Mystery Shopping Companies – Do You Know What To Look For?

Mystery Shopping Companies – Do You Know What To Look For? By Mike McCaffrey

If you’re looking to partner with a mystery shopping service – whether as a potential client looking for a vendor, or a secret shopper looking for assignments in your area – you want to find a reputable company. But how? What do you look for?

A good starting point is to see if the company is a member of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association. Yes, there actually is a professional organization for mystery shopping. The website of the MSPA is www.mysteryshop.org. Shoppers’ Critique, the company I work for, is a Charter Member. All member companies are screened and must adhere to high standards and practices.

Since there are hundreds of companies that belong to the MSPA its necessary to drill down and look for some basic information. For example, how long has the secret shopper company been in business? Longevity is not necessarily a guarantee that the company is reputable, but they must be doing something right to stay in business.

Another good question to ask is whether the company handles all of the mystery shopping functions internally – or if they farm everything out. Some companies may appear large because they have a fancy website but if they use syndicated data systems and scheduling services they may not have the depth to service their clients and shoppers properly.

Client lists and references are another key source of information. Again, these can be misleading if abused by the mystery shopping company. It’s a big difference if they did a project for a single franchise location of a major chain versus having an agreement with the corporation. Also, they may have done work for the client in the distant past but may not still be doing business with them. Ask for current clients and actual references to contact. Client testimonials are also very helpful.

Financial strength and stability are also important. For the most part, clients should not have to prepay for field services or purchase reimbursements. There are exceptions to this rule however. Clients with one-time projects, or unusually high purchase reimbursement, may need to prepay a portion of the costs. For shoppers, it’s important to check the payment policy of the company in terms of how long it takes to pay their fees and reimburse expenses. Sometimes these are posted on the company’s website. Other times you may need to check mystery shopper chat rooms or blogs to see if there are any payment issues.

Bottom line, do your homework first. Investment of a small amount of effort can pay big dividends and eliminate disappointment.

Mike McCaffrey is the National Sales Director for Shoppers’ Critique International – a full service mystery shopping company that’s a Charter Member of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association. SCI has been incorporated for over eight years and has decades of experience. More information about Shoppers’ Critique can be found at www.shopperscritique.com.

Shoppers Critique International is a Mystery Shopping Company that has extensive experience in providing various industry's with a mystery shopper.

Please Rate this Article...                  5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5  Not yet Rated

More Articles From - Home | Business

• Teen Modeling - The Pros and Cons of it - By : Kurtis Hoeck
  
• Wholesale License - am I Required by Law to have One? - By : Kurtis Hoeck
  
• Scrap Gold - How Best to Use it - By : Samatha Moron
  
• Business to Business Directory – A Useful Guide! - By : Kirthy Shetty
  
• B2b Marketplace – A Business Platform Beneficial To All! - By : Kirthy Shetty
  
• Advertise Your Business But Do not Spam - By : suegold
  
• Suggestions About Where To Purchase POS Supplies - By : Rachel Jackson
  
• Find The Best Deals On Ebay?? - By : Carole Wildman
  
• Setting Up Shop On Ebay? - By : Carole Wildman
  
• Build A FAQ For Your Wholesale Dvd Business - By : Brent Crouch