Author: Ruth Logsdon

With thanks to Nycole, Carlton, Shirley, Kathy and Tammy for sharing how they found mystery shopping and what helped them keep going. Every experienced mystery shopper has one thing in common. They all completed a first assignment. During ShopperFest 2026, we spent time talking with shoppers from across the country about how to get started […]

Systems and spreadsheets can confirm that operations are active. They can show that locations opened, promotions launched, calls were answered, orders were processed, and required tasks were completed. But those measures do not always reveal whether customers experienced the business the way leadership intended. Operational activity and operational performance are not the same thing. A […]

Mystery shopping instructions may change as customer experience research programs evolve. Learn why shoppers should review every assignment carefully.

Many customer frustrations do not originate from a single broken process. They occur when systems, departments, and customer expectations fail to connect smoothly. Learn how organizations can identify operational friction before customers begin looking elsewhere.

Have you ever heard another mystery shopper mention an opportunity you never saw on the gig board? Many shoppers assume the opportunities they see near the end of the month represent everything that was available during that month. Not necessarily. Some customer research gigs remain available for weeks. Others may be claimed quickly after they […]