How often do you have your locations mystery shopped? Are they all the same? Does the budget dictate how many secret shops you can afford, and then you divide that by the number of stores you have?
You might be surprised, but these are the most common ways secret shopping frequency are scheduled! What’s right for a high traffic location in the San Francisco Bay Area or New York City, may not be the same as a more rural location. (Just ask the people who live there!)
Conversely, some locations my have specific “opportunities” (read between the lines: problems) that you might want to keep a closer eye on. (If all your locations are getting 100% service evaluations, you’ve either completed your life’s work or need to evaluate you evaluation!)
Don’t be afraid to mix it up. Have some locations shopped more than others. While I wholly support disclosing to your employees, I do not recommend letting them know how often. The attention that’s given to a particular mystery shopping program by the employees can do a world of good. (Isn’t that the reason we are secret shopping anyways?)
If your secret shopping provider doesn’t like this idea, you’re with the wrong provider. Check out ServiceQuality.US or The Service Quality Department for other ideas on how we can make your mystery shopping program make you money!
