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Types of Companies Looking for Mystery Shoppers

April 17th, 2008

With mystery shopping, businesses are given the opportunity to measure the success or failure of the company. Obviously, businesses of all types want to do everything possible to impress customers, encouraging them to come back time after time, while also spreading the word to family and friends about the great product and/or service purchased. With such intense competition, having an edge in knowing how satisfied customers are is the key to a long, successful business.

Due to the fact that mystery shopping has become such big business, the different types of companies looking for mystery shoppers have changed. Originally mystery shopping served the purpose of analyzing a business and understanding more about it and it involved mainly looking at churches, schools and housing associations. However these days practically all businesses and organizations use mystery shopping.

As mentioned, companies of all types can benefit from this unique service. Therefore, it does not matter what type of business uses a mystery shopper, just that the information reported is accurate. For instance, in the United States, some of the companies looking for mystery shoppers include:

- Restaurants - Fast Food Chains - Grocery Stores - Gas Stations - Banks - Movie Theaters - Apartments - Car Dealerships - Hotels - Airlines - Health Clubs

This is not a full list of industry types, but includes the most common mystery shopping opportunities. Also consider that both large and small companies can benefit from the information gathered during mystery shopping. With that in mind, the list of opportunities to provide this service to is unlimited and always expanding. The most important thing that a business can gain from a mystery shopping experience is data suggesting the areas that need the most immediate improvement within.

Companies looking for mystery shoppers will go about hiring them in different ways. Some companies may employ a mystery shopper through a company, while others will opt to hire one directly. If going through a company, the business will usually create a survey model which the market research company has to approve. This is a way for the business to protect itself against fraud market research companies and it enables the best possible feedback.

Overall no matter which type of company is looking for mystery shoppers, the goal is always the same; to get feedback on their services in order for them to improve. An example of a mystery shopping experience would include the mystery shopper going into a fast food chain. They would gather information regarding various aspects of their experience including how friendly the staff were and how cooked the food was. Then they will give their feedback to the company via a form. It is done secretly so that the staff at the fast food chain does not know that they are being monitored. That is how unbiased feedback is found. Through this unbiased feedback, improvements can be made and the business can improve.

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