOUT The main task of a mystery shopper is to determine level serving the average client.To summarize, the work of such an employee is one of the ways to control quality.

For this secret shopperyou have to get used to the role of the client and go personally on place of inspection. It may be:

store (what exactly it sells does not matter);

bank or some other financial institution;

service center;

support service or call- center (in this case the employee is not sent anywhere - the check is carried out by phone);

branch of the company providing it some types of services (from medical centers to hotels).

This check may also be useful for government agencies. However, in establishments owned by the state, inspections are carried out by employees of the relevant authorities, and people from outside are almost never brought in for this.

The tasks of a secret shopper can be very different. It can check:

Knowledge, qualifications and experience of employees. Such checks are often carried out in large networks stores selling electronics and household appliances. The buyer can ask questions regarding the product: how and what it is made of, what characteristics it has, what it can be used for and what it cannot be used for, what exactly is it good for, what analogues it has, and so on.

Employee's resistance to stressc, reaction to aggression. Such checks are primarily relevant where employees have to communicate a lot with people, and where clients can behave aggressively, defiantly or simply bother a large number questions (for example, it could be a bank). In this case, the secret shopper will play the role of such a client: he can either try to “spin” the employee into some kind of aggression, or simply ask a lot of questions, repeating himself and asking about the simplest and most understandable nuances.

Appearance, neatness, demeanor of employees (facial expressions and gestures, voice intonation,response to client questions and behavior, etc.). Checks of this kind are relevant wherever employees have personal contact with customers - from stores to bank branches. In this case, the secret shopper will not even necessarily communicate with the employees: he can simply come in, sit in line and pay attention to how the employees look and behave.

Condition (cleanliness, order, convenience) of places and in which it is located client: store, office, waiting room, office and so on. This type of check is relevant because the client may not like not only the service, but also the fact that the company’s office is very dirty, or that the goods in the store are not placed in the right places, or that the manager’s desk is cluttered with foreign objects or is completely stained with tea and strewn crumbs.

All checks can be divided according to a number of conditions:

By frequency and regularity. ByMystery shopping visits can be systematic (for example, stable 2 inspections per year) or unscheduled.

By scale (if we're talking about about the network).Such inspections can be carried out either en masse, for all departments, or selectively (a specific department is checked).

P about "goal". Also, the check can be carried out both for the entire department as a whole, and for a specific employee.

It often happens that such “clients” are sent to new stores or offices that have just begun their work - to check how the staff has settled in and is coping. Also, secret shoppers are often sent to problem departments (for example, if a store complaints are received for poor service).

Who uses the services of secret shoppers and why?

U Mystery shoppers are used by companies that want to determine the quality of work of their employees.

Mystery shopping services

In almost all areas of business, competition is now quite fierce and growing, and therefore customer loyalty largely determines the quality of goods and service. If you get rudeor they will sell a bad productin one store - you are unlikely to come there again. N probably nearby or on the next street, or in the next shopping center- there is a store with the same conditions, but withmore pleasant service.It should also be taken into account that a dissatisfied client can also write an angry comment in social network or on the company’s website, and thereby scare away other potential buyers.

Therefore, enterprises (especially large ones) are interested in ensuring that the quality of their services is the best. If a secret shopper identifies any shortcomings in the work (of individual employees or an entire department), then they can be quickly corrected. As a result, this allows you to retain customers that the company might lose in the future due to poor performance.

Work process andCompleting a progress report

WITH It is rarely necessary to carry out an inspection on your own: usually the secret shopper is given a specific task that he must complete. It could be:

Visiting the place without purchasing (ordering services).

Regular purchase (ordering services).

Making a purchase (ordering services) with a lot of questions to a company employee.

Return of goods. The reason for this can be either significant, for which the goods must be returned, or frivolous, for which a return is not provided.

The role of the “problematic” client " It could be like large number questions, as well as aggressive or generally inappropriate behavior.

Phone call to call center.

The above is the most common list of tasks that mystery shoppers perform.

After execution tasks The employee is required to fill out a report on the work done. Almost always this is a form with ready list questions, which may include:

How long did it take for the company employee to contact the client?

What product (service) did the company employee recommend to the client?

How complete and useful was the employee’s consultation (or answers to questions asked by the client)?

Give overall assessment quality of services.

Depending on your goals checks and the field of activity in which the company operates, toThe number and topics of questions may vary.For example, if you go to a restaurant, questions may concern the appearance of the dish, its taste qualities, cooking speed.

Customer service rating

In addition to the written report, from the mystery shopper often audio or video recording of the verification process is requiredor photographs taken. Technology for hidden records are provided by the employer.

Who can get a job and how, what are the requirements and how much do they pay?

