Author: Admin

Confero, Inc. has been alerted of a new scam targeting unsuspecting consumers.  The scam artists have used Confero, Inc.’s reputable name in an attempt to trick consumers into giving their personal information in exchange for high paying “mystery shops.”  This is a scam.

Below you will see a complete copy of an email received by a consumer from a scammer.  These scammers do a very good job of making these advertisements seem real.  They have even used the identity of Confero’s President and CEO, Elaine Buxton.  Elaine did not send this email and her email address is not e.buxton@aol.com.

Please take a few minutes to read over this scam email so you will be aware if you receive one of these emails.  Also, visit our Consumer Alerts section for more information on these and other types of scams that often target the mystery shopping industry.

Please be aware there are lots of reputable mystery shopping companies with lots of legitimate mystery shopping opportunities for consumers interested in becoming a mystery shopper.  For information on how to get started as a mystery shopper or to find legitimate mystery shopping opportunities, visit The Mystery Shopping Providers Association’s (MSPA) website or the Become a Mystery Shopper page on Confero’s website. 

Email Scam:

Confero is a leading provider of customer experience research services to leading national brands, multi-unit and independent growth companies. Customized solutions measure, monitor and report on front line performance and customer satisfaction so clients get the business intelligence needed to grow sales, build brand loyalty and increase bottom line results. Services include onsite mystery shopping, competitive studies, recorded telephone mystery shops, voice of the customer (IVR) surveys, web surveys, compliance audits and on the spot rewards.

A MysteryShopper should remain anonymous. You should act as a regular customer and be careful not to do anything that would reveal you as a shopper. An inexperienced shopper could tip off the staff to his/her identity by asking for the manager's name for no clear or appropriate reason. If you are going to be bringing someone with you on the shop, make sure you educate them about the process as well. Beware that even whispers can be
overheard by employees. If anyone notices you are a shopper, you can bet that word will quickly spread around the establishment and you will get
some of the best customer service in town.
 

Our experience in employee recognition and on-the-spot rewards in different industries has opened our eyes to the creative ideas introduced by our clients and our client services team. 

This idea is one of our favorites. The Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority (RDUAA), a long time client, honors associates who score 100% on the mystery shops Confero conducts at the RDU airport. The airport authority changes the gift over time and tracks which employee receives which item, so that the award item is always fresh and

If your company collects customer feedback, comment cards, store visit or field audit report information in spreadsheets, you may be missing out on the information’s maximum value. Comparisons and correlations of the data collected provide key insights that you may miss if the information is hidden inside multiple spreadsheets managed by multiple people.  Here’s a prime example:

1. Audience:  Consider the audience for your survey.  Are you striving for opinions from all customers and target markets?  Or would you like to hone in on a particular age segment, such as young adults?  Once you select your audience, define your objectives with your target in mind, then craft the survey questions.  For a survey that pins down the most valuable data, companies customize question wording, selection, and survey length to best fit the audience.
    
2. Approach:   Based on your target audience, choose the appropriate survey delivery method, including mail, email, phone, online, or a combination. Older respondents may prefer mail surveys, and may be more willing to complete a longer survey. Busy professionals, on the other hand, may prefer to respond to a five-question survey via mobile device. If you want to reach all segments, offer the survey through different mediums.
    

1. In person, one on one:  One of the best ways to gain impact from mystery shops is to meet with employees one-on-one to discuss results.  If an employee does not score well on a shop, managers need to coach the employee privately. They can discuss ways to improve the customer interaction and also the employee’s concerns with any of the mystery shop expectations.
    
2. Email:  Companies send summary emails about regional and company performance within each mystery shopping area to keep everyone on the right track.  Highlighting the high-scoring areas compliments employees, while detailing often-missed sections lets employees know where to place more effort.
    
3. Staff meetings:  Whether at the unit, regional, or district level, staff meetings provide good opportunities to discuss mystery shop outcomes and improvement strategies for the more difficult areas of the mystery shop. For example, if many associates struggle with a closing question, use a staff meeting to brainstorm ideas about asking for the business. If some employees hesitate to refer customers to other departments, dig deeper into the reasons to develop process improvements.