When shopping becomes a mystery

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Many of us already had the experience of going out the door to do “some” shopping but ending up with half of the bank account empty. But did you now that some people are actually paid by a company to go shopping? In that case, they all of a sudden get the label of “Mystery Evaluator”. Of course there is more to it. These shoppers then become secret agents of what is called “Mystery Customer Research”. 

Now, what exactly is this taboo called Mystery Customer Research? Mystery Customer Research is a simple act of shopping where everyday people with an eye for detail go shopping, go to a restaurant or take an airplane, while they actually get paid to do this! These “undercover shopaholics” then fill in a questionnaire evaluating the service they had been given. This way they help companies obtain valuable information concerning their own services, enabling them to improve customer satisfaction, and consequently increasing profits.

 

So what does Mystery Shopping exactly look like?

shutterstock_97220222_resizedTom Johnsson goes to a fast-food chain. On his way over, he pays attention to whether there are street signs guiding him to the restaurant he is looking for. Once he gets there:

  • He checks whether the restaurant and its employees are clean and not too smelly.
  • He also focuses on the time spent queuing.
  • Once he gets to order his meal, Tom observes whether the cashier is friendly and helpful.
  • When he takes his first bite, he must try not to lose himself in the delicious taste of his fast-food hamburger.
  • After he gets home he has to fill in his questionnaire with every single little detail of the visit.

 

However, Tom is happy to have his burger for free, and the fast-food chain will be pleased as well when the questionnaire is filled in correctly. This scenario will be repeated by many shoppers, in multiple restaurants of the chain, during a period that can vary depending on the desires of the brand in question. The overall evaluation will enable them to look for solutions as how to do better on both general and shop level.

It goes without saying that there is more than mystery shopping alone. Sometimes the evaluator is only asked

  • To make a phone call,
  • To act as future client, or
  • To give feedback to the salesperson after the mystery evaluation is performed.

 

But the aim of all this will remain the same: to improve customer satisfaction. Either you are a Mystery Evaluator or a normal person with no secret life, I’m sure you would like the extra spending money or getting nice products for free. If you simply want to enjoy the experience as a Mystery Evaluator, then this is your chance to try it out.

 

Author: AnneloreAnnelore Valencia_edited

Annelore has been an employee of Bare International since September 2011 and is based in the Antwerp Office. She has a Master’s degree in English & Spanish literature & linguistics and a Master’s in Management. She likes discovering new places, travelling, reading and going out with friends to enjoy some very good (Belgian) beers.

Interested in becoming an Evaluator with BARE International?

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How can mystery shopping help you open a new page in your career?

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Do you have the feeling you need start doing something new? You need a change in your life but don’t know how to survive the job-search? This article can help you explore the secret signs of burn-out and explain what benefits mystery evaluation can bring you while you are not working full-time.

Do you get too tired by the end of the day?

You say you don’t have time to exercise, go out, learn new things, because you are way too exhausted in the evenings. Unless your job consists of demanding physical work, this should not be the case. It’s not the work that makes you tired. It’s the negative feelings about it, that silently take away your energy and motivation.

Do little things at work annoy you more than they should?

You want to throw that coffee machine out the window. Even the eyebrows of a coworker you are sitting next to annoy you. Once your mood is not in the right place, you are more susceptible to letting things around you bother you more than they should. Just ask yourself… would you react the same way to these things if you were at home in a good mood? If not, it means that you feel frustrated and you need to change something.

Do you express your mood in days?

-How are you?
-You know, it’s Monday. – you answer frowning.

-How are you?
-I feel great! Are you kidding? It’s Friday.

The only thing that makes sense in your life is the weekend and spending the whole working week craving it? Five days waiting for 2 days? Job crisis alert!

Changing a job is never easy

– I don’t have time to search for a new job or go to job interviews. Who is going to pay my bills while I am not working? – you ask.

Searching for a job can be a difficult time in one’s life. Browsing job portals, adjusting your CV, going for interviews, etc. But don’t forget: you have the power to organize your day. Finding additional sources of income has never been easier. We are living in a time of “online sharing”. You can share your car, or even become an Uber driver. Do you excel in a language or know much about your city? Teach language or offer guided tours! It will take you just a few clicks to publish your ad online.

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Are you a fan of shopping? Are you particular about customer service? Then you might also want to become a mystery evaluator. You just have to register in the database of mystery shopping companies and look for projects on your job board. You can decide when, where and how often you would like to carry out a mystery visit.  You go shopping anyway, don’t you?

