Most mystery shoppers would agree that the best part of mystery shopping is actually doing the shop. It’s fun to observe others at work, get a meal paid for, or ‘act’ as though you are shopping for a house or car.
Many of those same mystery shoppers will also agree that the not so fun side of mystery shopping is having to write up your report!
There are multiple ways to making this part of your job fun and to get your reports written and submitted quickly.
Tip #1 – Capture Your Thoughts
When you are finished with your shop, find a spot where you can discreetly write down as many things that you observed as possible.
Having the report form in front of you to use as a guide will make it easy to focus on what needs to be reported. And it will help you to quickly jot down what is absolutely necessary to report on.
Go beyond the direct answers to the questions as you ‘purge’ your mind of all that you just observed. Note the unique part of the staff member’s personality or something different you saw posted on a wall. Add this to your report in the appropriate space.
If you prefer, use an audio recording device to capture all your thoughts about your experience.
By recording your observations on paper or digitally, when you sit down to write, you will have far less ‘remembering’ to do, and you will be able to focus on the writing part.
Tip #2 – Answer the Question Appropriately
For each part of the report form that needs to be filled in, be sure to answer the question that is being asked.
Many times, reports are received where each comment box is filled with a continuation of the dialog from the previous comment box. The shopper just recounts their entire experience, comment box by comment box, paying no attention to what is being requested.
And the questions that are asked are never answered. Then the report is returned to you for additional information.
Eliminate the extra work by reading the report form carefully and responding appropriately. You can add in that extra observation or anecdote – but after you have given the correct answer.
Tip #3 – Use the Tools
Spell check in your word processing program, Grammarly, or any other app that will check your writing, spelling, punctuation, and grammar. These tools should be used before hitting the submit button on your report form.
Deliver a report that has been re-read, edited and checked with the tools available. This will make it easier for the reviewer at the mystery shopping company. They will be far less likely to be upset about an oversight in observation if they see you really cared about the product you delivered.
Tip #4 – Keep it Interesting
Mystery shopping is interesting and fun. Your reports should be interesting and fun as well.
Use adjectives to describe what the store looks like or how the representative greeted you. Note details about your interaction. Give credit to the salesperson or point out something they can improve on.
If there was something that was particularly impressive – let our clients know!
Writing about your mystery shopping experience may not be the favorite part of your assignment. But it is the part that will get you paid! Take care with it and be creative.
Bonus Tip #5 – Write 5 Star Mystery Shop Reports
Listen to this podcast from our CEO & President, Angela Megasko to hear about other ways to make your reports those we consider 5-Star reports!
Writing your mystery shopping reports should not be a chore. Having a plan and a process will help you to write excellent reports that provide valuable information to our clients!
Happy shopping!
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