Mystery Shopping
Few investigators offer mystery shopping as an area of expertise. A mystery shopper is someone who enters a store or business, makes a purchase, and later reports on customer service.
Cameras and Mystery Shopping
Businesses have been using mystery shoppers for years. Business owners rely on these shoppers' subjective opinions about what went down during the purchase. Most of the time, no issues arise, especially if the owner is interested in whether his employees are adhering to policies and procedures or whether retraining is needed.
Yet if something else is discovered, it results in a he said/she said situation. All the owner has is the shopper's word for what happened, and he could be faced with denial or a semi-plausible explanation from the employee. This puts him in the position of having to investigate further, costing time and money he cannot spare — and perhaps leaving an incompetent or unscrupulous employee on the job.
The answer to this is hidden camera mystery shopping — best performed by a private investigator. The investigator wears or carries a small covert camera. These cameras can be purchased already installed in hats, ties, buttons, watches, pens, briefcases, purses, and other objects. The price isn't inexpensive, but neither is it prohibitive, and the purchase pays for itself many times over if the service is marketed correctly and aggressively.
Many businesses, especially chains and franchises, use products and services that come from their corporate division, including mystery shoppers. The manager may not be interested in using someone outside of the network. However, if she's having trouble with employees or unexplained loss, she may jump at the chance to discover what goes on when she isn't on the premises.
You as Hidden Camera Mystery Shopper
If you've ever gone through a drive-thru and felt like pulling your hair out because of the employee's bored or hostile attitude, or stood at a counter as a clerk talked on the phone or interacted with another employee while you waited for help or the opportunity to make a purchase, you have a starting point for your business.
Return later with your camera and film. Ask questions. Attempt to get the employee to help you. Don't show the recording to the employee or even the mid-level manager, attempt an appointment with a regional manager or owner before revealing the evidence. Success with this may bring more work, as well as referrals to other business owners. Remember that some owners aren't happy with anyone who films in their establishment, though, so be careful to record only the employee's activity and not anything that could be considered proprietary.
How can I advertise this service?
Arrange to speak to business clubs and organizations. Use a small monitor or television to demonstrate the camera. It's also effective to show (with owner approval) film of employee behavior in the presence of the owner/manager, then her behavior in his absence. Stress how film can reveal those in need of more training, more direct supervision, or pink slips — all without controversy because the proof is on the film.
Should you decide to invest in this specialty as part of your business, buy your camera system and practice wearing it if it's wearable. Practice using it correctly if it's in the form of a pen, purse, or carried object. It's important to get a feel for which direction your camera will point and how much of the area it will record. You also need to become comfortable using it so you don't end up with ceiling, floor, or wall footage — and so you don't move unnaturally and alert the employee to your intentions.
Sometimes, success in this area can lead to orders for hidden camera installation in the businesses you service. This won't cut into your mystery shopping much; installed cameras will catch everyday behavior, but you can market your services as a means of testing employees' reactions to specific requests for services.
For example, an employee may have been trained to respond to requests for an out-of-stock item with, “Let me check the availability of ordering that for you.” If he answers with a bored or disinterested, “I don't know, it should be over there,” or, “We're out of that,” the employer can make a decision whether to invest in retraining or let him go. In the long run, you'll save the owner time and money; if she decides to terminate employment, you'll save her controversy over the circumstances that led to this decision because it's all on tape.
