Mystery Shopping Studies

MYSTERY SHOPPING STUDIES

ESOMAR WORLD RESEARCH CODES & GUIDELINES MYSTERY SHOPPING STUDIES

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ESOMAR WORLD RESEARCH CODES & GUIDELINES MYSTERY SHOPPING STUDIES

CONTENTS

Introduction 2

Basic considerations 2

General requirements for mystery shopping studies 4

Additional requirements for mystery shopping research 5

ESOMAR WORLD RESEARCH CODES & GUIDELINES MYSTERY SHOPPING STUDIES

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of mystery shopping • intermediate agents (retailers/ studies is to help focus the attention distributors, independent fi nancial of business management on customer consultants/advisors, etc.), service improvement by providing • competitors. information on the operations and the quality of service it is providing. Mystery shopping techniques used may include: Mystery shopping studies can comprise the simple factual observation of points • mystery observation, of sale or services focusing particularly • mystery visits, on signage, cleanliness, waiting time, • mystery telephone calls, response time, commercial signage, the • mystery mail or fax, state of equipment in use, adherence to • mystery e-mail/website visits. the company’s standards etc. It might also extend as far as making a purchase or enquiry, where the evaluator acts as BASIC CONSIDERATIONS if he or she was an actual or potential customer, on the basis of a simple or A key characteristic of mystery shopping more complicated scenario. studies is that the data subjects are normally not aware at the time that they Mystery shopping studies involve the are participating in a study since their use of mystery shoppers who are awareness of this might lead to atypical trained and/or briefed to observe, behaviour which would invalidate the experience and measure any customer fi ndings of the study. service process by acting as a prospec- tive customer and undertaking a series Provided that they are carried out of pre-determined tasks to assess professionally and with appropriate performance against specifi c criteria, safeguards for data subjects’ rights, reporting back on their experiences in a mystery shopping studies are a valid comparable and consistent way. and legitimate activity.

Mystery shopping studies may cover: Researchers carrying out mystery shopping studies must take every • the client’s own organisation, care to ensure as far as possible that individual privacy is respected and that

ESOMAR WORLD RESEARCH CODES & GUIDELINES MYSTERY SHOPPING STUDIES

data subjects will not be disadvantaged data collected will be treated as fully or harmed as a result of this work. confi dential and used only for research purposes. In the second type such Mystery shopping studies must always anonymity is not provided because the conform to applicable data protection data will be used to approach the data legislation. There must be adequate subjects individually for purposes other security arrangements in place both at than scientifi c research. Different legal the client and at the research company provisions may be applied to both types level to ensure that any personal data of mystery shopping studies. are secure and not accessible by unauthorised parties. In cases where any personal data collected are to be treated as fully In all cases it is essential to observe confi dential and are not to be used any applicable legislation and jurisdiction for any purpose other than scientifi c which may govern the ways in which a research the study falls under the particular mystery shopping technique defi nition of market research and can be (e.g. telephone or e-mail contact) may described as mystery shopping research. be used. If the personal data collected are not to Mystery shopping studies which would be treated as fully confi dential and may be used as a method of boosting also to be used for purposes other than product distribution or sales by creating scientifi c research – for example in con- an apparent consumer demand for nection with staff training, reinforce- a product or a service must not be ment of sales efforts or the operation of undertaken. Nor must the fi ndings of a bonus system – then the study does mystery shopping studies be used not fall exclusively under the defi nition for the purposes of disciplining or of market research and must not be otherwise disadvantaging individuals described as mystery shopping research involved in the study. but as a mystery shopping project.

Two different types of studies may be Whatever scenarios are used for carried out under the general term mystery shopping studies they must be of mystery shopping studies. In the safe in that the mystery shoppers are ﬁ rst type the data subjects’ anonymity not asked to do anything which is illegal will be safeguarded, and all personal or which puts them under any physical

ESOMAR WORLD RESEARCH CODES & GUIDELINES MYSTERY SHOPPING STUDIES

risk or threatens their personal safety • whether audio, video, electronic e.g. as a result of locality, disability, or other recording of observations gender, ethnicity. Care must be taken or interviews will be carried out to protect mystery shoppers from any (including adequate information adverse implications of carrying out an regarding purpose, recipients and evaluation such as possible effects on storage of the recording), their personal credit references. • if consideration will be given to making good any losses of salary resulting from time spent in dealing with GENERAL REQUIREMENTS mystery shoppers (in cases where staff FOR MYSTERY SHOPPING remuneration to any extent depends on STUDIES commission or bonuses).

