Observational Methods
Mystery Shopping
Mystery Shopping gives teams a repeatable mixed-methods research practice. It keeps everyone aligned around feedback & improvement by helping you provide unbiased evaluation of a service from a user's perspective. Grounded in observational methods, the method turns insight into tangible next steps.
Goal
Feedback & Improvement
Group
Mixed-Methods Research
Users
Direct User Involvement
Overview
Mystery Shopping involves individuals posing as regular customers to evaluate the quality of service, compliance with standards, or other specific aspects of a business. By experiencing the service from a customer's perspective, Mystery Shopping provides unbiased insights into staff performance, customer experience, and operational effectiveness. It's widely used in retail, hospitality, and service industries, where understanding the real customer experience guides training, quality assurance, and continuous improvement.
Step-by-Step Procedure
10 steps to complete
1
Define Objectives
Identify the primary goals of the mystery shopping exercise such as evaluating customer service, compliance with regulations, or obtaining competitor information.
2
Select Mystery Shoppers
Choose appropriate individuals to act as mystery shoppers, ensuring they represent your target audience and can remain unbiased during the evaluation. Provide them with clear instructions about the intended experience.
3
Develop Scenario and Evaluation Criteria
Create a realistic scenario that the mystery shoppers will enact during their visit. Determine specific evaluation criteria aligned with your objectives, such as employee interaction, facility cleanliness or product quality.
4
Brief the Mystery Shoppers
Thoroughly brief the mystery shoppers about the scenario, key evaluation criteria, and expectations during their visit. It is crucial to maintain their anonymity and to not have any connection to the evaluated establishment.
5
Mystery Shopper Visits
The mystery shoppers visit the establishment or interact with the service, following the predefined scenario, and assess the experience based on the given criteria.
6
Gather Feedback and Documentation
After completing the visit, mystery shoppers provide feedback and documentation such as observations, notes, photographs or any other relevant materials. They may also fill out a questionnaire or survey about their experience.
7
Analyze and Interpret Results
Review the feedback, questionnaire responses, and other documentation from the mystery shoppers. Analyze the findings to identify trends or patterns, as well as areas of strength or opportunities for improvement.
8
Report Findings
Compile the results into a comprehensive report, including both quantitative and qualitative data. Share the findings with the relevant stakeholders or team members, highlighting key insights and recommended actions.
9
Implement Improvements
Based on the report findings, identify, plan and execute necessary improvements or changes to the evaluated establishment or service to enhance overall user experience or performance.
10
Measure Improvement and Conduct Follow-up
Monitor the improvement progress, analyze the results of the implemented changes, and conduct follow-up mystery shopping visits to ensure continuous quality control and user experience evaluation.
Method Complete
Real-World Examples
See how this method is applied in practice
Understanding Deal Discovery Behavior
Research conducted with Groupon users to understand how they discover and evaluate local deals. Participants included frequent buyers in the Food & Drink and Health & Beauty categories, as well as occasional users. The study revealed that users rely heavily on personalized recommendations and location-based filtering, with visual imagery and merchant ratings being key decision factors. Users also expressed interest in occasion-based browsing like "date night deals" or "weekend activities."
Local Merchant Experience Research
Study with restaurant, spa, and fitness business owners to understand their experience with Groupon's merchant platform. Participants included both new merchants in onboarding and experienced merchants running multiple campaigns. Findings showed merchants struggled with understanding optimal pricing strategies, setting deal capacity, and interpreting performance analytics. Many requested competitive benchmarking and seasonal promotion guidance.
Deal Redemption Experience Study
Research with Groupon customers who recently redeemed deals at local businesses. The study focused on the in-person redemption experience, including showing vouchers to merchants, handling booking requirements, and resolving issues. Insights revealed that users felt anxious about merchant acceptance and wanted clearer communication about what to expect during redemption.
Deliverables
What you'll produce from this method
Mystery Shopper Scenario
A detailed scenario outlining the purpose, goal, and actions the mystery shopper needs to follow, while interacting with the product, service, or establishment being evaluated.
Shop Visit Schedule
A timetable specifying dates, times, and locations for mystery shopping visits to ensure proper coverage and unbiased evaluation of user experience.
Shop Visit Checklist
A list of tasks, interactions or observations, that the mystery shopper should make during the visit, such as purchasing a specific item or asking for assistance.
Shop Visit Report
A comprehensive report from the mystery shopper detailing their experience during the visit, while including feedback on specific tasks, interactions, and observations made.
Data Collection and Analysis
A systematic approach to collect and analyze data from multiple mystery shopping visits in order to identify patterns, insights, and trends.
UX Issues Repository
A categorized repository of identified UX issues, highlighting areas for improvement.
Recommendations & Action Plan
Both short- and long-term recommendations for addressing issues identified during the mystery shopping process, along with an action plan to implement the proposed solutions.
Performance Metrics
A set of quantitative and qualitative metrics to assess the effectiveness of the mystery shopping approach and track improvements over time.
Post-Improvement Follow-up
A follow-up mystery shopping stage after implementing improvement actions to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the proposed solutions.
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