It’s known as “secret” shopping for any reason. It is advisable to maintain secrecy not just throughout a mystery shop, but pre and post the store too. Confidentiality needs demand that shoppers also avoid discussing private and proprietary information from the mystery shopping company and also the client. This appears apparent, but plenty of shoppers appear to possess trouble understanding the requirement for confidentiality.
I’m always surprised when shoppers freely disclose what they are called of clients, charges they received, shop needs along with other information. I hear mystery shoppers say this stuff at shopper meet-ups, and that i read inappropriate comments in public places forums and blogs. What a part of “private” don’t these shoppers understand?
Nearly every mystery shopping company features a confidentiality clause within the Independent Contractor Agreement (ICA) completed throughout the application. Prohibited activities typically include:
Discussing details about the operations from the secret shopping company and it is clients.
Discussing compensation along with other information on shop assignments with a 3rd party.
Directly contacting a customer, with no specific permission from the mystery shopping company.
Discussing blank or completed report forms, guidelines along with other shop materials with other people.
Which means you can’t discuss:
Just how much a store assignment pays.
Which mystery shopping company shops a specific client.
Specific shop needs (e.g., service standards, purchase needs, etc.)
Which companies (e.g. stores, restaurants, banks yet others) are mystery shopping clients.
A great rule would be to never say anything in regards to a secret shopping client to anybody, apart from the key shopping company. One exception to this is where you’re needed or permitted to possess someone accompany yourself on a store, like a restaurant shop. For the reason that situation, you need to inform your companion what they desire to understand that will help you using the shop (or at best to not screw it up), however, you should also stress for them the significance of confidentiality. Let them know they shouldn’t discuss any part of the mystery shop with other people. Actually, they ought to never discuss mystery shopping whatsoever.
Don’t make posts public forums about clients or shops. While you might comment about shopping companies (i.e., “Mystery Shopping Provider is a superb company to get results for, although If only they’d pay faster.”) don’t gossip about secret shopping companies or disclose details about their operations that you simply acquired while employed by them.
When requested on the application that companies you’ve labored, it’s acceptable to mention them. Don’t name any clients you shopped on their behalf.
Giving private information to other people you know over coffee, or perhaps in a personal email, continues to be a breach of confidentiality. If you’re not sure regardless of whether you should disclose something, don’t discuss it.
You might not begin to see the harm in discussing these details, but it may cause harm to the companies from the secret shopping providers as well as their clients. You may be deactivated like a shopper if your company finds out you have violated confidentiality. Within an extreme situation, it’s even possible you could be sued.
