Customer experience (CX) is the sum of all the interactions and emotions that customers have with a brand throughout their journey. CX is a key driver of customer loyalty, retention, and revenue. Therefore, measuring and improving CX is essential for any business that wants to succeed in today’s competitive market.
One of the most effective ways to measure CX is mystery shopping. Mystery shopping is a practice that helps to better understand the experience of customers. It involves field-based research made by independent auditors who pretend to be customers. They are called “mystery shoppers.” They visit a particular business branch and gather information about the quality of service delivery and product.
Mystery shopping can help businesses to:
- Evaluate their performance against their standards and expectations
- Identify their strengths and weaknesses in delivering CX
- Benchmark their performance against their competitors and best practices
- Gain insights into customer needs, preferences, and perceptions
- Implement actions and improvements based on feedback and data
To conduct an effective mystery shopping program, you need to follow these six steps:
Step 1: Define the objectives and scope
The first step is to define the objectives and scope of your mystery shopping program. You need to answer questions such as:
- What are the main goals and outcomes that you want to achieve with mystery shopping?
- What are the key aspects of CX that you want to measure and improve?
- What are the specific criteria and indicators that you will use to evaluate CX?
- What are the target segments and locations that you want to cover with mystery shopping?
- How often and when will you conduct mystery shopping?
For example, if you are a restaurant chain that wants to measure and improve CX, your objectives and scope could be:
- To assess the quality of food, service, ambiance, and hygiene across all branches
- To measure customer satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy
- To use a standardized questionnaire with rating scales, open-ended questions, and scenarios
- To cover all branches in different regions and cities
- To conduct mystery shopping once every quarter during peak hours
Step 2: Choose the type and method of mystery shopping
The second step is to choose the type and method of mystery shopping that suits your objectives and scope. There are different types of mystery shopping that you can use depending on your research goals, budget, time frame, and target audience. Some common types of mystery shopping are:
- In-person mystery shopping: This is the most traditional and common type of mystery shopping. It involves mystery shoppers visiting a physical location and interacting with staff, products, and services as a regular customer. They observe, record, and report their experience using a questionnaire or checklist.
- Online mystery shopping: This type of mystery shopping involves mystery shoppers visiting a website or app and browsing, searching, or purchasing products or services as a regular customer. They evaluate the usability, functionality, design, and content of the website or app using a questionnaire or checklist.
- Phone mystery shopping: This type of mystery shopping involves mystery shoppers calling a contact center or hotline and making an inquiry, complaint, or request as a regular customer. They assess the quality, efficiency, courtesy, and professionalism of the phone service using a questionnaire or checklist.
- Email mystery shopping: This type of mystery shopping involves mystery shoppers sending an email to a business address and requesting information or assistance as a regular customer. They measure the timeliness, accuracy, clarity, and courtesy of the email response using a questionnaire or checklist.
Step 3: Recruit and train mystery shoppers
The third step is to recruit and train mystery shoppers who will act as your customers and collect data for your mystery shopping program. You need to find mystery shoppers who match the profile of your target audience and who have the skills and motivation to perform the tasks required. You also need to train them on how to conduct mystery shopping according to your objectives and criteria.
You can recruit and train mystery shoppers in different ways, such as:
- Hiring a professional mystery shopping company: This is the easiest and most reliable way to find and manage mystery shoppers. A mystery shopping company can provide you with a pool of qualified and experienced mystery shoppers who fit your target segment and location. They can also handle the training, scheduling, quality control, and payment of the mystery shoppers.
- Using an online platform or app: This is a more convenient and cost-effective way to find and manage mystery shoppers. You can use an online platform or app that connects you with a network of independent mystery shoppers who are willing to participate in your program. You can post your project details, select your preferred mystery shoppers, communicate with them, and monitor their progress through the platform or app.
- Recruiting your own customers or employees: This is a more authentic and engaging way to find and manage mystery shoppers. You can invite your existing customers or employees to volunteer as mystery shoppers for your program. You can offer them incentives, such as rewards, discounts, or recognition, to motivate them to participate. You can also use your own channels, such as email, social media, or website, to communicate with them and provide them with training materials.
[Example: A hotel chain wants to recruit and train mystery shoppers to evaluate the quality of their service and facilities across different locations. The hotel chain could hire a professional mystery shopping company that specializes in hospitality and tourism. The company could provide the hotel chain with a team of trained and certified mystery shoppers who match the profile of their typical guests. The company could also coordinate the booking, check-in, check-out, and reporting processes for the mystery shoppers.]
Step 4: Conduct mystery shopping visits
The fourth step is to conduct mystery shopping visits according to your plan and schedule. You need to ensure that the mystery shoppers follow the instructions and scenarios that you have designed for them. You also need to ensure that they collect accurate and relevant data for your analysis.
You can conduct mystery shopping visits in different ways, such as:
- Using a paper-based questionnaire or checklist: This is a traditional and simple way to collect data during a mystery shopping visit. The mystery shopper fills out a printed questionnaire or checklist with their observations and ratings during or after the visit. They then submit the completed questionnaire or checklist to you by mail, fax, or scan.