If you become a mystery shopper:

  • Spend more time moving around, which is far more exciting than sitting in an office looking at the same walls for months.
  • Meet new people. Not only you will get to know sales advisors and gain important information about sales techniques, you will also be in contact with the employees of the mystery shopping company. Networking can never hurt, especially taking into consideration that these companies regularly hire their best evaluators for their own teams.
  • Practice your communication skills: Most likely you do not have experience as an undercover agent. Mystery evaluation is full of surprises, sometimes you have to improvise and get yourself out of unexpected situations. Don’t forget: your identity can never be uncovered. Enjoy the adrenalin rush and become the best agent in town!
  • Learn a lot about brands, help improve customer service standards and get paid in the meantime. This can be especially useful if you are looking to work in retail or marketing in the future.

No-one can promise that these types of income will compensate you for losing a full salary, but it is fun and might be enough to help you out for a couple of months until you find a job where you even like Mondays. Just don’t forget: Google is your friend! Explore your opportunities! Life is too short to do something you don’t like.

 

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Author: Szintia 1601260_10203075703433404_7153695029350124384_n

Szintia is an employee of Bare International.
Besides her work in the Social Media and Recruitment team, she loves sports, travelling, and she is learning her 6th language. She is a Couchsurfer. She has a master’s degree in Strategic HR Management and she is a professional pastry chef.

Interested in becoming an Evaluator with BARE International?

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Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Mystery Evaluator’s Community?

Apply to: akocsis@bareinternational.com

 

Belgium: Moroccan wedding and Customer Experience?

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All new

As I never organized a party before, this was all new to me. A whole new world opened in front of my eyes and I began to search for everything that I needed to make it a worthwhile wedding party.
I had never experienced such stress before. You definitely cannot compare this with e.g. exam stress. Anyhow, at that moment I also realized that I had to cope with it for a full year (sigh).

Capturing all services

In our Moroccan community, we all knew already who the best Ziana Bellaroussa Najat, make-up artist, DJ, photographer, decorator and cook were. Yet I wanted to overtake how they interacted with their customers and how one could offer more than the other. Working for BARE International has given me the opportunity to do this as I knew what it all contained and what to pay attention to. So step by step – and doing this all by myself – I started to compare prices, services, packages, advantages and so on. Next to all these criteria, the most important one was to have services that really did what I had asked for (especially when you are paying a certain price!). I made appointments with each service representative and made a choice on the basis of the above criteria, paid a deposit and we made agreements for the day of the wedding, which took place on a Saturday in October 2016.

Besides the wedding itself, I also had my henna-day. Such a day is normally held 2 days before the wedding and is very intimate. We only invite family and close friends, as most of the time this takes place at the bride’s house. This was the moment when my hands and feet were pampered with henna decorations and when we could tell intimate things about each other. We can consider this day as the last evening at the bride’s parental house which is in our tradition a very special day to experience.

The Big Day

Finally… THE day has arrived. I was thinking to myself: Today I will marry my best friend, the one I Laugh with, Dream with, Live for, and the one I Love. I need to enjoy every moment of this beautiful day and get the most out of it!

First, the Makeup Artist came to my place in the morning to transform me into a princess. At 13.00 my husband-to-be and his family arrived as well, and they entered the house. At this moment the groom gives the bride the flower bouquet. That was a simple white one, just the way I like it. Then we took some pictures and gradually we left. The camerawoman and photographer were filming and taking pictures all the time in order to capture our beautiful moments together. Thereafter we got in the car – a Jaguar old-timer – and we drove towards the park, which was 10 minutes away. During this ride all other cars had very loud music on, some of my friends even got out of the windows and out of the cars and were dancing in the streets – when the traffic lights turned red of course!

Once we arrived at the park, we went to the beautiful gardens full with flowers and took a couple of pictures with our families and friends. After that, they all went home to get ready for the party while my husband and I were having a private photoshoot – which we really enjoyed. We were very lucky with the weather as well, it was not raining and the sun was shining.

After this lovely photoshoot we went to the wedding hall, awaiting all guests and me, ready to be transformed again in the Moroccan dresses that I had chosen (a green and a blue one). All guests were dancing while we were taking pictures alone but also with our families and friends. We had an entree, 2 main dishes and dessert with drinks and the wedding cake at the end of the party; I was so satisfied with the food. It was DELICIOUS!

