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How Mystery Shopping Can Help Improve Customer Service

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Mystery shopping services provide businesses with many insights and information into their business that they would normally never have access to. Some unsatisfied customers will gladly vocalize their dissatisfaction after a bad experience at a store or restaurant, but unfortunately, the vast majority will not. They may not have the time or don't want to get an employee in trouble for expressing their thoughts on an unsatisfying experience. However, they will tell all of their family and friends about their negative experience. Mystery shopping services provide businesses with that missing customer insight and can tackle issues right away, minimizing any potential negative impact. Here are a few great examples and areas that mystery shopping services can provide business owners with information to make improvements – allowing for a greater customer experience over time.

Understand the Customers Perspective

Mystery shopping provides business owners with more than just a 'yes' or 'no' answer regarding their customer experience. An experienced mystery shopper will evaluate every element of their experience, from the moment they enter the business, to their interaction with the staff, until they leave or checkout. Every step is evaluated and noted to determine pain points or possible improvements. This type of evaluation is not always possible with simple comment cards, as customers tend to focus on one positive or negative element of their visit and not the whole experience.

Mystery shopping services will not only evaluate staff or the physical location, but they will also evaluate the process or layout of a customer's journey within your store or business. If there is a step or element that is cumbersome, confusing or considered a hurdle to a customer, mystery shopping can help flag these issues that you – the business owner, may be missing.

Ensure Your Benchmarks Are Being Met

If your business follows a very strict set of regulations, whether they be government or internally mandated, it's imperative to ensure that these standards are set and met across the board. Maintaining these set standards helps to regulate a great positive experience, branding or even government regulations. Not doing so properly can lead to penalties, fines and even closure. Mystery shopping services can evaluate if these standards are being implemented and followed by your staff members. This provides business owners with the insights into whether these issues are caused by one single employee or if additional training is required.

Evaluate Employee Training

Your staff are typically the first point of contact with customers, so it’s important to understand if they are having a positive or negative experience. Mystery shopping gives business owners some great insights into their team or staff members. It is not meant to get a staff member in trouble, rather, it is considered a tool for addressing issues or training opportunities. This can help to re-evaluate or redesign employee training programs and open up lines of communication with the team.

Find out all about our customized mystery shopping programs, and the unique mystery shopping services we have tailored to various industries. Contact us today to learn more about how a mystery shopping program can help to improve your customer's experience.