How Mystery Shopping Reports
Work for Beginners
If you're new to the business, understanding how mystery shopping reports work can make your first assignment much less intimidating.
Sometimes the report is more challenging than the actual shop.
You may spend 20 minutes completing an assignment and considerably longer answering questions afterward. That's why I don't consider the report an afterthought. It's part of the assignment, and you should consider the reporting requirements before deciding whether a shop is worth accepting.
The basic process is simple: You follow the instructions, complete the assignment, observe what happens, and report those observations accurately to the mystery shopping company.
Want more help getting started? My book, Take That Job And Mystery Shop It!, walks you through finding assignments, completing shops, writing reports, and avoiding many of the mistakes new shoppers make.
The Report Starts Before the Assignment
One of the biggest mistakes a new shopper can make is waiting until after the visit to discover what's on the report.
Whenever possible, review the questionnaire or reporting requirements beforehand.
You may discover that you need to record specific times, obtain an employee's name, ask a particular question, observe cleanliness, remember an employee's response, make a required purchase, or obtain a receipt.
Knowing that before the assignment tells you what to watch for.
If the report asks how long you waited before being greeted, you need to know when you entered and when the greeting occurred. If it asks whether an employee offered a particular product, you need to listen for that offer.
Good reporting starts with knowing what you're supposed to observe.
How Mystery Shopping Reports Work After the Visit
After completing the assignment, record important details as soon as it's safe and appropriate.
Don't depend entirely on your memory.
Names, times, prices, employee descriptions, and the sequence of events can disappear surprisingly quickly. This becomes even more important if you're completing several assignments in one day.
Then complete the report according to the mystery shopping company's instructions and submit it by the stated deadline.
Every company and assignment can be different, so don't assume the reporting process or deadline will be the same as your previous shop.
Some Reports Are Short—and Some Aren't
I've completed assignments with relatively simple reports consisting mostly of yes-or-no questions and a few comments.
I've completed others that required considerably more writing.
That difference matters when you're deciding whether an assignment is worth your time.
For example, a $20 assignment followed by a 10-minute report could be a better use of your time than a $35 assignment requiring an hour of writing.
I've accepted shops that looked worthwhile until I completed the report. After seeing how much narrative was required, I decided not to take that particular assignment again.
There's nothing wrong with that.
You learn which assignments fit you by doing them.
Whenever possible, consider both parts of the job:
How much work will the shop require, and how much work will the report require?
What Will the Report Ask?
A mystery shopping report might include questions about:
- Arrival and departure times
- Employee greetings
- Employee names or descriptions
- Wait times
- Required questions or scenarios
- Products or services offered
- Cleanliness
- Customer service
- Purchases
- Receipts
- Photographs
- Overall sequence of events
Some answers may simply require checking Yes or No.
Others may require an explanation.
You may also encounter narrative sections where you're asked to describe what happened in your own words.
The important thing is to answer the questions the report actually asks rather than adding information that isn't relevant.
Facts Matter More Than Opinions
Suppose you write:
“The employee was nice.”
That doesn't give the client much useful information.
Instead, you could report:
“The employee smiled when I approached, greeted me, and asked how she could help me.”
Now you're describing observable behavior.
Your report should tell the client what happened.
Don't guess. Don't exaggerate. Don't invent details because you can't remember something. And don't change what happened because you think a different answer would sound better.
Mystery shopping companies need accurate information.
Make Sure Your Answers Agree
One thing beginners may not realize about how mystery shopping reports work is that different questions can relate to the same event.
Suppose you answer Yes when asked whether you were greeted immediately, but later write that you waited five minutes before anyone acknowledged you.
Those answers contradict each other.
That can result in questions from whoever reviews your report.
Before submitting, read through your answers and make sure your times, names, descriptions, yes-or-no responses, and narrative tell the same story.
Receipts and Photographs Can Be Part of the Report
Some assignments require documentation.
You might need to upload a receipt, business card, photograph, or another item specified in the instructions.
Don't assume submitting the questionnaire is enough.
Before leaving the assignment, make sure you've obtained whatever documentation is required. Then keep it until you're confident the assignment has been accepted and you no longer need it.
A missing receipt can become a big problem when the receipt is required to verify the shop.
What Happens After You Submit the Report?
Submitting the report doesn't always mean you're completely finished.
The mystery shopping company may review your report before sending the information to its client.
Someone reviewing the report may notice a missing answer, confusing statement, inconsistent time, or another issue requiring clarification.
If the company contacts you, respond promptly.
Sometimes you may simply need to explain something. Other times, you may need to correct or complete part of the report.
That's another reason I recommend keeping your notes, receipts, and other assignment information organized after submission.
Don't immediately throw everything away.
You Don't Have to Be a Professional Writer
A mystery shopping report doesn't need impressive vocabulary.
It needs to be accurate, clear, and complete.
Explain what happened in a way that someone who wasn't there can understand.
As you complete more assignments, you'll become familiar with different types of questionnaires and learn what companies expect.
The first long report may look intimidating.
The tenth probably won't.
Once you understand how mystery shopping reports work, you'll realize that the assignment and report aren't really two separate jobs.
The assignment gives you the information. The report is how you deliver that information to the client.
Read these articles for more information.
How to Take Better Notes During a Mystery Shop
How to Write a Better Mystery Shopping Report
How to Stay Organized as a Mystery Shopper
About the Author
I'm Mystery Don (Donald J. Servais, Jr.), and I've completed mystery shopping assignments for restaurants, hotels, apartment communities, automobile dealerships, new-home builders, and other businesses.
I created MystShopper.com to share what I've learned from my own experiences, help new shoppers avoid common mistakes, and explain how legitimate mystery shopping really works.
I'm also the author of Take That Job And Mystery Shop It!, which includes beginner-friendly advice, real-world mystery shopping experiences, and a directory of more than 150 mystery shopping companies.
Drawing on my 45-year career in television, I've also written 7 Keys to Success in a Changing Television Industry, a guide for people interested in building a career in television and video.
My goal is simple: honest guidance without the hype.
We're always looking for new faces to visit different places.
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