Miami, FL-September 25, 2008 — Elaine Buxton of Confero, Inc. served on an industry panel discussion today at the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) annual conference. The discussion entitled “Recognizing and Dealing with Fraudulent Shoppers” was presented to members of MSPA North America. “I was pleased to have the opportunity to share what I have learned over the years about fraudulent mystery shoppers. MSPA has worked tirelessly with federal and state authorities, including the Federal Trade Commission, to shut down shopper scams that bilk consumers out of money and damage the reputation of the industry. I am happy to do anything I can to preserve the integrity of mystery shopping as a service,” said Buxton.
About Elaine Buxton
Elaine joined Confero is 1986, after managing operations for Wedgwood China Marketing Ltd. In Frankfurt, Germany, a $12 million 31-store division which marketed Wedgwood products to NATO forces in Germany, Italy and Belgium. In 1987, she returned to the U.S. and joined Confero. She was named President of Confero in 1999. Elaine was deeply involved in the formation of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association, having served on the Operating Committee which formed the Association and then serving on its Board of Directors for five (5) years. She has also served on the Meredith College Board of Trustees, as President of the Raleigh Professional Women’s Forum, on the Cary Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and as Board Chair of the non-profit Life Experiences. Elaine earned a BSBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from Meredith College.
About Confero
Confero, Inc. is a customer experience measurements firm specializing in mystery shopping services and customer satisfaction surveys for retail, automotive, banking and food service businesses. Formed in 1986, Confero conducts mystery shops in the U.S., Canada and Japan using its over 130,000 independently contracted mystery shoppers. The firm is a charter member of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA), is certified by Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) as a Woman-Owned business and is accredited by the Better Business Bureau.
About MSPA
With more than 275 member companies worldwide, the Mystery Shopping Providers Association 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 prospective clients.