UNDERSTANDING THE COVERT VIDEO, COVERT AUDIO AND COVERT TELEPHONE MYSTERY SHOPPING BOOM for 2006 And How You Can Make Up To $500.00 Per Assignment for An Hour Or Two's Work! By Ralph Thomas |
Every once in a while, cutting edge technology merges with an older type of business service and breaths both new life and a new twist on an old type of service that creates a new and booming trend. Mystery shopping combined with obtaining covert video and covert audio seems to be the biggest booming trend. Any private investigative service can easily get involved in these types of highly lucrative assignments.
Mystery shopping has been around for a long time. Conventional mystery shopping services have been integrity and honesty shops on retail chains, bars and restaurants. These have historically paid $25.00 to $50.00 per shop. Their main purpose was and still is generally to make sure employees are honest and not stealing. However, there is a new kind of mystery shop that makes use of covert video recording and covert audio recording. This is done for training purposes for employees and sales staff. These are high end mystery shopping assignments which will usually pay from $200.00 to $500.00 per assignment. A mystery shopping service that hands out assignments for these types of cases will usually pay from $50.00 to $250.00 for these types of cases. However, if you go get the assignments yourself whch requires makreting the service, you can and many are making $500.00 a case or more.
There is a group of Dallas/Fort Worth private investigators that have pioneered this type of mystery shopping service using covert video with very successful results that now seems to be steam rolling into a national trend. When this small group of investigators started this type of service, they competed with each other to see how MUCH they could obtain for their services. We all know that in the world of competition, that usually works the other way. That is, professionals tend to reduce pricing. But this highly unusual service was going the other way. That is, instead of slashing prices to compete with each other, these investigators were going to test the market and see what the top rate was that they could charge. This in and of itself should be a red flag of an up and coming trend.
Businesses that use such a mystery shop would include:
| • Apartment Complexes • New Home Builder Sales Offices • Car Dealers • Franchised Businesses • Hotels • Fitness And Health Services • High End Retail Sales |
When the mystery shopper conducts the assignment, he or she is covertly video taping the assignment. The client then uses the video taping to determine how a sales person is performing with actual potential customers. There are a number of reasons why a business would want and need this type of service.
Seven Reasons Companies Use Covert Video Mystery Shopping Services
1) Training: The mystery shop covert video is used to rate the sales presentation on the sales staff. It will help them identify areas that the sales staff needs help on and help the business determine if the sales person has learned the sales presentation properly. It gives the business a yardstick of measurement for areas of improvement on the sales presentation.
2) Suitable Sales Position Determination: The covert video mystery shop can be used to determine if the sales person is suitable for the position. We all know some people are suitable for direct sales presentations while others are just not. Sometimes it is difficult to determine this by a company and the covert video helps them determine if the sales person is suitable for the position.
3) Honesty: While the focus is usually on training and improvement, honesty of the subject can also be determined. It’s important, for example; that sales staff that are showing new homes not to tell potential home buyers lies about the homes they are showing for obvious reasons which could later come back to cause problems. Examples of this would be a salesman telling prospective home buyers that they will never have a utility bill over $150.00 or that the builder has plans to build a swimming pool and tennis court for the community when they do not.
4) Litigation Protection: The fact that some businesses like this will conduct covertly video taped mystery shops provides a certain type of protection when it comes to litigation. That is, they can claim that they do monitor their sales staff through periodic mystery shops, which provides them protection on negligence matters.
5) Obtaining A Better Customer Prospective: You know the saying that you cannot see the forest because of the trees has a lot of meaning when it comes to certain types of businesses in the modern business world. With nationwide chains, it is sometimes hard to determine exactly what local prospects think of a given product or service. Covert video mystery shopping gives the chain a way to see what potential customers think first hand.
6) Pinpointing Company Policy Problems: Large companies often employ new company policy to increase business and/or cut costs. A covert video mystery shop will give the business an instant snap shot of how potential customers feel about these new policies.
7) Service Monitoring: In today’s business world, service has become more important than the products a company sells. In many major industries, competing companies offer the same products. The only difference is the service provided that goes along with the product sale. Covert video mystery shopping helps the business monitor customer service.