Job offers of this kind often appear on job search websites. For residents of large cities, such vacancies occur almost constantly, for regions and small settlements- less often. They are usually placed by recruitment agencies, less often - directly by the employer (a company that wants to check its branches).

Most often, both men and women are recruited to work as secret shoppers, falling into the most common category of consumers: between the ages of 22 and 40 years.

Age and gender are not serious restrictions, however, there are orders that require inspectors of a specific age or gender group. Sometimes requirements may even be placed on the appearance and demeanor of applicants. This is relevant when it comes to checking in companies working with a certain type of goods (services).

For example, if you need to check an expensive lingerie store, it is unlikely that a man of retirement age will be sent there. And if we are talking about checking a tool store, then a young girl is unlikely to be suitable for the role of a secret shopper.

Despite the apparent simplicity of operation, candidate for position Ideally it should meet the following requirements:

Knowledge (at least small) in the area in which the company operates, which will have to be checked. If you go to a store that sells fishing gear and know nothing about it, you are unlikely to understand how well you were served and how suitable and useful the product was offered to buy. The deeper and broader the knowledge, the better, and the higher the likelihood that they will hire you.

The ability to behave at ease and naturally. A mystery shopper is a type of role that you will have to play in a store (or office). It is not necessary to have acting talent, but some people may have problems even if they are asked to simply come into the store and ask the consultant certain questions. And if we talk about the role of an “aggressive buyer,” then not everyone can handle it.

Ability to discreetly record video. There are unlikely to be any problems with audio recording - after all, you just need to put the device in your pocket. But secretly shooting a video is no longer easy.

Mobility (having your own transport). Relevant if you are in big city, and you will need to check several places in a day.

Knowledge and personal experience in sales (since stores are most often inspected). If you don’t have personal experience, then knowledge of the theory about sales techniques, rules for displaying goods, requirements and rules for designing a store and workplace will be useful.

Sociability, sociability, ability to quickly get out of non-standard situations. This is relevant in case the planned dialogue goes beyond the scope and the secret shopper has to act differently from the “script”.

Attentiveness, good memory, ability to notice details. Good memory is needed not only in order to remember the answers of employees, but also in order to quickly learn the necessary questions.

Fast learner. Training is usually carried out very quickly, so if you cannot quickly learn the required tasks, it is unlikely that such a job will be suitable for you.

Before going to work, the mystery shopper is usually given a short briefing. It may include:

setting the main objectives (what exactly will need to be checked - the behavior and reaction of personnel, overall quality services, staff knowledge);

behavior requirements (if any);

a list of questions that will need to be asked during the inspection;

a list of actions that will need to be performed during verification;

instructions on how to film video discreetly.

If the “role” is complex or voluminous (for example, if a lot of questions need to be asked), then “rehearsals” are also held to practice the theory in practice.

Now about how much money do they get for such work. The payment is approximately as follows (depending on the complexity of the task):

For Moscow and large cities: on average - from 400 to 1500 rubles (for 1 visit).

For small cities (conditionally - with a population of less than 1 million): on average - 300-700 rubles (for 1 visit).

Profession "Mystery shopper"

If a company that provides some services is inspected (for example, a restaurant or a beauty salon), then the mystery shopper receives a bonus free service(lunch, haircut). Travel expenses are also usually reimbursed. If during the inspection process you need to purchase some goods, naturally, the employer also allocates funds for this.

Who should go, and what are the pros and cons of this profession?

R The job of a secret shopper is an interesting and relatively uncomplicated activity. However, it is unlikely that it will be possible to turn it into a permanent source of income, since such services are not required every day. If you contacted a recruitment agency for such a vacancy and successfully completed the order, you can wait several days or several weeks for the next one. Therefore, mystery shopping is not a job, but a part-time job.

Since such checks are most often ordered by stores, excellent This vacancy would be an option for those who have personal experience in sales.Ideally, you need to have free or shift schedule at the main job or the opportunity to leave workplace. Inspections can be scheduled on any day of the week, so if you have a regular schedule (Monday-Friday from 8 am to 5 pm), you are unlikely to be able to often work as a secret shopper.

The advantages include:

relatively high pay (get 300-500 rubles for half an hour to an hour of actual work,besides the work is simple- not bad even for Moscow);

the opportunity to receive some services for free;

interesting and unusual workflow.

Disadvantages:

lack of stability in orders;

irregular schedule (an order may turn up at an inconvenient time when you cannot complete it);

possible delays during the verification (for example, if you need to check a specific employee, and at that time he will be busy with another client).

Advice for those applying for such a job

N Below you can find tips that will help in the work of a secret shopper:

Always carefully study the “legend” and the list of required questions. Even if there is no “rehearsal”, on the way to the desired place, be sure to play out the upcoming dialogue or behavior in your imagination.