Brahim – my husband – and I also danced for about half an hour to some traditional Moroccan music, which is called “Regadda”. It had always been my dream to dance to this kind of music with my husband. I really had a great time and all the guests as well. But the end was the most emotional part… All the guests were crying along! Especially when my twin sister couldn’t contain herself! It was a really difficult moment for us as we had spent 23 years with each other and suddenly letting her go and my mom was the worst part ever! Still it was the most beautiful day in my entire life so far!

 

Author: Rajaeblog picture

Rajae works at BARE International. Besides her job, Rajae loves travelling, going out with her friends and spending time with her family. She also loves fashion. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Office management – Sales and would like to learn Spanish next to English, Dutch, German, Arabic and French.

 

Interested in becoming an Evaluator with BARE International?

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Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Mystery Evaluator’s Community?

Apply to: akocsis@bareinternational.com

Mystery Shopping mistakes you should avoid at all costs

 

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“Oh, sorry, I just lost my wig” – As a Mystery Evaluator, have you ever been in a situation like this? This story is about a guy called Sam, who is actually pretty nice, but needs to improve a bit. Obviously his name is fictional, but the scripts were written by Life.

The hilarious story of a Mystery Evaluator

Once upon a time there was a Mystery Evaluator who wanted to become the best of all. As you might think this wasn’t going so well at first. Let’s see some of our protagonist’s encounters.

 

The Mystery Visit – always check your job board and never reveal yourself

 

Resource Mgr. “Hello, Bare International, how can I help you?”
Sam “Hi, this is Sam. I signed up last week and already did the mystery visit, but I can’t see it on my job board at all.”
Resource Mgr. “Hi Sam. Sorry, I can’t see that job offer either. Did you get a notification email that we effectively assigned the visit to you?”
Sam “Uh… no… yes! I think I got that.”
Resource Mgr. “Are you sure? That’s funny, because I just gave that one to another Evaluator…”
Sam “Wait, does that mean I don’t get paid?”
Resource Mgr. “Well, in this case this job offer was never assigned to you, therefore we cannot pay you for something we didn’t ask you to do. So the answer is Yes.”
Sam But I did everything perfectly; I even wore a wig!”
Resource Mgr. Sorry for the misunderstanding… Hold on, you wore a wig?
Sam Yes, a wig. Long. Black. Wig.
Resource Mgr. Do you usually wear a wig?
Sam Don’t misunderstand me I have my hair… probably that’s why the wig fell off.
Resource Mgr. Was that before or after the visit?
Sam During the visit.
Resource Mgr. You lost your wig during a mystery evaluation?
Sam But I was smart enough not to emphasise that I was a Mystery Evaluator.

 

After the first shock, both the Resource Manager and Sam agreed to start over and properly assign another visit to him. Sam received the confirmation email this time and he performed his first, real, approved visit. Everything went well until one day the visit required a proof of some sort. In this case this was a photo that had to be taken inside the shop where the brand logo was visible – easy, right? What can possibly go wrong during a mystery visit?

 

Resource Mgr. Hi Sam, this is me, your favourite Resource Manager. I’m calling you because there is an issue with the photo you sent.
Sam Hi. What problem? I sent you the picture…
Resource Mgr. You sent us two pictures. One is with you and a shop assistant in the shop…
Sam Yes, that was funny.
Resource Mgr. Indeed, but we cannot see any logo in the picture – and it is not necessary to take a selfie with the staff, it sounds suspicious anyway.
Sam Ok, but there is another picture, right?
Resource Mgr. Now, that one is too small. We cannot see the logo or anything for that matter. Can you please send us another picture with a higher resolution?
Sam Oh… I can’t.
Resource Mgr. Why not?
Sam I shot that picture with my laptop.
Resource Mgr. Your laptop’s camera? With the one in the front? The little one?
Sam Yes.
Resource Mgr. Just for the sake of creativity?
Sam By the time I finished the visit to take the picture of the logo, my phone’s battery died. But I still had my laptop with me.
Resource Mgr. Hmm… next time just make sure your phone is charged.
Sam So, next time should I take a picture before the visit?
Resource Mgr. If you want to be revealed as a Mystery Evaluator then yes; in any other case just don’t.

