mystery shop

English

Verb

mystery shop (third-person singular simple present mystery shops, present participle mystery shopping, simple past and past participle mystery shopped)

1. To work as a mystery shopper; to pose as a customer or client in order to evaluate a business.
   • 2004, Cathy Stucker, The Mystery Shopper's Manual:

     Don't assume that because you have been mystery shopping for a while, or because you have mystery shopped for the same company or client before, that you know what to do.

   • 2007, James Stephenson, Ultimate Small Business Marketing Guide:

     However, if your budget is too tight to afford these services, then you might want to consider enlisting a friend or family member to mystery shop for you.

   • 2009, PamInCa, The Essential Guide to Mystery Shopping, page 10:

     Every imaginable type of business is mystery shopped.

   • 2017, Mike Agugliaro, The Secrets of Business Mastery:

     One of my favorite ways to improve a business is to mystery shop.

Noun

mystery shop (plural mystery shops)

1. An instance of mystery shopping; a visit to a business as a mystery shopper.
   • 1994, United States. Congress. Senate. Special Committee on Aging, Uninsured Bank Products: Risky Business for Seniors?:

     Immediately following the mystery shop, the independent contracter will fill out a static questionnaire that records respective levels of disclosure, customer service and sales effectiveness.

   • 2010, Shelley Dekker, I'm a Street Girl Now, page 140:

     Part of our work can be doing a mystery shop. This entails going along to shops, banks, or even the passport office, and pretending to be a customers or a potential customer.

   • 2011, Judith Adkins-Spears, Jump-Start Your Merchandising Career:

     The best-scheduled day could start with a mystery shop at a local fast-food restaurant (breakfast paid for and one to go) followed by a service station shop ($5 in gas).