I was reading the classifieds in the local newspaper, and saw this: “MYSTERY SHOPPER needed in Price area. Apply online www.secretshopnet.com.” I was intrigued, so I went to the site to see what it was about. Apparently, a company can hire this company (Service Intelligence), who will then hire one or more individuals to “shop” at the other company, and give feedback of their experiences. Then Service Intelligence gives the company the feedback so they can improve their service.
Sounds to me like a suggestion box would be a cheaper and easier way to go, but it’s still not necessarily a bad idea…just a strange one. I’m surprised that I’ve never heard of such a thing before, as a Google search returns tons of relevant hits.