Inside Consumer Reports: The life of a secret shopper

Consumer Reports' secret shoppers buy all the products—from digital cameras to washing machines to cars—from typical retail outlets to ensure that what we test and rate are the same products available to the average consumer.
[ stock photo courtesy of: Paige Foster ]

Pay close attention to the guy outside your local electronics store—average height, average build, easy to dismiss. Yet there’s more here than meets the eye. You might be looking at a Consumer Reports secret shopper.

Behind the newspaper he’s apparently studying, our man is steeling himself for a performance that will require quick thinking and steady nerves. He must spend thousands of dollars on unlikely purchases without raising suspicion or compromising his under-cover status. When his job is done and the glass doors close behind him, employees will find it difficult to recall his face. Success. He can return another day.

At least that might be how Tom Clancy would describe it.

The secret shopper I shadowed on a recent outing (let’s call him Mr. X) is more Average Joe than 007. But, he is still an agent with a number to his name—it’s printed on a credit card that’s reimbursed by Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports.

Granted, a piece of plastic isn’t as state-of-the-art as one of Q’s gizmos. But despite the workaday aspects of his job, a secret shopper needs a creative mind and a flair for adventure. Picture this: Our Mr. X goes into a store to buy five TVs. Big ones. The sales guy cocks an eyebrow. Five TVs? What for?

Our man has to think quickly before he’s “made.” He does—he pulls out a clever excuse so believable (which I won’t reprint here, because he uses it often) that the salesperson’s face turns from skeptical to amused and, ultimately, convinced. Mr. X will then cart the TVs back to our labs, where our testers run them through a gauntlet of tests.

Our secret shoppers in New York and 65 other cities nationwide buy products at retail—just as you do—to ensure we’re getting the real McCoy and not a souped-up version from the manufacturer. We pay retail prices too: Consumer Reports spends $250,000 per year on TVs alone.

So our shopper signs his name, pockets the receipt, and walks coolly out the front door. You can’t beat a confident, informed consumer. Eat your heart out, Mr. Bond. —Nick K. Mandle

Comments

[secret shopper]

Mystery shopping can be great if you find a couple good companies to work with and earn the opportunity to have first dibs on certain shops (ie Casinos, Spas, etc.). My favorite company is BestMark www.bestmark.com

[suze12]

The typical low paid salesperson working at Best Buy probably would not care why someone is buying 5 tv's. Also, Consumer Reports does a great job on rating cars in my opinion but do a so so job rating appliances (such as refrigerators and washing machines imo). Probably due to the manufacturer's declining standards. I cannot find a good washing machine in recent years, manufacturing has gone downhill in this country. You have to buy European to get superior quality on a washing machine (such as a German made washer.) Does Consumer Reports rate European manufacturers of appliances? Every thing in the U.S. comes from Mexico, China, S. Korea, etc. It is sad.

[JadoJodo]

@MajorXP - It wouldn't be as simple as that, as they likely don't buy five of the same TVs. The movie theatre here just bought 16 of the same model Sony flatscreens, but Consumer Reports probably buys 42" 240Hz TVs from Sony, Samsung, LG, Vizio, and Westinghouse, etc, etc

[Dave in Iowa]

I am a secret shopper in Iowa for several companies. I love it except the paperwork can be overwhelming

[majorxp]

"Five TVs? What for?"

- I'm opening up a bar.

- I got a big raise/bonus/lottery and giving presents to all my family.

- I am upgrading the cable/sat in my house and need new TVs

- I just retired

- I work for consumer reports (sales guy probably would take it as a joke)

....I could go on.... Lots of plausible sounding reasons to buy 5 TVs.

I think saying something like, "I'm having a big party for the game and I'll return them all when the party is over" would be the only thing you could say that might prevent you from getting the TVs, but otherwise I doubt they care that much or would remember you unless you made a scene about it.

[pw]

Yeah, how do you get a job like that?

[Jennifer in Phoenix]

Sounds like fun--do you need anyone in Arizona for secret shopping purposes?