Researchers have to conform to the (b) Mystery shopping studies on the following general requirements when client’s own organisation must always carrying out mystery shopping studies. be carried out in a transparent manner. These apply both to studies which are The client shall be made aware of to be qualiﬁ ed as mystery shopping any time and other operational costs research as well as to studies which involved in the study and agree to these are not to be qualiﬁ ed as such: in advance.

(a) When carrying out mystery shopping (c) The client’s agents or authorised studies on the client’s own organisation distributors (as well as any organi- the client must have notifi ed the staff sations which are responsible to a concerned previously and also any compliance authority) should be treated relevant staff organisation (works in the same way as the client’s own council etc.). Notifi cation must include: organisation providing that they have a similar direct relationship with the • that this activity will take place client or compliance authority. The staff within a future time period, should in particular, be given similar • what the objectives and general information as if they were working for nature of the study are, the client’s own organisation. However, • whether data subjects will be where there is no formal relationship identifi ed or not, of this kind then such organisations

ESOMAR WORLD RESEARCH CODES & GUIDELINES MYSTERY SHOPPING STUDIES

should be treated in the same way as involves some follow-up work by the competitors’ or other organisations. organisation called on (e.g. provision of a brochure etc.), this should also be (d) In the case of mystery shopping kept to a minimum. studies on competitors’ or other organisations it is important that the (g) If the mystery shopping study time and other demands created by involves making a booking or reservation, such an activity are reasonable and or asking for provision of any other kept to a minimum level. Mystery shop- follow-up service or action which does ping studies on competitors’ or other not form part of the main mystery organisations must therefore only be shopping task, this should be cancelled conducted if it can be assumed that or withdrawn as quickly as possible no substantial disadvantage will result after completing the interview. from this for the persons observed or interviewed or for their organisation. (h) Adequate security measures must This applies in particular to self- be in place to insure against unauthorized employed or professional people etc., processing, loss and destruction or where time spent on an interview may damage of the collected data. literally cost them (lost) money. (i) Recordings shall not be retained for (e) In situations where no purchase of longer than is necessary for the original a product or service is made, the length purpose of the mystery shopping study. of time spent should be reasonable in Disclosure of recordings to the client or relation to the nature of the market and other third parties shall only be made the type of inquiry. The time should be with the consent of the data subjects kept as short as possible and should and used for the agreed purposes only. not waste the data subjects’ resources in any way other than a normal customer inquiry might do. The acceptable length ADDITIONAL REQUIRE- of time which should be spent with MENTS FOR MYSTERY members of staff may be determined SHOPPING RESEARCH by local practice. In addition to the above general require- (f) If the mystery shopping study ments researchers have to conform to is one where part of the evaluation the following additional requirements

ESOMAR WORLD RESEARCH CODES & GUIDELINES MYSTERY SHOPPING STUDIES

when carrying out studies which are to be qualiﬁ ed as mystery shopping research:

(a) The individual data subjects must not be revealed or be identiﬁ able. (b) The interviews must not be recorded electronically or by other means if this could endanger the anonymity of data subjects and if it is impossible to obtain their agreement to this. (c) If the client receives a list of the places (stores etc.) used for the observations or interviews, the results must be given in a form only which does not lead to the identiﬁ cation of an individual person. (d) However, if the identity of individual data subjects might possibly become known to the client because there is only one relevant staff member at the point where a mystery shopping observation or visit is known to have been carried out or the day and hour of observation or visit as set by the client means that this may be discoverable the study must not be described as mystery shopping research.

ESOMAR WORLD RESEARCH CODES & GUIDELINES MYSTERY SHOPPING STUDIES

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ESOMAR WORLD RESEARCH CODES & GUIDELINES MYSTERY SHOPPING STUDIES

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ESOMAR WORLD RESEARCH CODES & GUIDELINES