Contemporary Marketing, 2013 Update 15th Edition by Louis Boone ,David Kurtz

Exercise 21

Marketers sometimes collect primary information by using so-called mystery shoppers who visit stores anonymously (as if they were customers) and note such critical factors as store appearance and ambiance, items in stock, and quality of service including waiting time and courtesy of employees. (The CEO of Staples has gone on mystery shopper trips and sometimes asked his mother to make similar trips.) Prepare a list of data you would want to obtain from a mystery shopper surveying a chain of gas stations in your area. Devise a format for gathering the information that combines your need to compile the data electronically and the researcher's need to remain undetected while visiting the stores.