Mystery shopping

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Mystery shopping is a process by which a company measures its own quality of sales and service, job performance or regulatory compliance by having a researcher pose as a customer and report their experience.

Mystery shoppers typically mirror common consumer behaviors to test the consistency of the habits deemed important to a specific brand or industry. Mystery shoppers, who primarily operate as independent contractors or gig workers, submit detailed reports and feedback about their experiences.

The method is also used by marketing research companies to gather specific information about a market or competitors, including products and services.

Mystery shopping can take the form of physical visits to business premises, or calling companies to evaluate their customer experience (often called mystery calling or customer experience research calling).