How Covert Video Mystery Shopping Works
An Actual Example
In the last month the National Association of Investigative Specialists monitored the work of a young female who went to work for a mystery shopping company that seemed to have a huge amout of apartment complex mystery video shops from several different clients. This shopper was paid $200.00 per assignment. She used a covert video purse camera with a 40 hour digital video recorder concealed inside the purse. She was able, in a matter or three or four days able to complete 11 assignments working just part-time each day. She only had to go back on one assignment to do over becuase she throught that the video camera was one when it was not. The rest of the shops went very smoothly and took an average of fourty-five minutes to an hour. Her pay amounted to $2,200 for a few days of part time work. Not bad at all. If this person would have obtained these accounts herself, we estimate that the client was billed about $400.00 per completed assignment which would come out to about $4,400.
Unlike a conventional mystery shop in which the shopper looks for all kinds of things, the covert video mystery shop has one goal in mind. That goal is to covertly videotape the activity which gives the business a view of the business from the customer’s perspective. Once the mystery shop is over, the mystery shopper simply provides the client with a copy of the covert video.
There are several products on the market that will enable the shopper to do this. These would include:
| • Covert Video Purse Camera • Covert Video Button Camera • Covert Video Pager Camera • Covert Video Cell Phone Camera • Covert Video Briefcase Recorder |
Although many of these products can be used with wireless connections to a video recorder, the ranger you need to do this with wireless transmission is sometimes a problem. New micro video digital recorders are now small and compact enough to hide right on the shopper and right inside products such as a purse, legal folder or briefcase that have covert video cameras built right into them.
In order to offer covert video mystery shopping services and obtain clients, you MUST have the right equipment. Since these assignments sell for between $200.00 and $500.00, the equipment pays for itself the first time you use them. If you do not want to go after clients for this type of service, mystery shopping services who offer covert video shops will usually be willing to use you as a subcontractor. Since many of the clients this type of service is used by are businesses that are national in scope, most covert video mystery shopping services are more than willing to hire others throughout the country as subcontractors. Subcontractors are usually paid from $100.00 to $200.00 for each shop they complete. However, they are usually required to have their own equipment for obtaining the video shop. Any way you look at it, the hourly rate is good. You can do the arithmetic yourself. If these cases take an hour or so to do and you can obtain between $100.00 to $500.00 per assignment, you can see that the hourly rate is well above the normal rate. In short, it's quite lucrative and the field is uncrossed right now.
Covert Audio Mystery Shop
When a company is more interested in what a company employee says, a less complex form of covert video mystery shopping would be a mystery shop with covert audio recording only. NAIS research shows that these types of cases are in demand when you can offer it in conjunction with covert video mystery shopping and offer it at a lesser price. After all, covert audio mystery shopping is easier to do since all you need is a hidden tape recorder to record the conversion you have with the contact person of the shop. You will find a short review of various tape recorder products that this could be done with. Of course, you also need to be made aware of the laws regarding audio recording. Although one might think that this type of shop would be illegal in states that have what is defined as no party consent laws, business is sometimes exempt from that state law. It's always best for an employer to have all employees sign consent and notification forms that they could be monitored in any manor.
Telephone Mystery Shop
Since a huge amount of business these days are conducted on the telephone, almost any company that takes telephone orders is interested in what their staff is telling callers. It's highly important data to have which will make or break a huge amount of businesses these days. Therefore, telephone mystery shopping is booming, Covert recordings of a telephone mystery shop are quite easy to d and clients easy to get. There are firms out there that specialize in that and nothing else which have been able to build up huge volume. If you can charge $48.00 for a telephone mystery shop and can do between five and ten of them an hour, you can easily see the massive and lucrative profit potential. Think about how many companies are around that take orders by telephone that are huge. Company companies, direct response companies, companies that sell products on TV and then take telephone orders from third party service bureaus. There is a HUGE untapped market for this.
Below is a review of some of aids in the form of training material and covert video/audio mystery shopping gear.
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NAIS SPONSORED EGroup
MYSTERY SHOPPING
Mystery Shopping Business and assignments is booming! Private Investigators and mystery shopping services are obtaining from $200.00 to $500.00 to mystery shop and obtain covert video coverage of apartment complexes, car dealers, home builders and other types of businesses. These mystery shops are used by the business to pinpoint areas of training and performance with customer service. This group is made up of people and businesses in the mystery shopping business or those who want to get into it. This group is sponsored by The National Association Of Investigative Specialists, Inc. but you do not have to be a member to join (although that is recommended)
To join go to:
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/mysteryshop
Or just send an email to: mysteryshop-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Spy Exchange & Security Center
9513 Burnet Road Suite 101, Austin, Texas 78758
Phone 512-719-3595, Fax 512-719-3594
When In Austin, Texas--Stop By Our Huge Showroom
COVERT BODYWEAR VIDEO CAMERAS
Video Cameras You Wear Or Carry!