- Using an online questionnaire or checklist: This is a modern and convenient way to collect data during a mystery shopping visit. The mystery shopper fills out an online questionnaire or checklist with their observations and ratings using their smartphone, tablet, or laptop during or after the visit. They then submit the completed questionnaire or checklist to you via email or web portal.
- Using an audio or video recording device: This is an advanced and comprehensive way to collect data during a mystery shopping visit. The mystery shopper uses an audio or video recording device, such as a hidden camera, microphone, or smartwatch, to capture their interactions and impressions during the visit. They then upload the recorded files to you via email or web portal.
[Example: A car dealership wants to conduct mystery shopping visits to assess the performance of their sales staff across different branches. The car dealership could use an online questionnaire or checklist to collect data during the visits. The questionnaire or checklist could include questions about the appearance of the branch, the greeting and introduction of the salesperson, the demonstration and explanation of the car features and benefits, the negotiation and closing of the deal, and the overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend the dealership. The mystery shopper could fill out the questionnaire or checklist on their smartphone during or after the visit and submit it to the car dealership via email or web portal.]
Step 5: Analyze and report the mystery shopping data
The fifth step is to analyze and report the mystery shopping data that you have collected from the visits. You need to use appropriate statistical methods and tools to process, organize, summarize, and interpret the data. You also need to check the quality and validity of the data and identify any errors or outliers that may affect the results.
You can analyze and report the mystery shopping data in different ways, such as:
- Using a spreadsheet or database software: This is a basic and manual way to analyze and report the mystery shopping data. You can use a spreadsheet or database software, such as Excel or Access, to enter, store, sort, filter, and calculate the data. You can also use formulas, functions, charts, and tables to summarize and visualize the data.
- Using a specialized mystery shopping software: This is a specialized and automated way to analyze and report the mystery shopping data. You can use a specialized mystery shopping software, such as Checker or Intouch Insight, to import, manage, analyze, and report the data. You can also use features such as dashboards, scorecards, alerts, benchmarks, and trends to monitor and compare the data.
- Using a professional mystery shopping company: This is an expert and comprehensive way to analyze and report the mystery shopping data. You can hire a professional mystery shopping company to handle the data analysis and reporting for you. They can provide you with customized and detailed reports that include insights, recommendations, and action plans based on the data.
[Example: A supermarket chain wants to analyze and report the mystery shopping data that they have collected from their stores across different regions. The supermarket chain could use a specialized mystery shopping software to analyze and report the data. The software could help them to import the data from different sources, such as online questionnaires or video recordings. The software could also help them to create dashboards that show their performance on key indicators, such as product availability, store cleanliness, checkout speed, and customer service. The software could also help them to compare their performance across different regions, stores, and time periods. The software could also help them to generate reports that highlight their strengths and weaknesses and suggest areas for improvement.]
Step 6: Implement actions and improvements based on the mystery shopping data
The final step is to implement actions and improvements based on the mystery shopping data that you have analyzed and reported. You need to use the data to identify and prioritize the issues and opportunities that affect your CX. You also need to communicate and collaborate with your stakeholders and staff to implement the changes and monitor the results.
You can implement actions and improvements based on the mystery shopping data in different ways, such as:
- Using a feedback loop: This is a continuous and iterative way to implement actions and improvements based on the mystery shopping data. You can use a feedback loop to collect, analyze, act, and review the data on a regular basis. You can also use the feedback loop to test and refine your actions and improvements until you achieve your desired outcomes.
- Using a action plan: This is a structured and systematic way to implement actions and improvements based on the mystery shopping data. You can use an action plan to define your goals, objectives, strategies, tactics, resources, responsibilities, timelines, and measures for each issue or opportunity that you want to address. You can also use an action plan to track your progress and evaluate your results.
- Using a reward and recognition system: This is a motivational and behavioral way to implement actions and improvements based on the mystery shopping data. You can use a reward and recognition system to acknowledge and appreciate your staff who perform well or improve their performance based on the mystery shopping data. You can also use a reward and recognition system to incentivize and encourage your staff to adopt the best practices and standards that you want them to follow.
[Example: A bank wants to implement actions and improvements based on the mystery shopping data that they have collected from their branches across different cities. The bank could use an action plan to address the main issues and opportunities that they have identified from the data. The action plan could include goals such as increasing customer satisfaction, loyalty, and retention; objectives such as improving staff knowledge, skills, and attitude; strategies such as providing training, coaching, and feedback; tactics such as conducting workshops, webinars, and quizzes; resources such as trainers, materials, and tools; responsibilities such as managers, supervisors, and staff; timelines such as weekly, monthly, or quarterly; and measures such as customer surveys, net promoter score, and mystery shopping scores. The bank could also use a reward and recognition system to reward and recognize their staff who achieve or exceed their targets based on the mystery shopping data. The reward and recognition system could include incentives such as bonuses, prizes, or certificates; and recognition such as announcements, newsletters, or social media posts.]
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