Retailers are the backbone of America’s economy. Whether the latest economic reports tell you the country’s in a fiscal upswing or decline, you’ll still find it challenging to locate a good parking space at the mall on any given Saturday.

To maintain a competitive edge, retailers need to keep one step ahead of their rivals. Whether the store specializes in scuba diving equipment or sells everything from cookware to tires, providing superior products, services and customer experience is vital to building customer loyalty.

RBG’s retail mystery shoppers play a key role in keeping retailers viable. Their sharp observations and detailed reports help retailers spot problem areas and develop solutions for improvement. Owners and managers depend on your objectivity and communications skills to point out their strengths and weaknesses in their employees’ performance, general operations, store presentation, and quality of goods and services.

Through working closely with our clients, each RBG mystery shopping report is customized to meet individual business needs. You’ll typically be assigned specific departments to shop, along with defined questions to ask and particular physical areas to evaluate, such as restrooms, parking lots, cashier areas, etc.. The following information will make your retail mystery shopping experience easier and up to RBG standards.

Department Assessments

Many reports concentrate on departments and products you may be unfamiliar with. Look at these assignments as opportunities to learn and get paid for the experience. Whether you are required to shop for wallpaper for an imaginary sunroom, pick out a hand drill for a Father’s Day gift, or choose a set of tires for an ATR you’ve only dreamed of owning, conduct a bit of online research before you shop so your inquiries and scenarios come across as real to store associates.

Site Inspections

While some customers don’t notice or consider important how a business looks, a significant number hold these details up to such high scrutiny that it affects their decision to patronize certain businesses. Retail mystery shops often include evaluations of restroom cleanliness, maintenance and supply levels; parking lot conditions including debris levels, striping, and pavement/asphalt condition and judgment of store displays, navigability, and sanitation.

Preparing for the Mystery Shop

Besides online research, additional preparation prior to shopping will enhance your experience and make your mystery shopping report more accurate and valuable to the client. Set your smart phone up to easily enter text notes or record your observations, both of which can be easily and discretely disguised as personal communications. If you don’t have a smart phone, simply take notes in a pocket/purse size wire bound notebook, which can masquerade as a shopping list you’re adding notes to. Give yourself ample time to perform your shop at a leisurely pace, which reduces errors and adds to your shopping enjoyment. Wear comfortable shoes and clothes, as you’ll probably be doing a lot of walking and standing. Review assignment details several times so you shop the right address and departments during the time frames prescribed in the report guidelines.

Shopping Tips

Present yourself as a common shopper. Dress casually (no pajama bottoms, slippers, or exposed skin that would turn heads). If possible, shop alone. Children and friends are distractions that could result in you missing important aspects of your shopping experience. Prepare a script outline in your head so you don’t appear awkward. For example, if you are wallpaper shopping, share with the sales associate how you’ve always wanted a sunroom and your partner finally sold their Harley Davidson motorcycle so now you have the cash to fulfill your dream, etc., etc. That sounds much more believable than walking up to a sales floor associate and announcing, “I built a sunroom and I need to wallpaper it.” Engaging the salesperson ensures they will reveal their full set of skills they normally use with everyday customers.

Everyone shops retail stores. Whether you fall into the shopaholic category and have a reserved parking space at the mall, or only shop retail stores a few times a year, you’ll find retail mystery shopping for RBG interesting and profitable.

We have the following opportunities:

  • Retail Mystery Shopping
  • Retail Video Mystery Shopping
  • Retail Phone Mystery Shopping
  • Online Retail Mystery Shopping
  • Retail Competitive Mystery Shopping
  • Retail Pricing Audits
  • Retail Merchandising Audits

Get Started

More Undefeated Content