$1,100.00 WORTH OF COVERT VIDEO GEAR FOR JUST $385.00! INTRODUCING THE PI PORTABLE COVERT VIDEO CAM KIT COMPLETE MICRO VIDEO RECORDING SYSTEM! |
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JUST RELEASED FOR 2006! NEW GENERATION FINGERCAM FOR 2006! |
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VIDEO SPYCAMS 2005! WORLD'S SECOND- SMALLEST MICRO VIDEO CAMERAS About The Size Of a US Dime-Low Pricing-Four Models To Pick from 1.2 Ghz Wireless Micro Video Cmos Color Camera With Receiver On sale $149.95 1.2 Ghz Wireless Micro Video Cmos B&W Camera With Receiver On Sale Now $119.95 Full Color Wired Micro Video Cmos Camera Sale $59.95 B& W Wired Micro Video Cmos Camera Sale $49.95 |
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COVERT VIDEO WIRELESS SUNGLASS VIDEO CAMERA |
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2.4 Ghz COLOR PEN CAMERA |
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COVERT FULL COLOR WIRELESS VIDEO PHONE CAM Wireless Full Color Video Camera Built Into Cell Phone Only $179.00 |
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New For 2006! Professional Grade New Generation |
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Covert Pager/Beeper Camera |
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COVERT VIDEO SURVEILLANCE BUTTON CAMERA SYSTEM Perfect bodywear for obtaining covert video surveillance! Covert Video Camera Sees And Records What The Investigator Sees. Complete set of matching buttons provided. Your choice of wired, wireless, color or black and white covert video surveillance camera. |
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NEW! CIGARETTE LIGHTER VIDEO CAMERA |
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Wired Pen Camera |
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Covert Cigarette Pack Wireless Color Video Camera Covert Calculator Wireless Video Camera |
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COVERT VIDEO SURVEILLANCE PURSE CAMERA |
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The DEJA SPY CAM |
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PROFESSIONAL SERIES COLOR WIRELESS |
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EyeGlass Case Covert Video Camera |
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Covert Bag System |
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New Generation - World's Smallest! TINY TECH 14 HOUR DIGITAL VIDEO RECORDER AND PLAYER AMAZING SIZE! ABOUT THE SIZE OF A PACK OF CIGERATTES! 3 3/4 INCHES X 2 1/2 INCHES X 2/4THS INCHES DEEP! |
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NEW! |
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NEW! |
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BREAKTHROUGH IN DIGITAL VIDEO CAMCORDERS! |
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POCKET-SIZED DIGITAL VIDEO SURVEILLANCE RECORER |
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NanoTek Tiny Digital Video Recorder! |
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ULTRA MINI DIGITAL VIDEO SURVEILLANCE RECORER Measures Only 3 3/4 Inches Wide, 2 3/4 Inches Long And 3/4 Of An Inch Thick! You Can Hide This One Almost Anywhere! Ultra Mini 6 Hour Digital Video Recorder With Screen $795.00 |
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WORLD'S SMALLEST DIGITAL You'd have to hold this in your hand to really believe it's nanotech size! About the size of a zippo cigarette lighter! Amazingly records up to 3 hours of video into a 1 GB memory card (memory card not included). So easy to use a four year old could do it! Just plug video camera into unit and hit the record button! |
NEW SHOP BY SUBJECT
COVERT VIDEO SURVEILLANCE CAMERA AND SUPPLY MENUS
Go TO FRONT PAGE COVERT VIDEO SUPPLY
AUDIO RECORDING EQUIPMENT
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Just Released! -Top Quality! TINY-TECH! WORLD'S SMALLEST AND BEST 16, 18 AND 36 HOUR DIGITAL RECORDER WITH AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE RECORDING FUNCTION AND OTHER ADVANCED FEATURES! Only 3 1/4th inch By 1 1/8th inch By 1/2 Inch! |
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BLOW OUT SALE! 33% OFF! |
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20% Off Sale!
