Mystery shopping, also known as secret shopping, is a way for business owners and managers to keep abreast of what their customers experience.

A customized evaluation form is created for each business, incorporating company goals and vision. This may include items such as cleanliness, customer service, and quality.

Most businesses prefer a rating system on their forms. Another option is narrative shops in which the shopper types paragraphs of their experience. Site visits, phone shops, and competitor shops are all choices. Shoppers of various ages and backgrounds are given guidelines to follow and adhere to a code of ethics.

Shopping by Mystery keeps track of how often clients would like their employees shopped. They schedule the shoppers and email the designated manager the evaluation forms once they are completed, making the process very easy for the business.

What happens next is in the hands of the client. Employees should not be fired over a negative report, but the forms are a useful tool to identify training needs, create contests between stores, and recognize employees for a job well done.