 

Poor Sam sometimes really felt that mystery shopping was not for him, but the bright side of the story is that he never gave up. Neither should you. This is the end of Sam’s story this time, but I’m sure that many more stories are about to come. Just remember: if you don’t need a wig on a daily basis, then leave it at home. It’s best for the wig, for you, and for your Resource Manager as well.

 

Author: Anita @AnitaKocsis910facebook_profile picture

Anita is an employee of Bare International. Besides her work
at the Social Media and Recruitment team, she loves doing yoga,
travelling and reading. Her love for the automotive industry came
from the passion for innovations and technology. She has a master’s
degree in International Economics and Business.

Interested in becoming an Evaluator with BARE International?

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Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Mystery Evaluator’s Community?

Apply to: akocsis@bareinternational.com

Being a Resource Manager for Switzerland

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A short summary of a guy, who met Mystery Shopping, and was instantly dropped into the deepest waters with Switzerland as a Resource Manager.

The first encounter

During my interview in February 2015 at Bare International I was faced with the question, which country I thought was easy to schedule. Based on my previous experiences, I mentioned Switzerland, Austria and Germany. I had worked with people from these countries, and we always got on very well, so I thought it could not be really hard.

The nice lady, who was present (to be my boss for my first 6 months at Bare International), immediately told me, that Switzerland was anything but easy. But then she also told me that if I thought I could manage, she’d like to see it. Not very surprisingly, I ended up scheduling Switzerland two months later.

First steps as a Resource Manager

After the initial shock of starting at a new workplace, the first trainings and the takeover from my colleague, I ended up with a complicated project and a high number of visits to perform. And that was the time when I learned to trust and rely on my Evaluators – it was a really hard time, but it was worth the experience.

I received loads of help from my fantastic colleagues regarding the language problems – French is not my strongest side – and also in finding new people to work with us. Without them, my first few months would have been much harder.

I also had the privilege to organize and participate in a meeting with our Evaluators in Geneva. Although it was organized under strict deadlines, everyone enjoyed it nevertheless. Meeting the people who work for us helped me a lot – they know me now personally. We are more to each other, than a mere email address.

The current situation

I am very happy that I can work with all the Evaluators from Switzerland and with this post I just wanted to say a big thank you to all of them, who are helping me to do my job as best as I can. It is a pleasure to work with you all. Let’s continue this in the future as well!

Speaking about mystery shopping, BARE International is my first experience in this field, and I thought I’d try it myself – thanks to the scheduler for Hungary, I now have my first visits behind me. I can now tell my Evaluators not to be afraid of the visits or our system – both can be mastered. However, if something comes up, I’m always there to help.

 

 

Author: ÁkosÁkos_blogger_pic_edited

Ákos is a full-time employee of Bare International.
He works as a scheduler for Switzerland and is a member in the Social media team. He likes travelling, cars, and craft beers. He has a diploma in German Literature and a Master’s Degree in International Relations. Besides English and German, he is trying to master French and speaks Norwegian reasonably well.

 

Interested in becoming an Evaluator with BARE International?

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Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Mystery Evaluator’s Community?

Apply to: akocsis@bareinternational.com

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How I became a Mystery Evaluator

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A few years ago I was surfing on the internet when I saw the ad: „Get paid for shopping.”
Hahaha! Could it sound more like a scam? I am not falling for this. Or am I?

It somehow still made me thinking… Well, I heard about this guy who does mystery shopping and he never complained. Checking out the company’s website won’t hurt. I started exploring the page…
I saw logos of prestigious clients, I even discovered some brands I liked. I remembered, last time I went to that shop, the salesperson was really rude and I had the feeling I was ruining her life by asking for a smaller size of that shirt. How funny it would be to go to that very same shop and leave feedback about her. I will register.


What? Why on earth do they have to know how tall I am?
Later a friend told me that her boyfriend had registered for a mystery shopping company. They called him to offer him a mystery visit including a test drive with one of the world’s smallest car. They asked him how tall he was. After he said he was 1.92, the agent kindly apologized for having called him. He would not even fit in the tiny car.

