MYSTERY SHOPPING | Does It HAVE to Be a Secret?

The terms “Mystery Shopping” or “Secret Shopper” elicit thoughts of spies, under cover of darkness sneaking around with cloak and dagger tactics to keep the shopper’s identity a secret.  This doesn’t always have to be true.

Firstly, you should never use a mystery shopping program as a “got ya” to brow-beat employees.  It’s a snap shot of a moment in time.  Just as we have all had photos of us taken with our eyes shut, or just as we put a fork full of food into our mouths – it’s expected to see less than perfect results.  As a matter of fact, if you are seeing all perfect scores, it’s time to change what’s being observed!

A mystery shopping program should be used to identify training opportunities and to praise performance.  Discuss the positives publicly with employees.  Point out the opportunities for improvement, without singling out one person.

Some of our clients like to have “non-mystery” mystery shops.  In these shops, the shopper will identify themselves if specific key activities take place during the interaction, and present the employee being shopped with an immediate reward.  (Usually a gift card, in some cases up to $100!)  The employee in thrilled, and we have found some anecdotal evidence that employees actually hope that every customer is a shopper and further improve performance!

If you don’t have a mystery shopping program in place, I would urge you to get one going as soon as possible.  Mystery shopping is a key component in measuring the effectiveness of your service quality initiative.  What’s more, it helps you tweak your training programs “on the fly” to continuously improve results.   In these tough times, you can’t afford to miss out on any sales opportunity!

If you already have a mystery shopping program running, I would urge you to consider this “non-mystery” approach to mix things and get your employees enthusiastic about delivering the highest scores possible.

If you have any questions or would like more information about how you can implement this idea, please visit our website at www.Service-Quality.com or call our offices at 800-432-2456 ext. 3