Tips for a Successful Mystery Shopping Program

by Karen Gomes Moore

Here at Customer Perspectives™, we know a successful mystery shopping program doesn’t just “happen”. They require more than someone just deciding to do it, then finding a provider. After over two decades in the business, we’ve got some ideas about what can make a program work best for you.

Consider the following:
» Know what your objectives are. It’s important that goals be defined in specific and measurable terms. Do you want to reinforce the lessons of a recently completed training program or do you want to establish a baseline before a training program is implemented? Do you have standards or behaviors that you want to make sure are adhered to at all times? Has one store/branch been the target of consistent complaints – or praise – and you want to get an objective picture of what’s going on there?

» How will you use the information? Will the shopping reports be used as part of an incentive program for managers, employees, or both? Will they be used as part of a contest – the store/branch with the highest score wins a reward of some sort? Will a member of management review the evaluation with individual employees or will they be part of an overall store/branch score? Will the shopping reports be part of a performance review? (They should never be the sole criteria for such a review, but they are often one of many factors taken into account.)

» Keep it simple. It’s tempting to develop lengthy questionnaires in an attempt to cover all possible behaviors, but experience shows the simpler, the better. Confusion and frustration are avoided and the information obtained is more reliable.

» Test it: Allow your mystery shopping provider adequate time to pre-test the questionnaire before rolling out the full program. Weak spots will be detected early so that modifications can be made more easily and less expensively.

» Identify the  mystery shopping company that best suits your company’s needs. Some companies specialize in particular industries; others limit themselves to defined geographic areas. Some companies offer mystery shopping as an adjunct to other services such as customer surveys, concept and design testing, brand image research, and focus group moderation. Others specialize in mystery shopping only.

» Get your front line on board. It’s vital that the people responsible for the results of the mystery shopping program – front line employees, supervisors, store managers and regional managers – understand and are supportive of the program. This is especially true if incentives are tied to the results. Before the program is finalized, management MUST make sure key players are fully informed about how the program will work and how the results will be used. If this critical step is omitted, the person in charge of the program can expect a deluge of phone calls and emails, complaining about the program, explaining away every negative comment, and demanding the evaluation be done over for any one of numerous reasons.

» Introduce it positively. Advise your employees that the purpose of the program is to “catch them doing things right”. Mystery shopping should be used as an employee development tool – a carrot rather than a stick. Employees, as well as the management team, should know how the results will affect them.

» Assign adequate supervision on your end. A well run mystery shopping program will require administrative time on your end. Make sure the person assigned to handle the program has the authority to make decisions and the time to act on the results (e.g. coach, provide recognition, etc.).

» Review periodically. This is important to keep the program fresh and relevant. Make sure the evaluation form always reflects current standards. If the goals of the program change, or the ways in which the reports will be used are modified, work with your shopping company to revise and update the program.

A successful mystery shopping program is a collaboration between client and provider. Each partner has a role to play. If both partners perform their roles well, they will find mystery shopping an invaluable tool in their quest to maintain and improve customer service, product knowledge, and sales ability.

If you’d like to talk about ideas for your mystery shopping program, contact Customer Perspectives at 1-800-277-4677 or email marketing@customerperspectives.com.

Visit us online at www.customerperspectives.com.