Thursday 26 April 2012


Mystery Shoppers. Fake buyers who waste your time; or a valuable way to assess real performance and find out how buyers see you? On balance, I’m in favour of mystery shoppers. I work in a regulated industry, and the company has a right and duty to make sure that the point of sale activity is effective and compliant.

However, I get VERY PI55ED OFF when my time is valuable, and the ‘shopper’ is no good. I accused a caller today of being a mystery shopper (little things like the pronunciation of the town, Bicester): “Have you lived there long?” well, in 10 years you’d think she would get it right, wouldn’t you?

Anyway – she denied it; so I rushed through the rigmarole of a sale and yes, just at the point where I collect the money – she declares herself to be a mystery shopper. What upsets me is that I don’t get the choice to say that I don’t want to play your games ‘cos I’m busy; and worse than that; there’s never any bloody feedback!
And breathe; Friday tomorrow.