Mystery shopping is becoming a new kind of job for people — and an essential service for advertising agencies.
A story from real life
Today I went to a very popular home appliance store to buy an electric kettle. You walk in and there are lots of consultants following you around. Very good. I stop by the shelf with kettles from different brands and ask a consultant about their advantages and features. Vague information, general phrases — it all comes down to "the best kettle is the expensive one". After 30 minutes of choosing, the only question left is: glass, metal or plastic? No answer from the consultant. Moving on: does it smell when boiling? The answer vanished into thin air. I have to decide myself and choose the economical, eco-friendly option — glass. I am glad it is over: the check is done, the product is bought. Not so fast. At home it turns out the kettle cannot be used: packed and boxed, it still cracked on the way. That happens.
Had I been a mystery shopper, the report on this purchase would have been a sad one. To make such situations rarer, advertising agencies offer mystery shopping services.
Who?
A mystery shopper is an outside person hired by an agency to get an objective picture of how staff deal with consumers when selling a product. They carry out checks at points of sale.
How?
A mystery shopper checks:
- how staff work — both the agency's and the store's;
- whether the consultants' actions match the tasks and requirements set for them.
Why?
A mystery shopping programme reveals weak points in staff performance and allows the work processes to be checked and analysed. It helps improve how products are sold and increases sales.
Do you need mystery shopping? Absolutely. The consumer sees aspects of service that management does not notice. Mystery shopping shows where staff can grow as professionals. Being polite and knowing the product is not enough: a consultant is part of the agency and the face of the brand, so the bar is high.
The more agencies use mystery shopping to check staff, the better it will be for all of us.
Urban Media trains consultants, runs promotions, offers a range of programmes and works with mystery shoppers. Get in touch with us.