 

And also my bank account number?
OK, they have to pay me somehow. I guess if it is only the account number, not the credit card number and my PIN, it is pretty safe. After I registered, I was checking my job-board regularly, but there were mostly visits which required owning a car, so I didn’t apply for any of them. As a funny twist in life, I came across another mystery shopping company when I was looking for a job. BARE International hired me as a recruiter. My job is to look for people in several countries, who are interested in doing mystery visits. I thought it would be beneficial to try mystery shopping, so that I can answer the people’s question and I know exactly what I am offering them

 

Mystery shopping, here I come! But how is it all done?
How could I learn it? I am so confused…oh, there is an online training! Sounds good. I went through the slides and the test, I have to admit it took a lot of time and I wanted to give up at some point. But I remembered, every time we start something new, we have to invest time and energy into learning it.

 

I visited my job-board and found some mystery calls.
Before the visit I had to read the long guidelines but at least I was confident on what to do while on the phone. When I finally dialed the call center, my knees were shaking like jelly and I thought they knew instantly that I was a mystery shopper. I was shivering and stuttering. It took at least 5 minutes to feel normal again. I will never forget that rush of adrenalin in my body. Fortunately, the customer service representative on a the other end of the line was doing a very decent job and I was happy to leave a feedback about him in the online questionnaire. I hope his boss will read it and he will get promoted! Since then I have done several mystery calls. Sometimes it was a pleasant experience.

 

Yet, other times I received terrible customer service.
First I felt very bad reporting about it in the questionnaire. I felt like I betrayed the customer service representative. But I developed this theory, that if they do not have the necessary communication skills and inner motivation to behave recpectfully with the customers, they should change jobs and do something they really like.

 

I can say that including the good and bad aspects, I became a fan of mystery shopping.
I like the adrenaline rush, when I start an assignment. I appreciate working in such a „green industry”. There is no production, no printing, everything goes online. Last but not least I like the moment when I receive the notification that my shop fee was transferred to my account. Some say the payment is low, but usually it’s enough to cover a good dinner in a restaurant. Money best spent.

 

Author: Szintia 1601260_10203075703433404_7153695029350124384_n

Szintia is an employee of Bare International.
Besides her work in the Social Media and Recruitment team, she loves sports, travelling, and she is learning her 6th language. She is a Couchsurfer. She has a master’s degree in Strategic HR Management and she is a professional pastry chef.

 

Interested in becoming an Evaluator with BARE International?

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Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Mystery Evaluator’s Community?

Apply to: akocsis@bareinternational.com

How can Mystery Shopping change the way you look at life?

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I started working in the mystery shopping industry for BARE International in 2015.
BARE International is one of the market-leading companies providing mystery customer research and auditing services at a national and global level. A mystery evaluator is a freelancer who goes to specific shops pretending to be a regular customer whilst keeping an eye on all details, because after the store visit they have to answer questions about the customer service.

As a newcomer at the company I wanted to learn as much as possible.
I was curiously asking my colleagues about their positions and responsibilities. One key account manager told me that she was the main point of contact for the clients: she mapped their needs; she helped them set up the group of questions that mystery customers would have to answer, and reported the results to the clients.

Some clients need help in setting up the questions?
It fully surprised me. I have to admit I have full respect for our clients: they realized the importance of customer satisfaction, they are ready to get feedback and they are even paying for it.
But how can one ask for feedback if one is not even sure what he or she wants to know? It made me think…

There can be a parallel drawn between customer satisfaction and life satisfaction.
I work in an industry where we sell feedback to clients who ask for it. These companies have a healthy level of self-criticism to hear an honest opinion about the customer service they provide. They are ready to hear it. They are keen on improving.

Are we ready to receive a detailed feedback about our lives?
We don’t necessarily have to ask others to provide it in the first place. Mystery evaluation made me realize that the most important thing is to be able to set up our questionnaire and to be aware of what the most crucial things are for us to be satisfied. I think my questions would be: Do I spend enough time with the ones I love? Do I keep travelling? Is there enough music and sport in my life? Am I in a good mood on Monday mornings? Can I be proud of my professional and private life achievements when I look back to past years? The list is much longer of course, and will be changing constantly during the course of my life.

What questions would you ask yourself?
Have you thought about them yet?
Are you ready to give yourself feedback?

 

Author: Szintia 1601260_10203075703433404_7153695029350124384_n

Szintia is an employee of Bare International.
Besides her work in the Social Media and Recruitment team, she loves sports, travelling, and she is learning her 6th language. She is a Couchsurfer. She has a master’s degree in Strategic HR Management and she is a professional pastry chef.

 

Interested in becoming an Evaluator with BARE International?

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Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Mystery Evaluator’s Community?

Apply to: akocsis@bareinternational.com