How to Take Better Notes
During a Mystery Shop
If you're wondering how to take better notes during a mystery shop, don't assume you need a perfect memory. I've completed enough assignments to know that even a short mystery shop can produce more details than you expect to remember.
Employee names, arrival times, greetings, questions, responses, purchases, and small details can begin running together—especially when you're completing several assignments in one day.
The solution isn't trying to remember everything.
It's knowing what you need to remember before you walk through the door.
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.
Good Notes Begin Before the Mystery Shop
Before an assignment, I read the instructions carefully.
That's where good note-taking really begins.
If the report is going to ask how long it took before someone greeted you, you need to pay attention to the time. If you're supposed to determine whether an employee offers a particular product, you need to listen for it. If you'll need an employee's name, you'll want to look for a name tag.
You can't take useful notes if you don't know what you're supposed to observe.
Before entering, identify the important parts of the assignment.
What Should You Remember?
Every mystery shop is different, but you may need to remember:
- Arrival and departure times
- How long you waited for service
- Employee names or descriptions
- Greetings
- Questions you asked
- Employee responses
- Products or services offered
- Required purchases
- Receipt information
- Anything unusual that occurred
Don't try to document everything happening around you.
Concentrate on what the assignment requires.
How to Take Better Notes During a Mystery Shop Discreetly
One of the challenges is remembering details without making it obvious that you're evaluating the business.
I've used my cell phone to discreetly make short notes during assignments. Looking briefly at a phone is commonplace in many situations and can be much less noticeable than pulling out a notebook.
I've also occasionally recorded a short voice reminder when I was away from the employees and it was appropriate to do so. That helped me remember names and other details.
But use common sense and follow the assignment instructions.
Don't become so concerned about documenting the shop that your behavior becomes unnatural.
And don't make audio or video recordings of other people unless the assignment specifically authorizes it and you're certain you're complying with applicable requirements.
Sometimes the best strategy is simply remembering a few key details until you can safely record them.
Use Short Memory Triggers
Your notes don't have to look like the final report.
In fact, they shouldn't.
You might write:
2:03 entered
2:05 greeted — Maria
blue shirt
asked about special
no upsell
receipt 2:27
Those few words can trigger a much more complete memory when you sit down to write the report.
Trying to compose full sentences while you're still completing the assignment can distract you from what's happening.
Observe first.
Write the report later.
Timing Can Be Difficult to Remember
Timing details can disappear quickly.
Was it three minutes before you were greeted—or five?
Did your food arrive in 12 minutes—or was it closer to 18?
Those differences can matter to a client.
When timing is part of an assignment, determine in advance what you're expected to measure. Record those times as soon as you can do so naturally.
Your phone can be useful for checking the time without attracting much attention.
A receipt can also help establish when a transaction occurred.
Never guess just to fill in a blank.
Remembering Employee Names
Names can be particularly frustrating.
You see the employee's name tag and think, I'll remember that.
Twenty minutes later, the name is gone.
I've found it helpful to mentally connect the name with something about the interaction. Then I record it as soon as practical.
If you can't determine the employee's name and the report allows a description, record enough information to identify the person accurately.
Don't invent a name or description because you think you're supposed to have one.
Report what you actually observed.
Write More Detailed Notes Immediately Afterward
One of my best suggestions for how to take better notes during a mystery shop is to use the first few minutes after the assignment wisely.
Once you're safely away from the location, expand your short notes while everything is fresh.
I have sat in my car after assignments and recorded information before driving away.
That's a perfect time to reconstruct the sequence:
What happened first?
Who approached you?
What did you ask?
What was the response?
What happened next?
How did the interaction end?
Those details will be much easier to remember immediately after the shop than several hours later.
Be Careful When Completing Multiple Assignments
If you're doing several mystery shops in one day, good notes become even more important.
Similar assignments can begin blending together.
You don't want to remember a great employee interaction but accidentally put it in the report for the wrong location.
Before moving on, identify your notes clearly. Save the receipt. Record the location and important details.
Finish documenting one experience before allowing the next one to replace it in your memory.
Separate Facts from Opinions
Good mystery shopping notes should help you distinguish between what happened and how you felt about it.
Instead of writing:
Service was terrible.
Record what actually happened:
Entered 1:05. Not greeted. Employee approached 1:12.
The second version gives you facts you can use in the report.
The client can evaluate those facts.
This becomes especially important when you're writing narrative comments. Specific observations are much more useful than vague judgments.
Good Notes Make Better Reports
You don't need pages of notes to complete a good mystery shopping report.
You need the right details.
Prepare before the assignment. Know what you're supposed to observe. Record important times and names when you can do so discreetly. Expand your notes immediately afterward, and don't rely on your memory longer than necessary.
The more assignments you complete, the easier this becomes.
Eventually, you'll develop your own system for deciding what needs to stay in your head for a few minutes and what needs to be recorded immediately.
That's really the secret to learning how to take better notes during a mystery shop.
You're not trying to remember everything.
You're training yourself to notice—and accurately record—the things that matter.
Read more articles about mystery shopping.
Mystery Shopping for Beginners
How Mystery Shopping Reports Work
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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