GfK Mystery Shopping

Quality Assurance

GfK Mystery Shopping understands the importance of shopper integrity and data integrity. We believe in rigorous and extensive Quality Controls, which include:

• Shopper Orientation and Training – We believe that our shopper training is without peer and as such enables GfK to deliver higher quality, more consistent and accurate results.
  
  
• Automated Data Checking – The data entry questionnaire contains data checking and skip logic to further ensure data integrity. When entered, data is validated three ways:
  1. Within the question itself. For example, if a shopper answers that it took 4 seconds to complete the shop, the system will not accept the answer without a valid explanation.
  2. Within the questionnaire. If a shopper reports that the employee was not wearing a name tag, and later reports that the employee’s name was Bill, the system will require an explanation as to how the shopper knows the employee’s name if there was indeed no name tag.
  3. Against your location database. To take an example from a petroleum client, a location may be identified as not having a Car Wash in our client database. If, through the course of the year, the location undergoes construction and builds a Car Wash, the shopper will report this. When the shop is reported, the shopper will be thoroughly probed regarding the presence of the Car Wash, because it does not match our records. If the shopper confirms that there was indeed a Car Wash, the information will be accepted, and our editors will see a note on the draft of that report to investigate. The investigation will involve confirming this information with the proper client representative.
     
     
• Data Comparison – We continuously compare individual shopper results against norms for the program.
  
  
• Quality Assurance Editors – Our staff of Quality Assurance editors are trained to review each shop report after the information has been recorded. All reports are reviewed before receiving final approval to be published.
  
  
• Commitment to Quality – GfK Mystery Shopping is a founding member of the MSPA and complies with their rules of ethical behavior.