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THE AUDIO MICRO DOT! |
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NEW! PENTeK-@ Huge Discount Pricing! |
CloseOut! This little gem will amaze you! It's an eight hour recorder built into a working pen. The pen part comes off and it becomes even smaller! |
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ON SALE NOW! SAVE $200.00! ONLY $195.00 9 Hour Covert Wrist Watch Digital Audio Recorder Player This handsome fully functional watch is also a media player with 256MB flash memory built in. This unique recorder will allow you to record up to 9 hours of voice recording and download MP3’s music files. Now you can record notes, reminders or listen to music without any other devices. USB plug and play make this the media player perfect for any situation in which audio recording is required. Play back via stereo earphones or window media player. |
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Covert Digital Recorder/MP3 Player Built Into Sun Glasses Introducing the MP3 Covert Voice Recorder Sun glasses with built in microphone and stereo ear phones. |
EDIC WORLD'S SMALLEST DIGITAL AUDIO RECORDER |
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32 or 64 HOUR ULTRA POWER |
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New And On Sale Now!- MSRP $195.00- Your Cost Only - $149.95 |
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New And On Sale Now! MSRP $295.00 Your Cost Only $195.00! |
| Just Released!- Automatically Record Calls On Your PC THE PI RECORDER INVESTIGATIVE DIGITAL TELEPHONE RECORDER Your Computer Or Laptop Becomes Your Digital Audio Recorder! Instant Caller ID To Name And Address Data! Your Low Cost Solution To Instant Audio Telephone Recording. No Limits On Recording Time! Instantly Converts Caller ID Info To Name/Address. Time And Date Stamp On Every Recording. Powerful Software Just For Investigative Recording. |
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Ten Hour Diasonic Digital Dynamo Only $149.95! This tiny and economical recorder offers ten hours recording capacity with 16Mb internal memory, excellent sound quality and very small size (4" x 1" X 1/2"). For voice recording, the DDR-1232 offers a high quality built-in microphone as well as an included "tie clip" type microphone. By switching on the "ARS" (automatic recording system), a voice activation and automatic gain control circuit takes over and only records when sound is present, eliminating blank spaces in recording. |
Just Released! |
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ADVANCED PHONE MANANGER Tells You Who's Calling What Dialed Number In Outgoing Calls And What Telephone Numbers Are Calling In! Logs 2,000 Incoming And Outgoing Dialed Numbers With Time And Date Stamp! |
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Professional Workhorse! 12 Hour Sony Automatic Telephone Recorder 12-Hour Line Activated (No Battery Drain) Cassette Telephone Recorder for single line phones. (6 hours unattended per tape side) Simply plug in the ATR-12 to any standard modular phone jack, place unit in record and thats it! |
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R2D2-Two Way Dailed Number Stalker -10 Hour Automatic Telephone Recorder The R2D2 is a ten hour long play automatic telephone tape recorder that records both sides of telephone conversations. The recorder goes on and off as the headset is picked up and placed back on hook. It also logs and keeps a record of incoming and outgoing numbers dialed as well as the time, date and length of call. |
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Long Play Telephone Recorder With Dialed Number |
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New 12 Hour Auto Reverse Mini Recorder Use As A 12 Hour Long Play Automatic Telephone Recorder And A Conventional Off-The-Phone-Line Recorder Introducing the TEL-PRO 12, the ONLY standard cassette recorder offering 12 full hours of UNATTENDED recording capacity. When one side of the D-140 cassette is full, (6 hours recording), the unit automatically reverses to the other side of the cassette |
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Long Play Micro Recorder And Automatic Telephone Recorder |
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Micro Cell Phone Recorder |
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| Cell Phone Mic Turns Any Recorder With A Mic Jack Into A Cell Phone Recorder |
| Dialed Number Decoder Decodes And Displays The Recorded Dialed Number |
| 140-C Long Play Cassette Tapes Standard hard To Find Long Play Cassette Tapes |
| Phone Manager Call Register Recorders Number, Time And Date Manage Calls And Log Dialed Numbers--Incoming And Outgoing! |
| Other Microphones Huge selection of optional microphones |
| Automatic Telephone Recording Controls Works With Any Recorder With A Mic Jack |
| Lie Detection Software And Hardware That Detect Deception Even Over The Phone Or From A Recording! |
| Voice Changers Change Your Voice When On The Phone! |
| SafeLine 2001! Top-Of-The Line-State-Of The-Art! Keeps Your Telephone Line Secure From Eavesdropping And Recording! |
| Secure Phone! Automatically Detects Eavesdropping! Blocks Extension Line Listening! Alerts You To Tape Recorders |
| More Telephone Gadgets! A Huge Selection Of Telco Gadgets |
| More Privacy And Countermeasures Gear The Web's Largest Collection! |
Copyright: 2006, Ralph D. Thomas
All Rights reserved.