A day in the life of a mystery shopper
We go on a sample shop with Lisa M.
Credit: Paul Oakley
Lisa M., who’s done hundreds of gigs as a mystery shopper for six years, arrives at a Connecticut department store with the
instructions for the shop and the form she’d need to fill out if this were a real assignment. She explains the drill: She’ll
make four purchases of at least $20 each and look for very specific behavior from the sale associates.
Anonymity is essential. (That’s why we’re not revealing her full name.) She’s dressed plainly, in a black jacket, gray sweater, jeans, and ballet flats. She’ll make mental notes of her observations because writing notes might blow her cover. For the first test, she buys photo frames. The cashier is friendly but doesn’t ask whether she’ll be using the store’s charge card. Had this been a real assignment, Lisa would record the misstep. Later she heads to the makeup counter, where a saleswoman convinces her that purple eye shadow is her best color. She takes both purple and pink and gets a “free” makeup kit. This time, Lisa responds to the saleswoman’s question about the charge card by saying she doesn’t have one. And right on cue, the associate presses her to apply.
Later, without having taken a single note, Lisa rattles off everything the sales associates did right and wrong. She plans to return the items she purchased. Had it been a real assignment, she would have been paid $18. Usually, Lisa tries to string several shops together. For example, she recently completed six “bank” shops in a single day, earning $97.
Lisa has gotten some good perks. She received $100 to evaluate a carpet-cleaning service. She’s also received free clothes, oil changes, and bath and body-care products. Last year, she took her mother and kids to an amusement park to assess the rides, concessions, games, dining hall, and parking. It took her two days to fill out the forms. In the end, she earned $250, which nearly covered her $300 in expenses.
Her worst assignments were “toilet-bowl shops” at gas stations and supermarkets. Those $15 gigs required her to take pictures of the bathrooms, using a mirror to get a shot under the toilet bowl rim. “One I did was pretty hideous,” she says. “The glamour was definitely gone with that one.”
Anonymity is essential. (That’s why we’re not revealing her full name.) She’s dressed plainly, in a black jacket, gray sweater, jeans, and ballet flats. She’ll make mental notes of her observations because writing notes might blow her cover. For the first test, she buys photo frames. The cashier is friendly but doesn’t ask whether she’ll be using the store’s charge card. Had this been a real assignment, Lisa would record the misstep. Later she heads to the makeup counter, where a saleswoman convinces her that purple eye shadow is her best color. She takes both purple and pink and gets a “free” makeup kit. This time, Lisa responds to the saleswoman’s question about the charge card by saying she doesn’t have one. And right on cue, the associate presses her to apply.
Later, without having taken a single note, Lisa rattles off everything the sales associates did right and wrong. She plans to return the items she purchased. Had it been a real assignment, she would have been paid $18. Usually, Lisa tries to string several shops together. For example, she recently completed six “bank” shops in a single day, earning $97.
Lisa has gotten some good perks. She received $100 to evaluate a carpet-cleaning service. She’s also received free clothes, oil changes, and bath and body-care products. Last year, she took her mother and kids to an amusement park to assess the rides, concessions, games, dining hall, and parking. It took her two days to fill out the forms. In the end, she earned $250, which nearly covered her $300 in expenses.
Her worst assignments were “toilet-bowl shops” at gas stations and supermarkets. Those $15 gigs required her to take pictures of the bathrooms, using a mirror to get a shot under the toilet bowl rim. “One I did was pretty hideous,” she says. “The glamour was definitely gone with that one.”
| Click any of the links below for a selection of articles from the August/September 2007 issue of ShopSmart;) Editor's Letter Greetings from ShopSmart Editor-in-Chief Lisa Lee Freeman Your worst shopping mistakes You bought that? Tell us about it--or better yet, send us a picture! How to spot a fake Think that designer jewelry is a steal? It might be a scam. See our tips to avoid getting taken. The best beauty sites Where to find great deals on cosmetics, perfumes and more. 11 ways to slash your grocery bill Finding cheaper stores, fake-outs to avoid and other shopping tactics. What's cooking online Need a recipe? Turn on the computer instead of cracking open a cookbook. Sunscreen dos and don'ts Get it right for maximum protection from UV rays. Can't find ShopSmart in your local bookstore? Order it online or call our toll-free number to get your copy now. |
