That time I was a mystery shopper
In a tech-dominant world, should companies still hire mystery shoppers?
I walked into the department store with my story memorized — I was three months pregnant and shopping for maternity clothing for work. With the loose shirt I was wearing, this seemed easy enough to pull off. Some women, including my own family members, didn’t appear to be pregnant until their last few months. And I’ve always had wide hips. I just hoped no one touched my stomach or asked me a question that was too intrusive. After all, I was in this store to get into their business, not the other way around.
That was my assignment. I was supposed to play the role of an expectant mother and see how employees in the maternity section of the store treated me. Was I greeted promptly? Did representatives suggest potential outfits for me? Did anyone offer to assist me when I went into the fitting room? Did the maternity belly in the fitting room look like it had been sanitized?
Recommended Read: “The hidden value of mystery shoppers ~ Why secret shopper Intel still surpasses customer survey data”
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As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a percentage from purchases with my referral links. I know some consumers are choosing to boycott Amazon for its DEI removal. However, after thinking about this thoroughly, I want to continue promoting cool products from small businesses, women-owned businesses and (specifically) Black-owned businesses who still feature their items on Amazon. As of the first date of Black History Month 2025, each new post will ALWAYS include a MINIMUM of one product sold by a Black-owned business. (I have visited the seller’s official site to verify that Amazon Black-owned logo.) I am (slowly) doing this with older, popular posts too. If you still choose to boycott, I 100% respect that decision.
For someone who’d never even humored the idea of being a mother, this was totally out of my element. But it was fun. And I was a mystery shopper for a little more than two years. However, in the age of online shopping, are mystery shoppers even necessary these days? In my opinion, any company with a brick-and-mortar should continue to hire mystery shoppers.