Don't be afraid to add your own words. The main thing for the customer is to get an answer to the questions that he indicated in the task. If, for authenticity or just for yourself, you ask the employee some additional questions, it will only be better.

When recording video, stand on the side where the employee’s badge is attached. This will make it easier to distinguish the first and last name in the video.

It is recommended to place the recorder as high on the body as possible. If it's worth cold weather- Carry it in the top pocket of your jacket. If you are a girl, hide the recorder in your bra. If it’s warm outside, wear a loose T-shirt or shirt, and hang the recorder on a cord on your chest.

Do not rush to take out your recording device immediately after leaving the consultant. Almost all stores have video surveillance systems installed, thanks to which the security service can notice the filming. Therefore, it is recommended to take out the camera (or voice recorder) after you have left the room and moved away from it.

Feel free to look at your notepad or smartphone. If you don’t remember your list of questions well, or there are a lot of them, and you’re afraid of missing some, write them down in a notebook or smartphone and keep an eye on them until you start communicating with the employee. After all, he doesn’t know what exactly you have written there, and what exactly you are reading.

If you are afraid of forgetting your “role,” write it down briefly on your smartphone. After that, set your alarmwith a small margin so that it rings just during your communication with the employee (picking the time of the call is the most difficult moment). When the alarm clock rings, pretend that someone is calling you or a message has arrived, apologize and calmly look at your “role” on the screen.

Mini aptitude test: can you work as a secret shopper?

P try to quickly answer the questions below:

Can you quickly free up a few hours in your schedule?

Can you remember the name of at least 1 salesperson from a store you frequent?

Can you describeappearance any person who served you in the last 2-3 days (for example, a manager at a bank or a cashier at a supermarket)?

Can you quickly memorize 5-7 sentences and repeat them after 2-3 hours?

Mini aptitude test

If you answered yes to all the questions, working with such a plan will not be a problem for you.

For those who choose a job for themselves, you can take another one.

How to recognize a mystery shopper?

This information will be useful both to those who want to get such a job (to learn about common mistakes and avoid them), and to those who may be tested at work.

Oh tortured one (or just responsible)Mystery shopper doesn't stand out in any way total mass visitors. In fact, if a person is calm, knows how to control himself, and is well prepared for his task (or his task is very simple), you will not be able to understand whether he is testing you or is really interested in the product (service).

The easiest way to recognize a mystery shopper is by the following signs:

Constantly looks at his watch. If not always, then very often, a mystery shopper must record a large number of time intervals (what time he entered the store, how long after the consultant approached him, how long he communicated with the consultant, how long he stood in line, how long he was served at the checkout, during when he left the store).

Pays too much attention not only to a specific type of product (that is, he did not come for something specific, but is distracted by other things), but to the employees, to the situation in the room.

Intentionally communicates only with employees with badges. Wearing a badge is not mandatory for stores, but for a mystery shopper it is important to be specific (in this case, the name of the employee).

He does not address the employee, but waits for him to pay attention to him. A controversial point, since some customers come into the store not to buy, but to look and touch the product. In this case, the client refuses the consultant's help. But if a visitor deliberately waited until the employee approached him and then began asking questions, there is a higher probability that this is a secret shopper.

Too many questions. Of course, any buyer will be interestedcharacteristics and properties of the product. However, on some issues(To for example: “Why this particular model?”) It is still possible to identify a mystery shopper.If the client is too attentively interested in little things, demanding exact specifications, this is a clear sign checks.

ABOUT Addressing an employee by name. If an audio recording is being made, or if the badge does not fall intofield of the camera lens - the client will almost certainly say the employee’s name at least once so that it is recorded on the recording.

1. Who is a mystery shopper?

You have repeatedly encountered a situation where, during an interview, a manager talks wonderfully about sales techniques, but in reality it turns out that his negotiations are hardly suitable even for a soda stand. A manager who knows a lot about sales is great! But its success is determined by the ability to use this knowledge in practice. To understand how much the seller uses knowledge in his work, “mystery shopping” technology is used.

A mystery shopper is a person whose task is to evaluate a manager's use of sales and service skills.

The technology of testing skills using the mystery shopping method is effective when it is built into the training and testing system. For example, you recruit sales managers for hot calls, train them, test them and send them to the company for an internship. The mystery shopper makes a call, asks prepared questions and evaluates the manager according to the criteria. Thus, a clear picture will emerge of how much the manager has mastered the material and is ready to work.

