Goodwin & Associates Blog
The most trusted name in hospitality.Archive for Mystery Shopper Program
Mystery Shopper Program Featured on MysteryShoppersManual.com
Our Mystery Shopper Program was recently invited to do an interview for a blog featured on www.MysteryShoppersManual.com. This website is an extremely valuable resource for mystery shoppers, regardless of whether they are just starting out, or if they have been in the business for awhile. This is a great resource for tips on how to be a good shopper, report writing, and many other facets of the business.
Here’s our interview that can be found at The Mystery Shoppers’ Manual
Amy Melanson, Client Services Manager at Goodwin & Associates, along with the schedulers and editors at Goodwin, recently answered some questions about mystery shopping for them. Goodwin & Associates specializes in providing mystery shopping services to the hospitality industry, although they serve a variety of industries. The company is a member of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association.
Here is what Amy and the staff had to say about mystery shopping for Goodwin & Associates.
Describe the ideal shopper.
The “ideal” shopper is one who is careful to read and follow ALL instructions, completes their visit and their report on time, with receipts turned in, too! The “ideal” shopper also writes a detailed and well-written report. Beyond those two concepts, it would be even more impressive if the shopper was comfortable with the Prophet reporting system and was able to self-assign their own visits, access the instructions and forms, and submit the report without issues.
What types of shops does your company do? What types of reports are used?
We have expanded tremendously over the course of the past year and now offer shops in a wide variety including the ones below:
Restaurant shops for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner
Quick-service restaurant shops, including dine-in, take-out, and delivery shops
Bar loss prevention shops
Phone shops for hotels, catering calls, banks, and retail
Overnight hotel stays
Ski experience shops
Golfing experience shops
Movie Theater shops
Tanning Salon shop
Bank shops
Retail shops
Children’s play facility shops
Internship evaluation shops
Aquarium shops
What is the best way for a new shopper to get in the door and get a first assignment?
The best way for a new shopper to get in the door would be to register as a shopper on our website (www.mysteryshopperprogram.com). Once registered, the shopper should log into their account on a semi-frequent basis to find shops in their area. We prefer to fill the majority of our shops using the auto-generated notification emails and self-scheduling and we only reach out by phone or email when it gets later in the shopping period.
How can shoppers qualify for your best (highest-paying and most interesting and enjoyable) shop assignments?
The best way for a shopper to get the most desirable shops is for them to build up a history of being a solid, reliable shopper. Once we are familiar with the fact that they do good work, we would be more likely to use them.
What is your biggest problem/pet peeve with shoppers?
One of our biggest issues are shoppers who accept visits and do not complete them. Many shoppers do not understand the importance of completing visits on their scheduled dates/times. These dates and times are extremely important to our clients so when they are not completed appropriately, we are not fulfilling our obligations to the client.
The other biggest pet peeves come from incomplete or poorly written shop reports. It is frustrating when shoppers do not take into consideration that their job is more than just going on the visit, and that they are expected to write a useful and well-written report. We understand that not every single question can be answered in great length, but do appreciate those who put an obvious effort into writing their reports.
What are the biggest challenges facing mystery shopping companies today?
The biggest challenges facing mystery shopping have to do with the economy. Most mystery shopping deals with services that the everyday person is trying to cut back on in these hard times, (i.e./ dining out, going to the movies, making purchases, etc.). It is harder to find clients who are still willing to pay for this type of seemingly “unnecessary” service. The fact of the matter is, tight times are when mystery shopping is even more critical to our clients. The public is being more selective about when and where they will bother to spend money. If a restaurant is not providing a good product and great service, they are going to lose those opportunities to capture that business.
Another entirely different challenge is that the idea of mystery shopping is so often overshadowed by the scam companies who have ruined the business for many. I speak with many shoppers who admit their hesitance to start actually shopping because they have heard horror stories. We all urge shoppers to go to the MSPA website to verify the companies that they work for, but for many, the idea of shopping is lost as soon as they hear the first scam story.
What do you want shoppers to know–what will make them more valuable to your company?
Always be reliable, honest and upfront with your scheduler. Be honest with yourself and your capabilities. Do not take on more than you can handle. It is better to do a great job on 5 shops and get paid for all of them, than it is to do a poor or below average job on 10 shops and risk not being paid.
Always read every single line of the shop instructions REGARDLESS of whether or not you have done the same or similar shops in the past. Instructions can change from month to month. We have to throw out an alarming number of reports because the shopper did not follow instructions.
Lastly, be AVAILABLE. Often times we need to contact the shopper about something that was said in the report, or to obtain a receipt, or a variety of other reasons. Many times shoppers get right back to us with their answers to our questions. Many times we have to chase people down via email and voice mail days after they turned in the report.
Comment Cards – Why They Are Not Much Better Than Nothing!
