As the new year rolls around, many organizations take a look at their current secret shopping programs to make sure they're still valid given their current business environment. Still more organizations consider starting such a program. In addition to the basic once-over, I encourage our clients to remove or refocus any observations that are purely subjective.  The truth is, mystery shoppers are people too.  They have good days, and bad.  One secret shopper's expectations for a greeting may be another shopper's for being ignored. The other problem with subjective observations is that it doesn't really allow you to identify training needs.  That's one of the key elements often missed when reviewing secret shopper results, too.  While you're reviewing the mystery shop, it's also a great idea to take a look at your training curriculum.  Are the two in sync as well? I know, we all have a lot to do these days.  This is one "extra task" that will pay off handsomely in both the short and long runs!