2. Responsibilities and skills of a mystery shopper

The job of a mystery shopper is to visit retail outlets, pretending to be an ordinary visitor, filling out forms and giving ratings according to certain criteria. Sometimes, a secret shopper has to show all his acting talent and play the role of an evil monster, with a lot of complaints and complete dissatisfaction with the attitude of employees towards his person. Also, the duties of a mystery buyer may include recording a conversation with a voice recorder or camera, attempting to return the goods, creating a provocative situation, and even sniffing the staff - it all depends on the scenario provided by the customer.

Traits and knowledge of the person best suited to be a mystery shopper:

Communication skills - to provide greater maneuverability to managers;
Attention to detail;
Knowledge and possession of sales skills - to evaluate a manager who does not use techniques strictly according to the template;
Acting skills to get used to the role;
Flexibility and creativity to ask questions outside the box.

spoken language

3. What is the essence of the work of a secret shopper?

Mystery shopping technology is one of the effective tools to improve the quality of service and check staff.

To implement this technology, the following algorithm is used:

1. Definition of competencies or skills being tested.
2. Definition of clear evaluation criteria with examples and explanations.
3. Creating a “legend” with real needs.
4. Preparing the evaluation sheet.

The objectives of the study may be:

increased demand for goods and services;
assessing the quality of customer service;
identifying personnel who require training;
testing employees on the use of knowledge after training;
determining the extent to which company standards are met (for example, if it is a chain of stores);
diagnostics of the quality of work of the incoming call center;
competitor research.

Before the visit, the mystery shopper receives detailed instructions, what the point should look like, how the staff and the secret shopper himself should behave. The scout's task is to study these instructions well; if he peeks at the cheat sheet, he will be easily identified. During the inspection, the secret shopper must remember everything and discreetly write it down, then provide the material to the customer.

As part of the verification, they can be used following criteria Mystery shopper ratings:

friendliness and friendliness of employees;
staff appearance, neatness and compliance with the company dress code;
employee literacy;
knowledge of the product being sold;
presentation of goods and offer of additional services;
client communication skills;
establishing contact with the client;
application of sales techniques;
personnel behavior in conflict situations;
presence of a queue;
speed of service;
waiting time for a response to a question or call;
order and cleanliness in the workplace and indoors;
compliance of the premises corporate style;
ease of finding a point and availability of signage.

After the visit, a report is generated with all the information received: score sheet, audio, video recording of a conversation, a receipt, sometimes customers require photos of points visited by the secret shopper.

Below is a real assessment sheet for one of our clients’ outlets, which sells exclusive finishing materials. A sale from one visit almost never ends, and therefore a prerequisite for the manager’s work is to obtain the client’s contact for further discussion of the order. For outlets selling simple products, this assessment sheet will not work.

1.	Appearance of the point	The point is designed in accordance with the standards. The goods are placed in their places.	5
2.	Seller's appearance	Presentable, neat appearance, consistent with the dress code.	5
3.	Reaction to the visitor	A pause was made in accordance with service standards and the approach was carried out in the prescribed manner.	5
4.	Getting in touch	The contact was started with a phrase that is not recommended for entering into dialogue: “Can I help you with something?”	1
5.	Identifying needs	Need identification was only partially done following customer questions about discounts and delivery times.	2
6.	Presentation of strengths	Materials were presented, were not presented strengths company, of the 5 basic advantages, only in-house production was indicated.	2
7.	Handling objections	Objections were not identified and were not processed accordingly.	1
8.	Getting a contact	Name and telephone number were not received.	1
9.	Relationships in the end	No personal relationship has been established.	1
10.	Efficiency	Overall performance is low. The manager performed consulting work, but did not identify the need and establish contact.	2

4. Mystery shopping algorithm

1. Attendance at the training (if necessary);
2. Receiving instructions from the customer;
3. Study of standards and verification scenario, requirements for a secret shopper;
4. Visit to the inspected point/phone call;
5. Filling out the reporting sheet;
6. Providing a report with all information.

The mystery shopper must be an outsider to the company. There are situations when the staff knows in advance about the visit of a secret shopper, in which case this tool is completely useless. To increase the efficiency and clarity of sales managers' assessments, a mystery shopper can audio record their dialogue.

5. How to become a secret shopper?

Anyone can work as a secret shopper, it all depends on the customer’s requirements and the amount of work. For example, if you need to visit a chain of women's cosmetics stores, a picky man will look extremely suspicious. If, for example, you need to check a laptop repair service center, specialists in this field will be an excellent candidate, and such work will be more paid. It is also necessary to have the skills that we talked about earlier.

Working as a secret shopper is not a stable job. This may be due to varying amounts of time (the employee being checked may be busy with another client, which means he will have to visit the point again), as well as instability of earnings (sometimes a secret shopper has to wait for weeks for an order). Therefore, this type of work is more suitable for those who need additional income with a flexible schedule.