Ah, Comment Cards – the mainstay of customer feedback for restaurants! My favorite is the card you are to mail, if you have a stamp. Or, those cards you leave with the server or cashier, which mention the performance of that particular server or other associates. I wonder where they go, if the commentary is negative. Yup, I sure would pass along to management a less than perfect commentary. Let’s not forget those comments which state a pressing problem – poor service, condition of the bathrooms, meal preparation and the like. Fortunately, we see those at some point in time, usually way after the fact, so the unsatisfactory experience is etched in our guest’s memory, although we might send a letter (a lost opportunity, too little, too late). Comment cards are not much better than nothing – lip service for many (of course, we care what our guest says; just don’t make it too loud, too frequent or too honest. I am trying to run a business here). Do not become obsolete in your prime. You certainly can do better.
Start with the premise of feedback. This is the mechanism to report upon our performance – what we did well and what we need to improve upon. We want to keep our survey questions short (due to the respondent’s attention span), simple (not tax the cranium) and relevant to our operation (so we have some benchmarks). Most importantly, we want to match our chosen feedback mechanism to our audience, in order to elicit the greatest response.
Here comes a major disconnect, just like the hospitality businesses which felt they did not need a web site. Your audience is connected and wired, and e-mail and texting are their every day communication vehicles. Think about it. In your operations, you have moved to the ‘paperless’, using electronics for your financials, your daily reports, and your payrolls. Take the next step – get your message on the right mediums.
Gathering “Feedback” requires a blend. Every day, you take an inventory of your business, walking the restaurant, speaking with staff and guests, reviewing reports. But, probably, you are too close to the business (the old trees and forest analogy).
Mystery or secret shops are a good means to get a snapshot in time of your operation or particular aspects of your business. These are unannounced, incognito evaluations of your SOP’s (what you want your customer or guest to experience). You now have this “thumb nail sketch”. If the shops are done frequently enough, you start to see trends, training opportunities, standards which need some tweaking, etc. Plus, it keeps your staff on their toes and wearing name tags, if required.
For a more comprehensive evaluation of your business, you might consider the services of a Hospitality Assessment or Quality Assurance company. These professionals provide an in-depth review of your entire operation, considering industry norms and standards for product, service and condition of the facilities. Their reports provide a map for continuous improvement.
Ultimately, the bottom line is what your customers and guest think. You can ask them directly, if you have the time, and they are prepared to respond honestly. You can await their comment cards. You can scan all those internet portals for unsolicited reviews of your business, respond where you can, but, ultimately, “suck it up”, as your consumer has spoken to that vast global audience of critics and potential business.
Or, you can proactively solicit feedback which is immediate, actionable, and credible through technological solutions. And, here are two key words: immediate and actionable. What we learn months or even a week after the fact has absolutely no credibility; hence, you want to know about their experience right away and share it with your management (their performance report). Immediacy means you can take action right away and address an issue, and, perhaps, save or enhance the experience. Technology can prompt feedback on-line, through POS, and other means. To survive and prosper, this is where you need to be. Raise your game!
It is time to move to the next plateau, the next frontier, and use “Guest Feedback” technology for the following reasons:
Comment cards simply do not provide a meaningful response about the guest experience, because not everyone participates (usually only the disgruntled and the gruntled) and you have a critical time gap. Comment cards are superficial;
Technology reaches a broader, more representative and diverse audience, quickly, because the majority of your guests are technology savvy in some fashion. The responses are timely, and they validate your relationship with the guest and allow you to better manage the experience;
With a request for an e-mail address at reception or point-of-sale, you begin to build a significant data base, which serves as a super marketing opportunity for your business, from guest preferences to special announcements and deals;
Just because the guest may be satisfied with one visit does not mean they will rebook or revisit. But, now you have another opportunity – to build loyalty. It is easier to retain an existing guest than recruit a new one.
There is no better time to better manage the experience, frame the expectations, create real value, which you can then market! Get with the program(s)!
Pleased to announce powerful new upgrade to our Mystery Shopper Program
Very happy to provide a demonstration of our powerful new Mystery Shopper Program software. The capabilities are cutting edge and the most flexible and powerful mystery shopper software in the industry.
We have grown our program since 2003 to one of the most respected Mystery Shop Programs in the country by delivering the highest quality reports to our clients in 40 states. Now, as we continue to grow by gaining referrals from our current clients, we can now boast not only the best service and highest quality reports, but can now combine that with the most innovative program around. Please take a few minutes to view the demonstration, and pass the word on the virtues of having a top notch mystery shopper program as a vital tool to any guest service business.
http://www.goodwin-associates.com/demo/demo.html
As always, I am very grateful to our many clients, shoppers, candidates, exit interview clients, and family members of Goodwin & Associates Hospitality Services for their support and for spreading the word. Thanks!
Eric Goodwin
