If any name of a job had the potential to sound like a scam, it would be mystery shopper! It sounds as if you should sneak into a store undetected — wearing the traditional trench coat of the CIA — gather your information, and then slink out undetected.

Well, pretty much that’s what you do — sometimes minus the trench coat though.

Mystery shoppers are in high demand. Always have been. Always will be. But, there is no way that you performing these duties will get super rich, super fast off of this job. But it’s a great way to get reimbursed for activities you perform any way — like going out to eat or shopping at your local chain store.

And yes, there really are companies that provide specialize in providing mystery shoppers to various firms.

What kind of services do some businesses supply?

All mystery shopper services provide what’s called an “on-site evaluation.” The mystery shopper is busy evaluating from the moment he pulls into the firm’s parking lot (Is the lot clean? Does it have ample parking?) to the time he pulls out. This includes product placement, cleanliness of the store, availability of products (are the shelves well stocked, or is the firm out of the specific item you want?).

It also includes an evaluation of customer service. Are the employees greeting the customer, are they friendly and helpful?

But today, you can even find mystery shoppers evaluating telephone encounters. How many of us, have sighed and perhaps even hung up when met with a rude telephone operator or an automated system that never seemed to let you talk to a real person?

Experiencing and evaluating the level of quality telephone service can provide a business with valuable insight into the experience of its customers. Even a first impression over the phone can turn a customer off — never to return — or create a loyal follower.

And today — with competition in some areas so fierce — a firm can even hire a mystery shopping service to evaluate its competition! In this way, the firm knows what makes the other guy “tick” so to speak and why it’s so successful. This could be a priceless tool for a firm to get a fair and balanced view of how you stand next to your closest competitor.

There are many legitimate reasons for a firm to hire the services of a mystery shopping company. It’s a great way to evaluate and improve a company’s customer service and appearance!