6. How to spot a mystery shopper?

The buyer asks many questions from the standard question sheet.
The buyer gives standard objections.
The buyer swims in specific details according to his situation.
The buyer formulates his thoughts and objections too correctly.

Mystery shopping is one of our tools for sales development projects. It is used along with recording conversations between managers, playing out situations during training, and is one of the elements of the system for training and testing sales managers.

Mystery shopper

Mystery shopper(from English Mystery Shopper/Secret Shopper , Also imaginary buyer) - a research method that is used both as part of marketing research aimed at assessing the consumer experience gained by the client in the process of purchasing a product or service, and for the purpose of solving organizational problems, for example, measuring the level of compliance with customer service standards by employees in the organization, etc.

To collect information, specially trained people (mystery shoppers) are used to carry out checks on behalf of potential/actual clients and report in detail on the results of the checks. The objectives of the study influence the level of requirements for mystery shoppers. In most cases, participation in mystery shopping studies should not be the only source of income for these people.

There are different terms for the method mystery shopping in Russian: mystery shopper, imaginary buyer, mystery shopping, secret client, secret shopper, hidden buyer, control client, anonymous buyer, audit of customer services etc. Most widespread terms received on the Russian market mystery shopper And imaginary buyer.

Organization of the study

Objectives of the study

In contrast to control purchasing, used in the USSR by OBKhSS employees, data obtained as a result of inspections of secret shoppers is used to improve the quality of service and increase customer satisfaction in the organization being inspected, to improve the professionalism of employees, and also as an audit of retail outlets.

“Mystery shopping” research can be used to evaluate the personnel training system, personnel motivation; as part of programs to increase loyalty to the company’s brand or product; to evaluate the use of POS materials and promotional materials; for the purpose of analyzing the quality of work of competitors; to stimulate product sales; to assess the quality of processing applications from the website or telephone operators.

When assessing the quality of service using the “mystery shopping” method, one evaluates, first of all, compliance with the standards of the company in whose retail outlets inspections are carried out. Mystery shopping should not be a method of competitive intelligence: it should be carried out according to scenarios that do not harm the commercial activities of the organizations being audited.

Study parameters

“Mystery shopping” monitoring can be done independently or outsourced, that is, you can involve a professional provider organization in the work. The budget and scope of work depend on the following predetermined parameters:

number of retail outlets participating in monitoring,
object of assessment (each employee of a retail outlet, any several employees, specific employees),
documentation (form or form and verbal description visiting a retail outlet),
control of the work of the secret shopper (photo, video and audio recordings),
content of the questionnaire, objects of study,
number of reports (several times per period or one final one),
portrait of a mystery shopper (for example, social status- high or low earnings),
method of processing the received data (manually, programmatically).

Objects of research

Mystery shopper inspections can be carried out not only through visits to the objects being inspected, but also through telephone calls, inquiries email etc. depending on the service procedures being tested. The objects of the study are salespeople and consultants at retail outlets, telephone managers and consultants, online consultants on the website (using instant messaging, voice and video communication), managers processing applications by email and through the order form on the website.

Evaluation criteria

As part of the inspections, the following parameters are usually assessed:

compliance by employees with etiquette standards (friendliness, friendliness, etc.);
employee speech (literacy, politeness, clarity);
the appearance of employees in terms of neatness and compliance with the company’s corporate style;
compliance by employees with accepted company standards;
cleanliness and order in the premises and at employee workplaces;
merchandising;
speed of service;
Availability of employees for the client.

Audits may also assess product knowledge and sales skills. However, it is necessary to understand that this method does not replace, but is additional to, other procedures for assessing personnel performance, such as certifications, expert assessments, testing, observation, etc.

Additional options for checks

Test purchase. During the inspection, a test purchase may be made. In this case additional document, allowing you to control the work of the mystery shopper, is a cash receipt.

Voice recording of the conversation. In some cases, when a mystery shopper’s visit is carried out in person or by telephone, a voice recorder of the conversation with the employee being checked is used for subsequent analysis. The record is used when evaluating employees in the segment expensive goods for the purpose of further individual training employee and correction of his skills in working with clients. In this case, the employee in respect of whom the check was carried out will be familiarized with the records.

A voice recording cannot be a tool for monitoring a mystery client, since it reveals the identity of the employee and the identity of the mystery shopper.

Photos and video recordings. Some companies providing the mystery shopping service additionally offer a video recording of a visit to a retail outlet, as well as photo reports, depending on the goals of the project. As a rule, this significantly increases the budget of the event.

Reporting systems, data collection and analysis

To organize the collection and processing of information during such research, companies often resort to specialized systems online reporting that allows them to improve the quality of information while reducing human factor, automate the routine work of processing and collating a large amount of data received from field personnel. As a rule, a mystery shopper has access to such a program using the Internet and a browser - he enters the collected information and submits reports online. Managers and clients immediately see the received information and can analyze it.

