Unexpected Moments During Video Shops
In the mystery shopping business, you will have unexpected moments during video shops. Some can turn an ordinary assignment into one you'll remember for years.
I've completed enough mystery shops to know that the assignment doesn't always go according to the instructions. I've had employees act rude. I've stood around waiting while employees ignored me. I've had salespeople say things I never expected to hear.
Most of the time, you simply document what happened. That's the purpose of mystery shopping. The client wants to know what an actual customer experiences, including the bad experiences.
Video mystery shopping adds another dimension because much of the encounter is being recorded. If an employee provides poor service, the client doesn't have to rely entirely on your written description. The interaction may be right there on the recording.
But what happens when something occurs that makes it impossible to complete the assignment?
I had that happen at a restaurant, and there wasn't much I could do about it.
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.
Unexpected Moments During Video Shops Can Ruin an Assignment
I was doing a restaurant mystery shop, and everything was going normally. I ordered my meal, paid attention to the service, and kept track of the things I needed for my report.
While I was eating, a manager began walking around the restaurant checking on customers.
That's usually a good thing. A manager visiting tables and asking customers whether everything is satisfactory can be an important part of good restaurant service.
When he reached my table, I told him I needed a refill of my drink.
He left and came back with it.
Then he dropped the drink on me.
Not on the table.
On me.
My clothes were soaked. (Fortunately, my video equipment wasn't affected.)
There are certain situations you can prepare for as a mystery shopper. Having a manager dump a drink on you isn't one of them.
The manager was understandably embarrassed and apologized. He also gave me my meal for free.
As a regular customer, I would have considered the matter resolved. Accidents happen. The manager apologized, took care of my meal, and did what he could to make things right.
As a mystery shopper, however, I had a problem.
My Anonymity Was Gone
Think about what would happen if I submitted the normal mystery shopping report.
The restaurant manager might read a report describing the visit and immediately remember the customer he had accidentally soaked with a drink.
There probably weren't five customers that day who had drinks spilled all over them.
He would know exactly who the mystery shopper was.
Once something makes you unusually memorable, the assignment changes. That's particularly important with unexpected moments during video shops, where protecting your identity can affect not only the current assignment but future assignments at the same location.
I contacted the mystery shopping company and explained what happened.
They handled it exactly the way I hoped they would. The company paid me for the unsuccessful visit and allowed me to return a few days later to complete the shop again.
Had I been allowed to turn in the report, I wouldn't be able to return to this restaurant for future mystery shops. They knew who to look for.
When the Customer Experience Goes Off Script
Most unexpected situations aren't nearly that dramatic.
You'll run into many occasions where an employee doesn't acknowledge your presence. Don't manufacture an interaction just because the assignment isn't unfolding the way you expected. Follow the instructions and document what actually occurred.
The same applies to rude employees.
I've encountered people who weren't particularly pleasant to me during assignments. That's not necessarily a failed shop. In fact, that may be exactly the kind of information the client is paying the mystery shopping company to uncover.
There's an important difference between bad service and an event that compromises the assignment.
If an employee ignores you, that's an observation.
If an employee is rude, that's an observation.
If the restaurant is dirty, that's an observation.
If the manager dumps a drink on you and you're now the most memorable customer in the building, you've got a different problem.
When something that unusual happens, I wouldn't try to decide on my own how to make the report work. Contact the scheduler or mystery shopping company, explain exactly what happened, and let them decide how to proceed.
That is especially good practice with unexpected moments during video shops. Don't assume that because something is captured on video, you should automatically submit it. An unusual incident could affect anonymity or violate another requirement of the assignment.
Don't Try to Rescue Every Shop
Mystery shoppers tend to be conscientious people. We want to complete the assignment correctly because we accepted the responsibility.
Sometimes, however, circumstances are beyond your control.
You drive to a location and find they're closed. Equipment can fail. A salesperson may end the presentation much earlier than expected. Or you might end up wearing your soft drink.
Your responsibility is to follow the instructions and make a reasonable effort to complete the assignment. It isn't your responsibility to pretend an unusual event didn't happen.
I've learned that the best response is to document the circumstances while they're fresh and contact the mystery shopping company as soon as possible. Don't embellish the story. Don't hide anything because you're afraid you won't get paid. Tell the scheduler what happened and ask what they want you to do.
Unexpected moments during video shops are part of the business. Most become material for the report.
A few become stories you tell years later.
About the Author
I'm Mystery Don, and I've completed mystery shopping assignments for restaurants, hotels, apartment communities, automobile dealerships, and new home builders.
I created this website to help people avoid the mistakes I've seen—and to show new shoppers how legitimate mystery shopping really works.
My book Take That Job And Mystery Shop It! lists over 150 mystery shopping companies to contact. I offer beginner-friendly tips and honest guidance without hype.
We're always looking for new faces to visit different places.
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