What to Do If You Make a Mistake
on a Mystery Shop
Knowing what to do if you make a mistake on a mystery shop can save you frustration, money, and possibly your relationship with a mystery shopping company.
I've completed thousands of mystery shopping assignments, and I can tell you that not every assignment goes perfectly.
Sometimes you forget a required question, misunderstand instructions, lose a receipt, or visit the wrong location.
Yes, I've done that last one, too.
I once completed an entire steakhouse mystery shop, enjoyed a nice dinner, and discovered afterward that I'd visited the wrong restaurant location!
Mistakes happen to beginners and experienced mystery shoppers alike. What matters is how you handle them.
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.
What to Do If You Make a Mistake on a Mystery Shop: Assess the Problem
First, determine how serious the mistake is.
Not every error means your assignment will be rejected.
Perhaps you couldn't read an employee's name tag. The mystery shopping company might accept an accurate description instead.
Maybe you forgot an exact time but recorded enough information to explain what happened.
Other mistakes can be more serious:
- Visiting the wrong location
- Completing the assignment outside the permitted hours
- Forgetting a required purchase
- Using the wrong customer scenario
- Losing a required receipt
- Failing to ask an important question
If your mistake could affect whether the client can use your report, contact your scheduler.
Don't attempt to hide the problem.
The Steak Dinner I Had to Pay For
One of my most memorable mystery shopping mistakes involved a steakhouse assignment.
I arrived at the restaurant, completed the required evaluation, enjoyed my meal, and returned home to write the report.
Everything seemed fine until I checked the assignment details.
I'd visited the wrong location!
The restaurant was part of the correct chain, but it wasn't the location I'd been assigned to evaluate.
I immediately contacted my scheduler and explained what happened.
I asked whether anyone had been assigned to the restaurant I'd accidentally visited. If not, perhaps the client could still use my report.
Unfortunately, another shopper had already been assigned to that location.
My report wasn't needed.
I didn't receive reimbursement for the dinner.
You might say I literally had to eat that assignment!
However, something more important happened.
The mystery shopping company continued offering me assignments.
I had admitted my mistake rather than trying to cover it up, and one unsuccessful shop didn't end our professional relationship.
That experience taught me a valuable lesson.
Always double-check the street address, not just the name of the business.
Never Invent Missing Information
One of the worst things you can do after making a mistake is invent information to complete your report.
If you can't remember an employee's name, don't guess.
If you didn't record an exact time, don't create one.
If you're unsure whether an employee mentioned a particular product, don't claim that it happened.
Mystery shopping companies provide information that clients use to evaluate their businesses.
That information must be accurate.
Review your notes, photographs, receipts, and other permitted documentation before deciding that something is missing.
If you still can't answer a required question accurately, explain the problem to your scheduler or editor.
An honest explanation is better than an inaccurate report.
Contact Your Scheduler Promptly
When a mistake could affect an assignment, communication is essential.
Explain what happened clearly and professionally.
The scheduler may ask you to complete the report normally, provide additional information, or return to the location if the client permits it.
Sometimes the assignment can still be accepted.
Other times, the company may reduce your payment or reject the report entirely, depending on its policies.
Don't return to the business or attempt to repeat part of the evaluation without authorization.
The scheduler needs to determine what the client will accept.
I've contacted schedulers numerous times when something didn't go according to plan. Many situations were resolved without losing the assignment.
Learn From Every Mistake
Knowing what to do if you make a mistake on a mystery shop also means understanding how to prevent the same problem from happening again.
After a difficult assignment, ask yourself:
- Did I read the instructions carefully?
- Did I verify the correct location?
- Did I forget important information?
- Was I rushing between assignments?
- Did I accept more work than I could comfortably handle?
My steakhouse mistake resulted in a simple change to my preparation routine.
I started paying closer attention to the exact address before leaving home.
Sometimes the most valuable lessons come from assignments that don't go as planned.
Protect Your Reputation
Experienced mystery shoppers aren't immune to mistakes.
However, dependable shoppers take responsibility when something goes wrong.
Mystery shopping companies appreciate accurate reports, professional communication, and shoppers who follow instructions.
A single mistake doesn't necessarily mean you'll never receive another assignment.
Repeated mistakes, dishonesty, or failing to communicate can create much bigger problems.
The next time something goes wrong, review the situation, contact your scheduler when necessary, and explain what happened.
You might lose the payment for one assignment, but you can still protect the professional reputation you've worked hard to establish.
Losing the cost of a steak dinner was frustrating. Losing the trust of a mystery shopping company would have been far more expensive.
Your Best Next Step
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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