Modern systems are equipped with functionality for constructing analytical graphs and tables directly in the online reporting program, which significantly simplifies the method of data analysis and reduces time. As a rule, such systems allow you to control secret shoppers, receive photo reports and reporting forms, automate routine work on collating data from different regions, improve the quality of information transmitted from the fields, relieve the burden on project managers, make transparent interaction between the client and the agency and increase trust.

Initially, all reporting in projects was done manually using spreadsheets, but soon specialized software products(online systems), which have become available to any type of company, regardless of size.

Ethics

Norms, standards and ethics for conducting mystery shopping research are developed and regulated International Association mystery shopping service providers (MSPA) and independent companies, employees of the audited sites should be warned in advance that they will be subject to periodic mystery shopping inspections over a specified period, and the results of mystery shopping inspections should not serve as a basis for discipline or dismissal employees.

In the Russian Federation, the activities of mystery shopping service providers are virtually unregulated. MSPA does not have effective mechanisms for monitoring the quality of services provided in the Russian Federation and the CIS, therefore, in the Russian market, users of the “mystery shopper” service have to independently check the quality of services, as a rule, focusing on the recommendations of colleagues, through holding competitions when choosing a contractor, checking whether the company -contractor member of MSPA.

Notes

Links

Marketing and management Mystery shopping: errors during operation. Marketing and Management (October 2008). Archived
Svetlana Shesterneva Kazakh companies have become interested in the Mystery shopping service. Panorama (October 29, 2010). Archived from the original on February 14, 2012.

Chulpan Gumarova And now the mystery shopper goes to the banks. Capital (08 June 2011). Archived from the original on February 14, 2012.
Tatiana Pleschivtseva Undercover client. 24.ua (May 13, 2008). Archived from the original on February 14, 2012.
Ksenia Meleshko Shopper's business. Chief editor (September 24, 2008). Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
Government institutions are recognized by Russians as the worst places in terms of quality of service. rambler.ru. Archived from the original on February 14, 2012.
Anton Matveev An auditor is coming to see you. TourInfo (July 21, 2009). Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2009. Article on the use of the "mystery guest" program in the hotel industry

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

See what “Mystery shopping” is in other dictionaries:

Buyer- (Purchaser) Definition of a buyer, buyer rights, purchasing criteria Information on the definition of a buyer, buyer rights, purchasing criteria Contents Contents Definition Mystery buyer Goals and objectives of the study… … Investor Encyclopedia

Mystery shopper (mystery shopper, from the English Mystery shopper) is a type of marketing research aimed at assessing the customer service process using specially trained people (mystery shoppers), ... ... Wikipedia

Consumer- (Сustomer) Contents Contents Definition History of the development of the institution of rights protection in Sources legal regulation V Russian Federation Basic rights of the acquirer Procedural features of consumer rights protection Disputes related to the Federal Law... ... Investor Encyclopedia

Marketing research is a form of business research and a branch of applied sociology that focuses on understanding the behavior, desires and preferences of consumers, competitors and markets as dictated by... ... Wikipedia

You often visit stores just to see new products, find out prices for goods you are interested in, or stop at a gas station. Then you have great opportunity Earn some money by becoming a mystery shopper.

The work is not difficult and does not require special knowledge, you will simply behave as usual, and you will be paid money for it.

Let's look at all the features of this work, who needs it, where to find a customer, and how much you can earn.

What is the job

Working as a mystery shopper means you go into a store and check the level of service. Namely, how the staff will behave, whether they will advise you what exactly is right for you, and whether they will advise you competently.

In addition, you will need to express your opinion on how the merchandise is laid out, the level of cleanliness in the store, and how the store display looks.

You will need to record the entire communication process on a voice recorder. You should not be afraid of violating the law, since you are recording on behalf of the store owner; only you and his staff are on the recording. working hours so you are not breaking the law.

In some cases, you may be asked to create conflict situation to find out how the staff will solve it.

Before you begin the task of checking the store’s service, you will be given a script for your visit. You need to carefully study it and strictly follow this scenario, since deviation from it may lead to you simply not being paid for the task.

In addition, you need to behave as naturally as possible so that the staff does not guess that you are a “sent Cossack” and does not begin to behave too respectfully in front of you. The naturalness of your behavior when checking is very important.

Where can I find such a job?

There are several companies on the Internet that recruit mystery shoppers. I worked at “4service” and “GOOD SERVICE”.

Let's look at the differences between these systems, as they are quite significant.

Work at 4service

4service is the most popular and probably the oldest service for working as a secret shopper. The service is proven and guaranteed to pay, but to be honest, working on it is not suitable for everyone, as it has a number of features.

