Created in the spring of 2002 to fulfill a need for an on-line mystery shopping service, Phantom Shoppers emerged onto the mystery shopping stage as an innovative business consulting firm with firm roots of superb customer service. Founded by Brian D. Howard, Phantom Shoppers quickly became recognized as a leader in the service evaluation industry. As a graduate of the world's premier hospitality program at the Cornell University Hotel School, he received cutting-edge training in the hospitality industry. Within the first year in business, Phantom Shoppers began to work with such names as Joe's Stone Crab, Big Time Restaurant Group, Gila River Casinos, and Ovations Food Services to name a few. Since then, their client list has greatly expanded, and the list of services they provide has lengthened to include phone & web surveys, audits, e-forms, and performance review systems. A few client examples are listed below: