How do I remain secret?

We are objective, third-party evaluators of the stores and brands we track and it is essential to our work that we remain secret. In general, we do not work for the stores/brands where we are collecting data and it is imperative to our work that the stores and staff do not know we are gathering this data. 

 

Therefore, we need all of our contractors to remain secret! 

 

While it is not unlikely that you may encounter a pushy sales associate or one that offers more than once to help you, if at any point you are confronted by a store employee or manager about what you are doing in the store, you should leave the store and immediately contact a member of the Haynes & Co. team by submitting an urgent Support Ticket, and a member of the team will get in touch with you. At no point should you tell a sales associate or manager what you are doing in the store. Just calmly walk out and contact us. 

 

Here are some general tips/tricks, but in the end, how you do the work is up to you – and everyone finds the best tips/tricks for them!

• Using the data collection tool on your phone to make it look like you’re texting is a great way to collect the data while maintaining secrecy.
• If you can do it discreetly, taking pictures of visible items for later reference can also help.
• Some researchers have called themselves and left voicemail messages where they speak their notes. (Note: We do not pay for the transcription time if you do this, only the entry of the data into the actual survey itself.)
• Be on the lookout for promotional materials (e.g. pamphlets/flyers) that spell out promotional details, and take one home for reference.
• Get a cart if possible, and put something in it so that you appear to be shopping.

Addition information can be found out about this topic in the Tips and Tricks section.