Work on 4service begins with you going through a short registration, and after that you are sent an email with your login and password to enter the site. If you think that you can start working right away, then this is not so.

After logging into the site for the first time, you will need to be certified in order to see available vacancies. Don’t be afraid of certification, the most important thing is to just click the “Next” button and carefully read what you are shown on the pages.

These are the rules of work, what the service is intended for, the ethical and moral code of the company, and other information that you need to work.

After you have read the information, you will need to take a test, the questions are not difficult, and only relate to what you have read before.

If you want a lot of work, then in addition to the initial certification, you will need to pass additional certifications.

After you have passed the first certification, a section opens with vacancies that you can apply for.

All you have to do is select a task and indicate a date that is convenient for you to attend. That's it, you have a task at work.

But there are tasks that you will not be able to take on; for them you will need to undergo separate certification to prove your skills.

All your work is controlled by your curator, so don’t be surprised by a call after you’ve registered on the site or taken a job. Personally, the curator called me back two hours after registration, clarified the place where I was, and selected tasks for me in my city, and immediately sent them to me on the vacancy website.

Maybe this is due to the fact that there are not many secret shoppers in my region, or maybe they always do this, I can’t say.

Executing a task in 4service

So, you took on the task of checking out the store and became a secret shopper. Now you need to complete the task. Do not think that it is easy, because this work requires care and responsibility.

To work, you will definitely need a voice recorder, or this function must be present in your mobile, and a camera or smartphone with a camera with good resolution.

Most visits should be recorded with a voice recorder, sometimes photographs of facades or how goods are laid out are required.

The first thing you need to do is carefully study the visit script. There is no need to rehearse in front of the mirror and imagine how they will answer you, just remember what you should ask and think through those parts of the script that are left to your discretion.

If you have carefully memorized the script, then you can get to work.

To avoid having to repeat the visit, check how the voice recorder works; the most important thing is that the gadget is not in a visible place and so that store employees cannot notice it. But at the same time, the recording quality must be good, and every word must be clearly audible. If everything is normal, then you can visit the store.

In the store you should behave as naturally as possible. So try to forget that you have a voice recorder in your pocket and just consult according to the script.

After you leave the store, take a photo of the front of the store if the task requires it, but move away some distance, because otherwise the store employees themselves may see this and understand that they are being checked by secret shoppers, and therefore further checks will lose their meaning.

Reporting in 4service

One of the most important points in order to receive payment for a visit to the store, this is the preparation of reports. Don't think that just sending a voice recorder and a photo you took is enough.

There is a lengthy questionnaire waiting for you that you will have to fill out. There can be a wide variety of questions here, including whether you liked the intonation with which the seller spoke to you.

It takes at least 20 minutes to fill out the form, and sometimes more. This data is needed in order to objectively assess the operation of the institution and its condition. Therefore, you will need to fill out all points of the questionnaire before submitting it for verification.

You must attach a record from the store and a photo to the completed application form, if this was specified in the task.

Terms and amounts of payment

You can immediately see the price of the task in the list of tasks. In principle, the minimum cost of a task starts from 100 rubles, there are some tasks worth 1000, and there are more.

It all depends on the complexity and necessary equipment to complete the task. For example, if you need to visit a gas station, then you must have a car, so such a task costs more. Therefore, you can refuel and get money for it.

But most of the tasks, to be honest, are quite cheap, since you need to spend quite a lot of time on them. But if you already visit stores, then working as a secret shopper can be considered as additional discounts.

There is no minimum payment as such; even one completed task that is approved will be paid.

I'm really not happy with the payment terms. Payment takes place after the 20th of the next month after completing the task, within 40 banking days.

This means that, for example, if you complete a task in March, then after April 20 it will only go into the queue for payment. Of course, in most cases you will not have to wait exactly 40 days, since the conditions are formulated during, and not after, but you will still have to wait at least a month and a half for the money you earn.

Work at GOOD SERVICE

At GOOD SERVICE, you can also earn money as a secret shopper. Although this service has some nuances. For example, on the official website you will not be able to register to start working; there you can only order research.

To start working at GOOD SERVICE, you need to join their official VKontakte community. This is where available tasks appear on the wall. Although the fact that there are not very many participants in the group is a little annoying.

If you see a task that suits you, then you simply call the curator or contact him via VKontakte messages. He gives you tasks and you immediately discuss payment. The work is no different from 4service, the same checks, the same records and photos.

What’s noteworthy is that there is no minimum payment here either; you get paid for every accepted task. In addition, when you get paid, you see either in the task, or you can ask the curator about it. Usually the payment period does not exceed two weeks, which is much faster than in 4service.

