Double Take -- by Mark Sproxton

To know one thing, you must know the opposite. -- Henry Moore

If mystery defines everything in life that is great, then the thought of mystery shopping surely holds a magnetic draw for many. Being paid to shop, some would think they've found shangrila. But, as the quote above implies, mystery shopping requires much more than knowing where to find the best bargain on widgets. These retail sleuths need to understand the retail environment they have just entered, examining everything from store-front signage, the items on display, to how clerks deal with questions.

''Analytical skills are what we look for,'' said Edith Wenzel, a veteran mystery shopper and president of International Results Group, a firm that also hires mystery shoppers. ''We get lots of calls with people saying 'I love to shop.' We're careful to say this isn't a shopping trip. You have to have good intuition and the ability to put biases aside.''

Unlike detectives or private investigators, mystery shoppers can't arm themselves with scads of surveillance devices or note pads. The shoppers can only go armed with a good memory and a clear understanding of what needs to be observed. Sometimes mystery shoppers go through the whole process of walking into a store, asking questions of workers about certain items, buying the items, and then returning the items at a later time. Other times they'll just enter the store and pretend to browse, all the while making mental notes of people and merchandise around them.

''We're not spies,'' Wenzel said. ''We're trying to help you be better at what you do. In the end, for business people it can mean more revenue for them.''

The mystery shoppers Wenzel hires go through a training program covering all possible angles they may be asked to observe. Play acting to provide some practical experience asking questions and dealing with others is also a part of the process. ''Often we can't tell who'll be good until we do this,'' she explained. ''And then we'll pick the cream of the crop.'' Mystery shoppers are usually paid hourly -- anywhere from $8 to $25 depending on what the client wants -- and often require transportation to move from location to location. Some mystery shopping is also done over the phone. Shoppers record their findings immediately after completing a shop.

About two years ago a mystery shopping association was established and efforts are being made to set some professional standards and guidelines. Wenzel said while that means it is likely a growing industry, mystery shopping won't be anything other than part-time, or on-call work for a while yet. ''It's not a full-time job, usually, partially because we're a small city'' she said. ''It is growing. The value is being seen by business.''