The owner of the restaurant noticed his feedbacks from some of his customers were dissatisfied with the quality of service they received from some of the waitresses. They found the survey cards went from the extreme on the scale. Either the customer was very satisfied with their service or they expressed a need for better service. So the owner decides to hire a company to help his services. They should determine the best secret shopping company to hire to get the results they need.
How can a secret shopping company help you improve quality service? Many companies are hiring these companies to do research from the actual customer point of view. These companies send shoppers on an assigned shop to pose as a customer. The shopper performs various tasks as required by the owner. They ask predetermined questions, evaluate the friendliness and responsiveness of the service or waitress, and the cleanliness of the business. They detect where improvements can be made with staff performance and work ethics.
Research of each secret shopping company you interview before hiring them. Each company is different. Compare fees, assignments and the companys reputation. A legitimate organization will employ top quality researchers to work for their clients. They take researching seriously and provide these services to all businesses with the customers best interest in mind. Be aware of scam companies
Ask questions of the secret shopping company before hiring them. How long have they been in business? How many clients do they currently have? What are the other types of industries they serve? Read the feedback from other businesses that have used their services.
The restaurant owner hired a company to do some evaluating for them. The company had a good reputation with many well known clients. The shoppers they sent on the assignments were prompt in their evaluations. But how does the business owner know the shopping program will help improve service?
Make sure your program is actually helping you to improve your business by asking yourself a few questions.
Is your return on investment clear? Can you see how the money you invested in the program is directly affecting your sales and profits? Data and analysis should be top quality and the reports and feedback should answer all your questions immediately. What good is the data if you cannot understand how to implement the changes?
Is the program teaching more about your business than what you currently know or can easily find out? An expertly designed, professional program will offer quality, beneficial suggestions and numerous possible solutions through out the entire analysis program.
Is the provider sending in page after page of unexplained data, increasing your paperwork? A good shopping company will not bombard you with stacks of meaningless data. Each report will be detailed to help the owner set up a strategic plan for making positive changes in their business.
Are the scores adding up? Do all forms of your assessment plans come up with the same data? Is your shopping program in line with what the customer surveys are showing? If surveys show satisfaction with service while your evaluators assessment differ, you might need to reevaluate your program providers.
There are many more questions you should ask if you believe your secret shopping company is costing you more than it is helping you. After all you hired these companies to help you improve your customer satisfaction by provided real customer feedback.
