Frequently Asked Questions

Client FAQs

How do you handle data privacy/GDPR, especially with staff being observed?

Very seriously — this is set out formally in our contract. You remain the Data Controller for your programme; we act as Data Processor, fully bound by UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, registered with the ICO, and with a Data Protection Officer your Account Manager can put you in touch with.

In practice: the personal data we handle is limited to what's needed to run assessments — names, contact details, job titles/locations, and the interaction itself (recordings, survey responses, evaluation scores). We don't collect special category data. Any recordings are for training and quality purposes only, and we ask that staff are made aware this may happen(via your handbook, a briefing, or signage) before shops begin. Mystery shopping data is stored securely for up to 12 months while your programme is live, and permanently erased within 3 months of your Agreement ending. We'd notify you within 72 hours of any personal data breach. Full detail sits in the Data Protection Addendum of your Master Service Agreement — we're happy to walk your DPO through it directly.

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Can results be broken down by site, region, or individual?

Yes — your portal lets you break results down by site, region, or individual, as well as look at trends across your whole estate. That makes it easy to spot your best-performing locations, identify where extra support or coaching is needed, and track improvement over time at whatever level matters most to you.

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Can we see results in real time?

Yes. Reports go straight into your branded online portal as soon as they're completed and quality-checked, so you're never waiting for aperiodic round-up. The portal also lets you track trends over time and pull custom reports whenever you need them.

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Can we add in age-verification checks?

Yes — age-verification (Challenge 25/21-style) assessments are one of our most requested add-ons, particularly for alcohol, tobacco, vaping and other age-restricted products. We can build these into a wider mystery shopping programme or run them as a standalone compliance check, using shoppers of an appropriate age to test whether your team is asking for ID and following the right process.

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How do you keep scoring objective and consistent across locations?

Every shop is measured against the same structured scorecard, built around your specific customer journey and standards — not the shopper's personal opinion. Shoppers are trained to apply the scorecard consistently, and every report is quality-checked by our team before publication, with supporting evidence requested for any low score. That means a shop at one site is scored on exactly the same basis as a shop at another, so you can compare locations fairly.

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How do you make sure shoppers are realistic and unbiased?

Our shoppers are trained to blend in as ordinary customers, matched to your typical customer profile so their visit reflects a genuine interaction rather than standing out. Before any assignment, each shopper receives a detailed brief and must pass a pre-assignment test to prove they understand the scenario and the standards being assessed. Every report is then reviewed by our team for consistency and evidence before it reaches you, and any shop that doesn't meet our quality bar is queried or redone.

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How is this different from customer surveys or NPS?

Surveys and NPS tell you how customers felt; mystery shopping tells you why. Survey responses rely on whoever chooses to reply, and answers are often shaped by mood or memory rather than specific detail. Our shoppers follow a structured brief, so every visit or interaction is assessed against the same standards, giving you objective, comparable, and specific data — not just "staff were unhelpful," but exactly which step in the journey went wrong and how. Most clients use mystery shopping alongside NPS and surveys, as complementary pieces of the same picture.

How do we avoid it looking like we are trying to catch staff out?

It comes down to framing and follow-through. We recommend introducing mystery shopping to your team as a way to spot what's working and coach on what isn't, not as a disciplinary tool. Our reports focus on specific, observable behaviours and processes rather than personal criticism, and many clients use results to recognise and reward great service just as often as they use them to flag gaps. Getting managers on board with a positive, developmental tone when they share results makes a real difference to how the programme lands.

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Will our staff know they are being 'mystery shopped'?

Your team will know that mystery shopping happens as part of how you monitor and improve customer experience — but not when, where, or by whom. That element of surprise is what makes the results genuine: staff behave as they normally would, rather than performing for an assessor. We'll work with you on how (and how much) to communicate this internally, so it lands as a development tool rather than something staff feel watched for.

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Is there a minimum commitment?

Our standard mystery shopping programmes run on a minimum 12-monthcontract term — this is what allows a programme to properly track trends and drive real improvement, rather than capturing a single moment in time. If you just need a one-off view, we also off er ad-hoc research projects outside of that commitment. We'll talk through which approach fits your goals when we scope your programme.

What is the average length of a mystery shopping campaign?

We do offer ad-hoc research projects for businesses that need a one-off snapshot, but we always recommend a frequent, ongoing mystery shopping programme — that's what really drives improvement in customer experience overtime. Most of our clients run programmes over a rolling 12-month cycle, with shops carried out monthly, so trends can be tracked and progress measured properly. During onboarding, we'll help you map a schedule to your objectives and your customer journey.

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