Frequently asked questions about mystery shopping
1. What is mystery shopping?
It is a tool used by companies to measure their quality of service. A mystery shopper, or secret shopper, as they are also known, poses as a typical customer and assesses the service they received when they entered a store or spoke to a staff member over the phone.
Grass Roots does not employ mystery shoppers as “spies”; our aim is evaluate the customer experience. If there is room for improvement, we will suggest to the client ways to improve it through training and good service displayed by employees will be rewarded.
2. What qualities/skills are needed to be a good mystery shopper?
1. Be objective – report on what happened/what was said and NOT on how they felt about the visit (unless asked)
2. Have excellent written and spoken English (for instance, reports should not have grammatical errors or a small “i” when speaking about oneself.)
3. Be observant
4. Be reliable
5. Be honest
6. Be timely: meet deadlines
7. Have strong communication skills
8. Be passionate about receiving good customer service
3. What will I do as a mystery shopper?
A mystery shopper acts as a typical customer.
When you apply and if you are accepted for a visit(s), you will be given a questionnaire and guidelines on what the visit entails.
Normal procedure after a shopper receives a confirmation email:
- Shopper signs into shop log where they read and print guidelines and questionnaire
- Shopper goes into the store and asks about a product (which we specify on the guidelines)
- The shopper assesses staff performance, customer service and store tidiness and cleanliness (questions on these topics will be included in the questionnaire)
- Shopper makes notes after leaving the shop
- Online evaluation is submitted within 24 hours of completing the visit from the shopper’s log
- Shopper gets paid within two weeks of submitting the evaluation
4. Will I have to make a purchase?
This will be specified in the recruiting email. Where a purchase has to be made we will either reimburse you or ask you to return the item to the store.
5. How will I know that assignments are available?
We email shoppers when shops become available in their county. This recruiting email will give information about:
- What the evaluation entails
- Specific times/days that shops need to be visited (if applicable)
- Shopper fee
- Deadlines
- When the shops will be assigned
6. How long should each evaluation take?
This depends on the evaluation. Usually shop visits take around 20 minutes to complete.
7. How much does it pay and how do I get paid?
We pay anything from 10 Euro to 25 Euro depending on the detail of the visit. Payments are made twice monthly by paying directly into your account via bank transfer.
8. How can I apply for assignments?
There will be a list of locations at the bottom of the recruiting email.
Click on the locations you are interested in and available to conduct within the timescales allowed.
Only apply to those you can complete. For instance, only apply for four if you are able to complete all four. If you only have time to complete one, please only apply to one location.
All available assignments will appear on the job board in your shop log. It may be beneficial to check if you live near the border of another county or are travelling to another part of Ireland. If shops outside your county of residence are convenient for you to conduct, then feel free to apply for those locations!
The job board icon appears at the top of your Shop log:
9. How will I know that I have an assignment to complete?
You will receive an email shortly after applying for available shops informing you whether you’ve been assigned the shop or not. So please check your emails regularly after applying for an assignment.
10. How will I know what to do?
Once you’ve been accepted for an assignment the evaluation and briefing notes appear on your shop log. You will need to carefully read and print the briefing notes and evaluation.
The briefing notes give specifics of your visit which you need to follow.
We are happy to clarify any queries shoppers may have - either by email or on the phone.
11. Do I have to commit to a specific date to complete the evaluation?
YES - We count on our mystery shoppers and so do our clients. Each shopping period is tightly scheduled and we let you know of this schedule in the recruiting emails. Some clients require visits to be conducted on a certain day and/or at a certain time. If this is the case the recruiting email will contain this information so you do not have to apply for a shop you can’t complete on time! Assignments must be submitted on or before the due date.
Failure to submit shops on time can result in non payment or a delay in payment.
12. Should I keep my evaluation on record?
There is no need to keep the online evaluation as this will be stored on your Grass Roots Shopper Log. However your notes made about your visit should be kept for up to two months, in case there are any queries about the shop visit (this rarely happens but it is better that notes are kept on the visit)
13. Terminology:
Shop log
Your shop log is like an email account. When you register as a mystery shopper with Grass Roots you get your own log-in, where you can view available shops and access the brief and evaluation when a shop has been assigned to you. The evaluation can also be filled in from here.
Due date
Last day assignment can be completed
Submit date
Date shop needs to be submitted on. (This is normally the day after due date).
ESP
Extended shopper profile – this is a list of questions which need to be filled in before a shopper can apply for available shops. These are confidential and this information will not be passed on to any third party.
Test & qualification
There is an introductory “test” that can be found on your shop log. We have a training document to accompany this test which can be viewed when you click into the introductory test. The test is designed to give you an idea of what mystery shopping entails. You are allowed four attempts to pass it. You will increase your chances of being assigned mystery shops you apply for, if you complete this test.
14. How does mystery shopping affect my tax?
As you are not an employee of Grass Roots Ireland we do not calculate your tax. Mystery shoppers are independent contractors and so need to calculate their own taxes.