What Skills & Qualities Do You Need to be a Good Mystery Shopper?

Getting paid to help brands improve the customer experience is just as easy (and fun) as it sounds. You don’t need any specialized training or experience to become a Mystery Shopper, but some people are better at it than others. In this article, we’ll cover the skills and qualities that are essential to being a good Mystery Shopper. 

An eye for detail 

If you’re wondering how to become a Mystery Shopper, one of the main skills you should have is a keen eye for detail. Naturally, brands want plenty of details on their products, services, or processes. Take the example of Mystery Shopping in a restaurant. You’ll need to take note of things like this:

• Were you welcomed to the restaurant?
• Was your table clean?
• How quick/slow was the service?
• How was the atmosphere? About how many empty tables did you see?
• Were the menus in good condition?
• Did the food look appealing? Was it warm?
• Were the restrooms clean? 

There will be other specific instructions provided to you. We always recommend you fill out your Mystery Shopping report as you complete the visit so that you don’t forget any important details. 

Communication Skills 

Now that you’ve remembered all those details, you need to communicate them clearly. The better you can say what you mean about your experience, the more value your review will have for our clients. If you can answer questions about your experience clearly and directly, it’ll be much easier for the brand to act on your information and improve the customer experience. Your responses should be objective and focus on specific aspects of your experience rather than your opinions about it. 

There are also times when you will need to communicate with the Mystery Shopping Provider about changing deadlines or if you missed an element of the Shopper Guidelines. It’s important to proactively communicate with any schedulers or operations team members working with you on the program to maintain your reputation as a reliable Mystery Shopper. 

Good Writing Skills 

We collect Mystery Shopper feedback using an app or desktop portal, not verbally. Therefore, it’s important to write clearly and professionally. You must be able to describe your experience so that somebody reading your review gets a full picture of it. Any written narratives should reflect answers to multiple choice questions and be supported by any photographic evidence you are asked to include. 

Reliability 

It’s important that the brands you are Mystery Shopping for can count on you. Your opinions and reviews shape the way they work. 

Because of that, you’ll need to carry out whatever assignments you agreed to complete on the time and date you agreed to complete them. Your Mystery Shopping reports should be submitted within 24 hours of your visit. Make sure you are reading and adhering to the Shopper Guidelines closely to make sure you capture all the details the client is trying to measure. 

Ability to Follow Instructions 

As an iShopFor Ipsos Mystery Shopper, you are the eyes and ears of our clients. They are trying to measure specific elements of the customer experience, so it’s important that you follow the instructions they set closely. Our clients take action based on your feedback, so following the directions and submitting accurate reports is critical. 

Many of our clients are checking for compliance against specific legal requirements, so questions must be asked and answered in a specific way. For instance, if you are asked to make a purchase of an age restricted product without first presenting your identification, the client looking to see if the employee asks for your ID. If you present your ID before they have a chance to ask for it, you are not allowing the client to appropriately measure compliance to this legal requirement. 

We’ll outline specific steps involved in the task, so you know exactly how to carry it out. Sometimes, there’s a quiz to make sure you’ve read the instructions properly. Then you can get on with your Shopping! 

Accuracy and Honesty 

Being open about your experience is one of the most important qualities of a Mystery Shopper. After all, businesses need your insight into everyday practices to improve their services and operations. 

It’s vital to follow instructions for a particular scenario and then honestly report what happened and what employees said or did. Brands rely upon you to recount your Shopping experience accurately because they’ll act on your feedback. 

Conclusion 

Brands need objective feedback to improve customer experiences. As a Mystery Shopper, you’ll be providing a valuable service to them. 

While you need a few common qualities to review your Shopping experience effectively, you won’t need a specific background or any experience. So, if you think Mystery Shopping sounds like an enjoyable way to earn some money, register to become a Mystery Shopper today.