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MarketPublic is a new national mystery shopper recruitment and registration site designed to help mystery shoppers increase the number of mystery shopping assignments they have access to.

Completing a new profile, or updating an existing one if you are already a member, couldn’t be easier and whilst you are not obliged to complete all of the requested information, not doing so could limit the number of future jobs that you may be offered. Some of the profile questions are mandatory - we have kept these to a minimum - and you will need to complete these sections if you wish to go ahead.

By registering with MarketPublic your profiled information will be accessed by mystery shopping companies as jobs become available within the areas you have detailed. Companies may then contact you with available jobs in your area including details of fees and timeframes. You, of course, have the right to decline any job if it is not suitable for you.

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what is mystery shopping?

In today's competitive world, where products from different organisations are often very similar, the customer's decision on whether to 'buy' may hinge not just on 'price', but on the way an enquiry is handled or the manner in which a service is delivered - in short, the customer experience.

It is relatively easy for companies to measure some aspects of performance - telephone answering times, how long customers have to queue etc. - but how a customer 'feels' about the overall service provided is a different matter and that is where mystery shoppers can add real value to an organisation when undertaken in a professional, objective manner. All too often, if customers are unhappy with a service, they will 'walk with their feet' – in most cases without explaining to the company involved why.

The role of mystery shoppers is take the part of customers, to experience particular services and to feedback their experiences to the companies being assessed in order that good practice can be shared and remedial action taken where an experience has been found wanting. Activity can take a wide range of different forms, from making simple telephone calls to visiting particular outlets or allowing a home visit from a consultant.

Feedback on the customer's experience is generally given as soon as possible after the event either 'on-line' via a web-based system or by the completion of a hand-written questionnaire which is then forwarded to the mystery shopping company concerned. Some companies prefer to speak with the 'shopper' directly over the telephone to record the experience. Often companies are able to deliver feedback to their clients within hours of the 'shop' taking place.

Covert video recordings of visits are sometimes used within mystery shopping programmes and audio tapes of telephone calls can also be part of the requirement of companies commissioning activity. (Covert video work is generally undertaken by more experienced mystery shoppers with the experience and confidence required to be able to use a hidden camera and recorder).

Whichever method is used, the accuracy and quality of the feedback is paramount and those mystery shoppers with an eye for detail, a good memory, the ability to record their experiences in language easy to understand and in accordance with the instructions given, will find their services being used far more frequently than those for whom mystery shopping appears to be an easy way to a free meal.

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