Five Signs Your Mystery Shopping Program Is NOT Working

| Monday, October 17, 2011
By Xavier Rault


If you already have a mystery shopping program, you are actively working to improve your business. But, do you really know if your mystery shopping program is being implemented effectively? Are you maximizing its potential to improve your business?

Finding out whether or not your mystery shopping program works is pretty easy so long as you pay attention for the following five signs


1. Employees and Managers Regularly Dispute Findings

Disputes are natural between employees and managers when it comes to mystery shopper reports, and there may be an issues that led to a bad experience n the customer side. If you find that these disputes are common, then it would be a good idea to look over your program to find out where the problem actually lies.

Perhaps the issue lies with your employees, and you should take a long look at the way the program is being carried out. In addition to that make sure that the measurement criteria is actually capturing the results properly.


2. Nothing Adds Up

If you have designed an all-inclusive customer service assessment, then you will more than likely be using other metrics which include customer service surveys. Such surveys will allow customers to tell you what they think of your store along with their opinion of the sales staff.

If there is a wide disparity between what your mystery shopping and customer service data is saying, it's time again to take a closer look at both as well as at how each data set is being calibrated against one another.

Maybe you customer service data shows a high level of satisfaction in the employee performance, but your mystery shoppers have something else to say. If you find this to be the case then now would be a great time to have another look at the qualifications of your mystery shoppers and see what criterion the shoppers are actually assessing. These two sets of data need to match each other for the most part.


3. Productivity is Slowing Down

Effective mystery shopping programs should increase your productivity are not slow it down. If you have pages of unexplained data and an increase in work volume and paperwork, your program clearly is not meeting your needs.

Assuming that your provider is doing their job, you should never have stacks of incomprehensible data. You should have detailed analysis that helps you to create a strategic and profitable plan.


4. Unclear ROI

How exactly is your mystery shopping program affecting your sales and profits? Do you know? Do you really know how to make use of the data that your provider is giving you? Most importantly, are you seeing any kind of return on your investment?

When you're using a quality provider, the answers to these questions should be obvious. Data and analysis should always be top-shelf, and reports, assessments and feedback should answer all your questions the first time.


5. You Have no Idea how to Improve your Bottom Line

A poorly planned and implemented mystery shopping program will not teach you any more about your business than what you already know or what you could discover for yourself.
On the other hand, the benefits of a well-planned, expertly implemented, and professionally analyzed mystery shopping program cannot compare with the casual stroll down an aisle.

In fact, a quality mystery shopping program should offer demonstrable qualitative and quantitative benefits to you and your business. During the entire process from the time the program is being developed, shopped, and assessed to final analysis you should feel as if you are learning more and more about your business.

After all, there is nothing more powerful than a fine-tuned mystery shopping program working for your bottom line!




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