I’m sure you’re
aware of the term Mystery Shopping, whereby individuals visit
shops/restaurants/leisure facilities etc. as a regular customer would, and then
report back on various aspects of their experience.
Mystery shopping
is commonly linked to retail and other business-to-consumer industries where
the relationship between customer service levels and the sales process is
widely understood. But, how can the concept of mystery shopping be applied to other
businesses, what lessons can be learnt and how can the information be used to
help improve your business?
What is Mystery Shopping?
Mystery shopping
involves individuals visiting or calling a business to experience the process
through the eyes of a prospect or customer. The mystery shopper provides
feedback on aspects such as how efficiently processes have been followed, the
politeness of staff and how they, as a customer were feeling after the
experience.
Why Conduct Mystery Shopping?
Although mystery
shopping only provides a snapshot of the customer experience, when used in
conjunction with other research such as competitor research it can help clarify where your business is doing
well and where it could improve. For example, mystery shopping can help your
business to understand:
- How your business is seen by your customers throughout the sales process
- What first impressions are left with potential customers
- The level of service received by customers
- How your customers feel as a result of dealing with your company
- If all members of staff who interact with your customers (at any point in the customer journey) provide the same service levels
- If there are any bottlenecks or delays within the customer pathway that may influence the purchasing decision
How can you conduct Mystery Shopping?
The first step
in all research is setting a clear objective so you understand what you are
aiming to find out from the research and how you plan to use this information. From
this objective, you then need to create a brief and checklist to ensure your
mystery shoppers are asking the right questions, have a plausible back story
and that their findings can be analysed effectively.
As customer
service is a very subjective matter, it is advisable to conduct your research
with a number of mystery shoppers and at different times of the day. This will
provide a clearer picture and enable you to take into account any personality
clashes, personal issues etc. when analysing the results. When using multiple
mystery shoppers you can also include a scenario to assess how unhappy
customers are dealt with giving a more comprehensive picture.
To truly
experience the customer pathway and gain a fair representation of the sales
process, it is important that your mystery shopper is treated like any other
potential customer. It is therefore imperative that your staff are unaware that
the process is taking place as they are likely to adapt their behaviour if they
know they are potentially being monitored or reviewed.
During the
process, your mystery shopper should act like a normal customer, asking the
types of questions that are frequently asked and progressing through the sales
process taking into account the objectives of the research. Feedback should be
documented as soon as possible after the shopping experience to ensure no
details are missed and the experience is fresh.
What do you do with the results?
Having conducted
your research, you may be faced with a number of scenarios, with significant
implications for how this would affect your potential sales:
- Everything is perfect – All processes are followed efficiently/effectively. The customer is 100% happy and is therefore likely to make the purchase from your business.
- Few areas of improvement are identified – The customer is mostly happy, however there are a few areas where they felt they weren’t being listened to or there were delays in the process. If they experience a better level of service from another company they may be more likely to purchase elsewhere.
- Variety of issues are identified – The customer is left feeling that they haven’t been listened to and/or there have been significant delays in the process meaning they are more than likely to take their business elsewhere.
Any issues
identified should be investigated to understand if there is a fundamental issue
with the process or whether it is a personnel / training concern. It may be
that individuals are simply unaware of the impact their interaction with
customers has on the sales process. This can be easily rectified through an
employee briefing session focused on improving the customer experience. Alternatively,
the research may identify that the processes involved are too complex. By
simplifying the process and making it easier for customers to access
information your business could instantly improve the customer experience.
Regardless of
the outcome, it is important to communicate with all members of staff
explaining how and why the research was undertaken, what the results have shown
and what steps you are taking to rectify any issues identified. This should all
be communicated in generic terms taking care not to single out individual team
members. Having made these changes, a follow-up mystery shop should then be completed
to assess how these have affected the customer experience.
If you would
like to discuss how mystery shopping can help you understand the perceptions
your customers have of your business, call us today.
Karen Munson is
Strategic Officer at Enterprise Marketing Solutions and contactable on 01296
695635 or Karen.munson@enterprisemarketing.co.uk.