What I liked about GOOD SERVICE is that in almost every task you will have to make purchases, small ones, 100 rubles sometimes and for significant amounts. But this money will be returned to you, since it is included in the cost of the task.

Therefore, you can immediately add the purchase price to the cost of the task to see its real cost. And if you buy the things you need, then you can consider that you have a net gain, since the things remain yours after the purchase.

Working directly as a mystery shopper

As usual, all services and companies that offer work take at least half of the cost of the task itself. And the direct performer is usually left with crumbs. But you can work as a secret shopper directly.

Owners of shops, salons, restaurants and other commercial establishments sometimes also want to check how their staff is working. But since the amount of work is small, and large companies have high prices for buyers, they resort to the services of individual mystery shoppers.

Most importantly, working directly is much more profitable, since the price for one inspection, even without purchases, starts from 500 rubles. In addition, if you need, for example, to evaluate the work of a restaurant, then the owner will compensate you within reasonable limits for the order, the same can be said about other small purchases.

It’s worth noting right away that finding such a job will be a little more difficult than simply ordering from popular services. But the effort expended will be fully repaid with a large income, in addition, if you work with large companies, then no one is stopping you from taking an individual order, since what you do in free time, you don't have to report to anyone. There are three ways to find customers.

First and the most common way is to look at message boards. Orders of this kind appear there from time to time. If you find them, you just need to contact the employer and find out the details of the vacancy. If there are aspects that you don’t like, or you are not sure that you will be paid, you can simply ask for an advance payment. It’s better to lose a client right away than to waste your time.

Second way, this is an independent placement of an advertisement offering mystery shopping services. Thanks to such an advertisement, people themselves will find you and offer you a job. Especially if you beautifully describe your skills and professionalism.

Third and most rare way, this is when your friends ask you to check the service in a store. Such cases, although rare, do occur.

How much can you earn

There is no definite answer to this question, since everything depends on factors such as the number of tasks completed, their price, and your place of residence.

If you live in a big city where there are many stores, then you will earn more, but if you live in a regional center, you will not have many orders.

On average, you can earn 150 rubles per task; you can complete 2-3 tasks per day, especially if you have a job.

Therefore, working as a secret shopper should not be considered as the main type of income; it is rather a combination of business and pleasure, namely visiting stores and receiving a reward for it.

Now such a profession as a secret shopper or, as it is also called, a mystery shopper, is becoming increasingly popular in Russia. Managers big companies, especially in the retail sector, are beginning to seriously think about achieving new, more high level, in customer service. In view of this, the demand for specialists called “mystery shoppers” has increased significantly. Let's look at the main differences between ordinary visitors and “mystery shoppers”.

First of all, a mystery shopper is an ordinary visitor who acts as a hidden agent. Anonymous clients are often hired by the owners of retail outlets themselves in order to assess the quality of service and check the staff.

Mystery shoppers are required wherever there is service. In addition, there is such a variety of this profession as telephone buyers. The principle of operation is almost the same, only the wages will differ. But more on that a little later.

Responsibilities of a mystery shopper

What does a mystery shopper do and do? The essence of the work is extremely simple, you just need to visit a certain service or sales point under the guise of an ordinary client according to a scenario previously agreed upon with the customer. During the visit, the spy may be required to perform one of the following tasks:

Playing the role of a “harmful” client who is rude and asks a lot of unpleasant questions to the staff.
Hidden recording of a conversation with a seller on a voice recorder and its subsequent presentation to the customer.
Attempting to return a recently purchased item to a store.
Based on the results of the inspection, filling out a special questionnaire, where you will need to answer a number of questions regarding the inspection, as well as rating the work of the staff.
Completion of preliminary training that will prepare future secret shoppers for possible force majeure during the inspection.

Mystery shopper - what kind of work and salary?

After verification, the mystery shopper should provide the results of their work to the customer in the form of a completed questionnaire or recording of a conversation.

Salary most often directly depends on the complexity of the questionnaire. Thus, on average, a hidden buyer can earn from 200 to 600 rubles for checking a store in Moscow. By checking the bank, you can get monetary reward from 400 rubles, depending on the nuances of the task.

Inspections of expensive restaurants and cafeterias are most often not paid, but the amount spent on dinner is necessarily reimbursed. For checking an expensive clothing store, cosmetics or perfume department, the customer can offer a store gift certificate as payment.

In this profession, experts are highly valued, that is, people who know special knowledge in a certain industry. Such secret shoppers are most often required in car repair shops, stores selling high-tech devices, and airlines. Accordingly, the level wages they also have a higher one. For a telephone check they pay from 200 to 700 rubles. And you can earn the most for checking a hotel, from 1000 to 7000 rubles. Accommodation is also paid. But such checks are ordered extremely rarely and only to proven secret agents.