There were some subtle but important differences on the mystery shops Icarried out yesterday

I carried out two mystery shops yesterday, and both had subtle differences to the standard mystery shops I carry out that made then interesting. In my view these changes also made the shops more relevant to the companies I visited.

The first one was a visit to a discount store that sells all kinds of items for the home. The mystery shop in general was to check out the service - pretty standard I hear you say. But the difference was that I was to stand close to a member of staff and look at a product. This was to see how long (if at all) it was before I was approached. The measure is that a customer shouldn't have to approach the member of staff for help. The member of staff should approach customers and see if they can help.

The subtle difference is in the level of customer service and interaction. The fact is that customers that aren't approached may just go without asking, resulting in lost sales.

In this case, the team member asked if I was okay after only about 30 seconds. This was good service.

Fee = £7.00

Reimbursement = £1.00

Spend = £1.50

Profit/Loss = +£6.50

The second mystery shop was to a cafe situated inside another store. Again it was mainly standard fayre for most of the mystery shop-

How long to be served?
Cleanliness of the cafe
Quality of the food

The difference in this assignment was the fact that the instructions stated "be honest, fair but be strict." The honesty and fair are how you approach every mystery shop. It is quite rare that you are instructed to be strict. I feel that must mystery shopping companies I carry out shops for allow a little leeway for the place you are assessing. But the instructions here were to be strict.

I do feel as though I pointed out things that I may have overlooked in past shops so it does make a difference.

Fee = £0.00

Reimbursement = £11.00

Spend = £12.00

Profit/Loss = -£1.00

TOTAL = +£5.50 + a tube of toothpaste and lunch for 2

If you are thinking about becoming a mystery shopper then a great way to get into it is to read my book on how to become a mystery shopper. It will help you to apply to be a mystery shopper and then shows you great ideas on how to be successful.

It is time to start mystery shopping again, and a change in strategy to boot!

It is mystery shop time again tomorrow. I have carried out so few mystery shops in 2016 through a lack of available jobs and other work commitments taking over that it feels like tomorrow will be my return to the arena of mystery shopping. This is the start of getting back into it and making sure that I hit my goals of how much money I want to make by mystery shopping this year. I won't divulge too much information about that at this moment but it is safe to say that I haven't made it there yet!

There are two shops tomorrow and it does mark the start of a slightly different strategy that I am taking with my this year.

In the past I took the spend up to the available limit (and sometimes beyond) to maximise the products I was getting for the mystery shop time I was putting in. Most assignments have the payment in two elements - the reimbursement and the fee. The reimbursement is the money paid back to you for what you have spent. The fee is the incentive for going there. I have usually used the money from both to make the purchase, leaving me with no profit but a full spend on the products I would take home, for personal use or to give as gifts.

This year will see me spend the reimbursement but ensure that I keep the fee as a profit, leaving me to spend the fee on whatever I choose from wherever I want to buy. It is about what is important to you as a mystery shopper and this year I want spending money for my holiday!

I will post an update tomorrow on the two mystery shops I carry out and you will see more shops and more blog entries in the upcoming weeks.

If you are looking to become a mystery shopper then my book is available now and is a great guide to becoming a mystery shopper and making a success of it.

A slightly different (and more lucrative) take on the mystery shop is available this week

I wanted to quickly share with you a slightly different opportunity that comes up now and again for mystery shoppers. There is this opportunity through one of the mystery shop companies at the moment and this prompted me to give you the lowdown on it. It is more lucrative than a standard mystery shop, it takes a little more time but doesn't involve an actual purchase.

It is the shop and report.

You go into a specified company (in this case it is a travel agent) where you go though a scenario about looking for a service or product. You then write a longer report which is sometimes converted into an article or customer review for a magazine or website.

What do you have to remember?
This is all about reporting the experience, the way you were made to feel. It is not like a traditional mystery shop that it concerned with the facts, such as how long you waited or the description of the person who served you. The content you write is used to form a picture of the service that you were given, rather than an exact measure of service times.

It can pay between £25 and £50 for a standard shop of this nature but your English grammar and punctuation skills will have to be very good.

If you are looking to mystery shop as a way of supplementing your income then mys book is a great way to start our. It gives hints and tips to starting out as a mystery shopper and gives a step-by-step guide to applying to become a mystery shopper-

A visit to a national clothing retailer brings a chance to learn about mystery shopping

This really has been a strange January for mystery shops. I was braced for another busy month after January of last year but it's been a real washout. I carried out a shop on Sunday of this week to a clothing retailer that has a national chain and is hugely well-known.

The mystery shop was split into three parts and I'll look at each in turn to give new mystery shoppers an idea of what may be expected of them-

Shop floor enquiry
I was to browse until I was approached by a sales assistant. I then had to make a broad enquiry about an item of clothing. A question along the lines of "I'm looking for some new trousers." The question needs to be this vague so the sales assistant can ask you several questions that lead to a recommendation. It is a test of customer interaction and product knowledge.

You need to remember names, descriptions and what was said here. It is important to focus.

Fitting rooms
You are then to approach the fitting room with an item of clothing to try on. This purely a customer service measure as you are looking to how the assistant interacts with you and whether they offer you any service above and beyond what is usually experienced.

Inside the fitting room is a great opportunity to recap what you have done and perhaps make a quick note or two.

Till transaction
You are then required to make a purchase at a certain till. This is to again measure the customer service at that till, as the member of staff interacts with you whilst processing your payment. As with many shops it is a last chance to make sure the customer has got everything they came in for.

This is all about how you were made to feel, so it is easier to remember this information.

This shop performed well on this occasion and I think that the report I completed will show very positively on the team members I encountered.

If you are thinking of becoming a mystery shopper then it is a good idea to get some tips on the process before you start. My book is available now to give you the lowdown on becoming a mystery shopper.