mystery shopper moral dilemma
 

I do mystery shops sometimes, and I came across a shop that puts me in the moral question if there is an issue to do it or not.

Most mystery shopper shops are paid for by the shop to make sure that their employees are doing what they are supposed to.

However the shop I am doing is for is for “BANK B” where I as having an affluent status, meaning I have a substantial amount in that bank, when I go to the teller “BANK A” wants to know if they try to deepen the relationship.

So for example let us say I go to Provident Bank where I might have a gold account. They want to know if the teller will try to get me to meet with a specialist to try to sell me products. What type of documents they show me, etc… This information though is allegedly for Citibank though.

Now personally I as a customer at Provident Bank not an employee I have no real confidentiality. I am not going out of my way to waste their time, and truth is I have appointment for myself to look in to some of their higher end products since I really am looking. The question is do you think you would have an issue taking the information you hear and use it as a mystery shopper.

By the way I did change the name of the banks involved.

I thought mystery shoppers gather information via a third party, which, in turn, sells the information (i.e. feedback) back to the company that was "mystery shopped."

What you're doing sounds more like corporate espionage.

If you feel bad about it, maybe you shouldn't do it.

Personally I do not really feel bad about it, I consider myself a client of theirs but this is not real secret information. Any executive of that bank can open an account at a competitor and see how they are treated. This is not some secret insider information.

I asked since I had a friend who raised the issue.

I have applied for accounts with rival companies to see what sort of service they offer.

I suppose it isnt completely straight forward, but like you I consider it wasnt illegal and they were probably doing the same thing to us.

I would hardly call this "corporate espionage." It's not as though you're stealing company secrets. I think it's pretty common for businesses to scope out the competition like this.

I don't know if I'd bother for the simple fact that I figure they ought to do it themselves. If there's a financial reward involved and you're not ethically opposed though I see no reason not to.

Well, that's the thing. If they aren't relaying information that's expected to be kept in the strictest confidence, then it should stand that it's information that can be readily shared.

I see no problem with this.

Hiding your intentions is common. There's little morality in shopping as a spy.

I complained about a large store once, and was asked to go in as a 'mystery shopper' and write a report - for which, as a student, I was very well paid. I was fair, and did praise good staff/practices. Reading your original post, I couldnt help but chortle at the thought of what you could write - say you said to bank A that bank B gave you tea and a biscuit because its their policy to offer if you are there more than 10 mins or something - would bank A run out and buy cream cakes to go one better and entice bank Bs customers are away. As you are not bein paid for your professional opinion.... I dont think a bit of fun for the greater good would be a bad thing. Question is, what can you get us all?

Aren't they doing it for themselves? Instead of paying employees who may have agendas, they subcontract anonymous individuals at a lower cost.

I wouldn't see a problem with this at all.

The real scope from what I see on this project is they want to see how competitors try to deepen their connection with their bank. I have several accounts in different banks, so if BANK A has 100k of mine the question is how do they pamper customers like me so that I will let them handle all my banking needs.

There is no major interest rates, free checking is a given, no monthly fees, what makes one bank stand out more, and how do they make their sales pitch to the middle class.

Some bank branches do have a special lounge just for their premiere clients for instance.