About Us - History
From the desk of Cory Jensen, Owner
I often get asked where I got the idea for I-Spy Mystery Shoppers. I hope this helps
provide a little insight.
The Idea
Several years ago I read an article in a business magazine featuring an entrepreneur
on the East Coast discussing his business. That business was a mystery shopping
company.
Being a consumer, I knew that good customer service in many local and regional businesses
was disturbingly low. Fortunately, the East Coast business owner’s contact information
was at the end of the article. I took a chance and wrote him. That began a series
of letters and emails that opened the door to the usefulness and possibilities of
mystery shopping in the Midwest.
Unfortunately, like so many people, I got busy pursuing other possibilities and
the mystery shopping company was put on hold.
The First Step
Fast forward to 2003. After working for several years at “jobs,” I knew there was
something more. Customer service levels were still low and comments I heard from
family, friends, and peers made it clear things weren’t heading in the right direction.
It was time to dust off the mystery shopping business.
We introduced I-Spy Mystery Shoppers at the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce’s
Big O! Show in the fall of 2003. That show brought us our first two clients – a
telecommunications company and a dry cleaner. Both are still clients today.
To serve these and other clients soon to come, we advertised for mystery shoppers
in the local paper. One ad with the heading “Get Paid to Shop” yielded 125 phone
calls and 125 email inquiries in 36 hours. From that pool we added 40 shoppers to
our database, and never placed an ad with that heading again!
And Then . . .
In the years that followed we have experienced percentage of annual growth in the
double digits with a shopper pool to match. We now provide services throughout Eastern
Nebraska and Western Iowa in addition to some other surrounding states and a few
farther away.
Some clients use our mystery shopping programs for routine spot-checks to keep an
eye on their service levels and employee performance.
Most of our clients have us evaluate their customer service and employee performance
multiple times per month, every month. These clients have built very effective employee
incentive and reward programs based on the unbiased results of their mystery shopping
evaluations. Their employees, managers, and the entire location are rewarded based
on the scores they receive. In most cases it has introduced an element of friendly
competition and consistent feedback for everyone in the organization.
Comparison shops are a relatively new service we offer. With this program clients
discover valuable information about what their competitors are doing including their
presentation techniques and focus, their pricing strategy, and other information
to help them succeed in the marketplace.
The Future
As time goes on, we are always seeking out ways to better serve our clients. We
look to feedback from our clients, shoppers, and peers to help provide direction.
Rest assured, no matter the services we offer, our focus is and will remain providing
the most accurate and timely information possible to our clients.
Mission
To provide our clients with complete, objective, and accurate information about
their business and their competitors to help them maintain or improve their customer
interactions and better serve their communities.
Core Values
I-Spy Mystery Shoppers core values include a standing commitment to honesty, integrity,
service, and responsibility in all interactions with consumers, contractors, charities,
and the communities we serve. Our commitment to these high standards is a reflection
of the way we do business.
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