Module 3
This module emphasizes the importance of ethical conduct and confidentiality in mystery shopping. Participants will learn how to protect sensitive client information and maintain professional integrity.
Key Concepts:
• Confidentiality Definition: The obligation to keep client details, assignments, and reports private and secure.
• Ethical Guidelines: Shoppers must avoid conflicts of interest, such as taking assignments for competing businesses.
• Client Trust: Upholding ethical standards builds credibility and ensures repeat assignments.
Scenarios used for mystery shopping must be safe in that neither the client’s staff, nor the mystery shoppers must be asked to do anything illegal or anything that puts them under any kind of risk (e.g. locality, disability, gender, ethnicity). Care must also be taken to protect mystery shoppers from any adverse implications of carrying out an evaluation (e.g. personal safety, effect on credit references).
Keeping your identity Confidential
Every Mystery Shopper must protect their identity. Keep in mind you assess the service you receive as a typical (anonymous) customer.
The questionnaire that the mystery shopper completes should be focused on objective questions, with the majority aimed at gathering factual information. The primary aim should be to document precisely what happened at the point of contact, rather than how the mystery shopper feels. Objectivity will also help ensure consistency across all of the evaluations conducted. However, some subjective ratings, such as the perceived confidence of staff and the mystery shoppers overall satisfaction with the way their enquiry was handled, may be included and can be useful when interpreting the results. It is recommended however that any subjective questions are clearly defined, remain limited in number, and that the client is made aware of the limits of all the subjective elements within the questionnaire and subsequent results.
Staff Identification
Names of staff members or identities through video, tape etc can be revealed as long as appropriate communication to this effect has been given (see above) and providing it is in accordance with individual country legislation. Clearance from unions or staff organization representatives should be sought in such cases.
Purchase
When a purchase is made the following apply:
Staff should not be identified, either by reporting at individual level or by the use of recording equipment, such as videos or tapes.
Field Agents will receive a full refund upon submission of receipt.
The Professional Responsibilities of Researchers
1. Mystery Shoppers/ Field Agents must not, whether knowingly or negligently, act in any way, which could bring discredit on the marketing research profession or lead to a loss of public confidence in it.
2. Mystery Shoppers/ Field Agents must not make false claims about their skills and experience or about those of their organization.
3. Mystery Shoppers/ Field Agents must not unjustifiably criticize or disparage other Researchers.
4. Mystery Shoppers/ Field Agents must always strive to design research which is cost-efficient and of adequate quality, and then to carry this out to the specifications agreed with the Client.
5. Mystery Shoppers/ Field Agents must ensure the security of all research records in their possession.
6. Mystery Shoppers/ Field Agents must not knowingly disclose who they are and who they work for.
