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Selected Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MYSTERY SHOPPING PROVIDERS ASSOCIATION HOSTS FOURTH ANNUAL NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR MYSTERY SHOPPERS
Mystery Shoppers From Across The Country To Gather For Dallas Conference; Tips for Mystery Shopper Success, Training and Networking Provided
DALLAS, June 15, 2007 — Mystery shoppers from across the country will enhance their skills in measuring the customer experience and boost their success in the industry by attending the Mystery Shopping Providers Association’s (MSPA), Fourth Annual Educational Conference for Shoppers from July 6-8 in Dallas.
The conference will host mystery shoppers at the Embassy Suites Outdoor World Hotel in Grapevine, Texas for a weekend of education, training, celebration and networking with shoppers and MSPA member companies.
Mystery shoppers are independent contractors who provide first-hand anonymous and objective feedback on customer service, merchandising, operations and other elements of the customer experience. Mystery shopping has experienced rapid growth in recent years and is used in nearly every consumer industry, including retail, restaurant and hospitality, banking and financial services, real estate and healthcare.
“Mystery shopping provides business owners the opportunity to measure and monitor the customer experience at any given time throughout his or her organization. Doing so will help ensure company policies and the brand identity are upheld at the store level,” said Tom Mills, MSPA President. “Effective mystery shopping programs are enhanced through the use of top-notch mystery shoppers such as those who will be working to improve their skill set at the Dallas conference.”
The conference will begin on Friday, July 6, at 6 p.m. with a Welcome Reception at the hotel. This event will provide shoppers the opportunity to meet and network with mystery shopping company owners, mystery shopping schedulers and other shoppers.
A number of educational workshops are scheduled throughout the day on Saturday. During the opening General Session, a mystery shopping company owner will share examples of unique shopping experiences she has encountered in her 25 years in the industry. Additional topics covered throughout the day will include the effective use of videos in mystery shop evaluations; tips for shoppers to enhance their skills and professionalism; financial pointers for mystery shoppers; and the ins and outs of conducting apartment-industry shops.
“This year marks the fourth year the MSPA has hosted this exciting and widely popular national conference for mystery shoppers, and we anticipate it to be another successful event,” said John Swinburn, MSPA Executive Director. “The MSPA is proud to provide an opportunity for shoppers to gather together to network and improve their abilities in conducting evaluations, ultimately building a larger and stronger network of quality mystery shoppers nationwide.”
The conference will conclude at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday after another series of educational sessions for shoppers covering the use of technology in applying for and scheduling mystery shopping assignments; how to effectively develop quality mystery shopping reports; and tips for conducting restaurant mystery shopping assignments.
In conjunction with the conference, the MSPA will hold a Gold Certification workshop for shoppers on Friday, July 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The workshop is a specialized training session for current silver-certified mystery shoppers who wish to improve the quality of their shops. Registration for the Gold Certification Workshop is available at www.mysteryshop.org/shoppers/gold/php.
About the MSPA With more than 200 member companies worldwide, the MSPA has a diverse membership, including marketing research and merchandising companies, private investigation firms, training organizations and companies that specialize in providing mystery shopping services. Its goals are to establish professional standards and ethics for the industry, educate providers, clients and shoppers to improve quality of service, improve the image of the industry and promote the membership to other industry associations and prospect clients.
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Media Contact: Jana Conley Hart Associates for MSPA 419-893-9600 |
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