Secret Shopping On The Rise

Everyone has heard of Secret Shopping, and most people have received junk email on the topic.  Most of these spam ads are just that – junk.  But honest secret shopping is still alive and well, as it has been for many years. And it’s not just for restaurants and retail anymore. The self storage industry, apartment industry, hotel industry and many more have been involved in secret shopping programs for decades.

I remember when I was in high school in the ‘70s and working at a popular fast food chain famous for its golden arches.  In those days we didn’t have the luxury of having computers, so we had to memorize the price for every item on the menu.  There was a Tax Chart on each cash register to help us add up the amount of a customer’s purchase. 

I can remember one time a very sweet older couple came in and ordered breakfast.  I rang up their order, and they told me the amount was wrong – that I was not charging them enough.  I looked at them like they had lost their minds!  They should be happy that my error was in their favor!  It turned out that they were mystery shoppers.  They had shopped me several times in the past, and had grown a liking to me.  They just wanted to help me out!  That may not have been the best strategy for their employer, but it made a lasting impression on me.  In our self storage call center, I try to remember to do my best with each and every storage customer, since I never know who may be a mystery shopper!

Written by Ann Sheehan

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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