Private Mystery Shopper

I am involved in work that provides training and advice on customer service and store management to those in the retail industry.

There are also requests under names like "mystery shopper" or "secret shopper," where we ask professional investigators or actual customers to visit stores and report on the situation. I assist by examining and analyzing the survey results, summarizing them, and reporting on the improvements.

I am sure that for those in the same industry, being the subject of an investigation can be perceived as a "bad draw," and I have even heard comments like, "A surveyor came on such-and-such date, right? I noticed!"

As an aside, it is almost always a case of mistaken identity. Or, it is a case where the store was the subject of a competitor survey.
Actually, I find myself doing something like an investigation more often when I am shopping privately at brands or commercial facilities that I am not in charge of.
To rephrase, I have absolutely no intention of conducting an investigation, but my occupational hazard kicks in.

This summer, I found myself in a situation where I had no choice but to buy a new yukata for the first time in a long while. Since I cannot remember the last time I bought a full set on my own, it was a different experience from my usual kimono.
While worrying about whether I could actually go out in a yukata in this heat, I was able to receive customer service while experiencing the hesitation and anxiety of shopping that I had forgotten in recent years.

As a consumer, my head was spinning from the information I was hearing from the professional sales staff.
As someone whose livelihood is providing customer service training, I found myself thinking, "That's a clever way to put it. Wait? They haven't grasped my needs, but they are making a proposal."
And so on; I was twice as busy.

If I buy a full set, it costs as much as a decent dress, but while that would be wearable for work, I can't exactly wear a yukata to a training session...

Because my work involves spending a lot of time with people in the retail industry, I think I have become good at making my own judgments and purchases as a consumer by gaining knowledge.
However, compared to Western clothing, Japanese clothing involves rules, historical backgrounds, and trends (even taking into account that there is much more freedom now), so I realized I lacked study.

As part of my job, I also want to find breakthroughs for industries that are generally considered to have a high barrier to entry. With that desire, it is funny that I am acting as a private mystery shopper who hasn't been hired, rather than just a single customer... but I would be happy if I could use my daily realizations and thoughts for the benefit of the industry.

Our team members share this common occupational hazard.
I want to see it with my own eyes! I am curious about what it is actually like, so I go to stores that have good rumors and stores that I have heard need improvement.
I am turning those experiences into reports. We are preparing to release "Shinka" (evolving) reports soon.