Secret Shoppers turn high-tech
St. Cloud Times
October 16, 2004
By Amy Bowen

Dream job attracts a diverse group of people looking for extra income

Kelly Voigt believes in free lunches. With lots of good tips.

Voigt worked as a secret shopper for 12 years before she had a baby three years ago. It's a dream job for dedicated shoppers. Businesses pay shoppers to critique everything from customer service to atmosphere, Voigt said.

With the holidays looming, businesses might rely on the shoppers even more to help improve customer service, shoppers said.

Voigt received free meals for her critiques. She's taste-tested meals at Granite City Food & Brewery, Grizzly's Grill & Saloon, TGI Friday's, Olive Garden Italian Restaurant and Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar, Voigt said.

"It was just nice to go out and try new things without spending your hard-earned bucks," Voigt said. "That was fun."

Free stuff

Mystery shoppers benefit from free merchandise, said Carol Shatraw, a St. Cloud native, now living in Washington state. She's bought gifts, groceries and clothing as a mystery shopper.

The job attracts a diverse group of people - men, women, students, retirees, stay-at-home parents and professionals. Many use it as supplemental income, said Jeff Hall, president of Mystery Shopping Providers Association, a nonprofit trade organization based in Dallas, and founder and owner of Second To None, a mystery shopping company based in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Second To None employs about 200,000 mystery shoppers throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Quick shops - sometimes taking 15 to 20 minutes - can earn shoppers $7, Hall said. Weekend hotel stays can earn shoppers $100, he said. The amount paid depends on how much information a store wants.

There's plenty of variety in kinds of shopping assignments. The industry used to be dominated by financial service institutions, restaurants and retailers, Hall said. Now, it's a research tool for car dealers, museums, health-care providers, leasing agents, hotels, resorts and even oil change places, he said.

Training

Mystery shoppers don't need formal training, although some companies offer classes. The Mystery Shopping Providers Association also offers certifications. A good eye for detail, a sharp memory and the ability to fit into a crowd are keys, former shoppers said.

Shatraw doesn't even like to shop, but she enjoys the challenge of reporting to the companies, she said. Some ask for detailed information about the visit, such as the worker's name and what the workers look like, she said. And she never wants to be found out.

"Once you get done, there's a real sense of accomplishment," Shatraw said. "It's a different kind of job that's kind of tricky."

Shirley Laudenbach of St. Augusta was a mystery shopper before quitting about 10 years ago. She would sometimes intentionally give customer-service representatives difficult times to test them, she said.

Retailers

Mystery shoppers' undercover work benefits the retailers, Hall said.

Cub Foods in St. Cloud has employed secret shoppers in the past. Chris Happke, manager of Cub Foods east, said the program will restart next year.

The store has made changes based on the secret shop reports, Happke said.

"They can be a beneficial tool for retailers," Happke said. "They provide a different aspect of store operations."

It's sometimes difficult for stores to gauge service, Hall said.

"It's really about the only way to do it in an objective manner, by using a third-party company to send out a customer," Hall said.

But some secret shoppers question if customer service has improved during the years. The reports should be taken seriously, former secret shoppers said.

"There's certainly room for continual improvement," Hall said. "In so many markets, there's more competition than ever before. The consumers have more choices than ever before."

Go shopping

For more information about secret shopping, log onto the Mystery Shopping Providers Association's Web site, www.mysteryshop.org.