As one of our valued clients, you have chosen to utilize our mystery shopping services as a tool to monitor and improve specific aspects of your business. Deciding to use mystery shopping is a significant first step, but you want to ensure that you are getting the most out of the reports we deliver by asking the right questions, following up on any noteworthy issues and trends, and having proper plans in place to put the data we provide into actionable items for your team. Here are a few things to consider for your next mystery shop report.
Are You Asking the Right Questions?
You want to ask questions that are objective and in line with your company’s steps of service and expectations. Your reports should allow for subjective comments, but it’s important to ask direct, objective questions to provide clear and actionable data. It’s ok to allow for questions with partial scores, but the more yes/no questions you have on your form, the cleaner and clearer the data in the end result will be.
Are You Following Up With Your Staff Directly?
Once you receive a shop report, do you go directly to the employees evaluated in the report? Do the reports go directly to your management teams? We highly recommend not only reviewing the top-level cumulative data but also utilizing the reports as a training tool for specific team members. You should also use the reports for positive reinforcement when the situation permits, as it allows the staff to view mystery shopping in general in a more positive manner.
Are You Reviewing Your Online Dashboard, Reporting, and Trends?
While a singular mystery shop is a great way to view one shopper’s experience, reviewing cumulative data over time will help you to see trends across your company. We have many ways to break down your data — by time period, by day of the week, by the time of day, by location, region, etc. Reviewing section and question scores on a regular basis are ideal ways to understand where specific locations may be lacking and where opportunities for improvement lie.
Do You Have Action Plans Set Up?
Once you have pinpointed these areas for improvement, it’s crucial to have an action plan in place to ensure that your team is reacting appropriately to your feedback. We suggest giving your team a list of areas they need to work on, allowing them time to put new practices in place, then following up with additional shops to ensure that your team is committed to the improvements you seek.
Let Us Help You Maximize Your Mystery Shop Report ROI
Our client team is always available and ready to assist in making sure you get the most ROI out of mystery shop programs for just about any industry, from restaurant/hospitality to higher education and everything in between. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if there is anything we can help you with to ensure your mystery shop forms are set up correctly or if you need any assistance with reporting and action plans. We are here to help elevate your customer’s experience by sharing our years of experience and expertise in the world of mystery shopping.
For more information on mystery shopping or any of our other services, contact 360 Relay today!