Mystery Shopping has seen many changes in recent years. One of the most dramatic areas of change has been in the area of video shopping, the industry's most powerful communicator of the value of the mystery shopping experience.

The equipment required to perform Video Mystery Shopping is so high tech that you would think it was right out of a James Bond movie. Fortunately, with the increase in the equipment's capabilities have also come advances in its ease of use. Indeed, the equipment, while expensive, has become so easy to use that shoppers now have the option of owning their own equipment, renting the equipment, or working for shopping companies that provide the equipment to them.

Due to the extremely high quality of reporting that comes from constant video documentation of a shop, employers are willing to pay video mystery shoppers 2 to 3 times as much as traditional shops. Even better, there are usually no forms or reports to complete, since the video tells it all! The shopper just finishes the assignment, stops the tape, wraps it up safely and mails it to the employer. Easy! At least, once you have the training to perform the shop the way it needs to be done.

With today's latest advances in micro audio/video equipment -- which can literally be concealed from even the most practiced eye in a purse, tie, or pager -- trained mystery shoppers are able to go into stores and other locations with a new confidence, and superior abilities to capture live, real documentation of a company's service performance.

The latest equipment allows the mystery shopper to follow scripted guidelines that provide smooth pan shots of the whole store, all while recording the service interaction of employees. From the time they enter to the time they leave, the shopper has an even greater degree of confidence in their performance, and their ability to get all of the information the employer needs, thanks to the enhanced capabilities and reliability of today's equipment.

In fact, a company evaluating a well-performed video shopper assignment can help their employees recognize negative behavior and reinforce positive actions. For a sales professional it's invaluable to be able to see yourself from a "shopper's eye view" in order to evaluate whether they are conveying all the right language with their mouths but all the wrong language with their bodies…. A situation that is virtually impossible to accurately discern in a written mystery shopping evaluation.

A concern of some shoppers is the legality of filming employees if they're not aware of it. While it is widely acknowledged that most of us don't expect "privacy" when we're out in public places (just look up and smile these days at all the video cameras), retailers that engage companies to provide video mystery shoppers are careful to inform their employees that they may be videotaped by an anonymous shopper sometime in the future. Some firms even go so far as to have their employees sign consent forms, agreeing to be videotaped surreptitiously. For the retailer this is a good business practice not only because of the respect it accords their employees, but also because now their employees will look at every customer with the expectation that this could be the one that is recording their sales skills and politeness.

To conduct these video shops, the agencies that specialize in video shopping are looking for a number of different character traits in their shoppers. All levels of past shopping experience are sought, from very experienced to new in the field. More important are skills like a calm and reasonable personality, clear speech and language skills, a neat or professional appearance, and the ability to be available at short notice when a client needs a video shop performed. All of these characteristics are sought, because the video shopping agency will invest a lot of time training shoppers through the whole experience, from using and fitting the video equipment to techniques for effective positioning for optimal filming and interaction with the employees. Some agencies will even have a trainee do mock-shops to train for the real thing. Only when the company is satisfied that you're qualified will they certify you for video shopping assignments through their agency.

When the time comes for a shopper to perform their first video shopping assignment, they'll be fitted with a micro-video and audio recorder that is usually imbedded in a purse, bag, or bulky piece of clothing like a jacket. Worn properly, the shopper is completely anonymous as these units are so small they'll avoid detection by even a trained eye that isn't looking closely. Once the equipment is on, the shopper tests it first, before parking at the store. Then, it's show time!

The shopper arrives at the store or location and uses a special trigger to start taping just before they enter, showing the parking lot and front store displays as they go in. Once inside, the whole assignment is taped, from browsing the store to show the condition of displays, to timing the first greeting, to a detailed product discussion, to a purchase, the payment, additional suggestions, and the thanks of the service provider. The shopper then returns the original digital tape to the sponsoring agency for transfer to VHS or CD format, and delivery to the client.

Video shopping is a fun, exciting, and lucrative way to enjoy mystery shopping. Once you've trained with a quality agency, you'll be in demand for future assignments. And, if you've been trained by a video shopping company, and have access to the equipment needed for a video shop (whether through owning it or access to renting it) you can designate yourself as a video shopper in your ShadowShopper.com profile. This can open many doors for you, that you may not be aware of now!

Next are actual video mystery shopping assignments to give you a live window into the experience. Click on the images below to catch a glimpse of video shoppers in action!