What Makes a Mystery Shopping Program Successful?
The benefits of conducting an effective mystery shopping program are undeniable.
Secret shoppers allow your brand to hear directed, unfiltered, and clear opinions directly from your target customer base. Additionally, it allows your brand and the customers you serve to form a mutually beneficial relationship, because customers will feel more involved when given the opportunity to share their voice about services or products, as well as earning compensation for completing the assignments. However, not all mystery shopping programs and companies operate at the same standard. While the main idea behind mystery shopping is basically universal, there are certain objectives, tools and resources that need to be utilized to create an efficient mystery shopping program. The following are some aspects that go into creating these kinds of successful mystery shopping program.
The most important aspect of any mystery shopping program is ensuring the data integrity of the experiment. Because these campaigns deal with crowd-sourced information, it is important that the mystery shopping company your brand works with is cognizant of the ways that mystery shoppers will scam their way into receiving the benefits without actually performing the task. This can come in the form of not taking the time to fill out the questionnaire, submitting misinformation about the way that the shopping interaction went down, or even flat out lying about actually going to the shop in the first place. Any reputable mystery shopping company will have methods to ensure that these problems do not affect the quality of the data provided. For example, Second To None has a multi-phase quality assurance process, involving building questionnaires to specifically avoid common discrepancies, as well as an extensive statistical process, which involves editing, clarifying and proofing submitted assignments by our highly trained in-house quality assurance staff. In addition, we have a comprehensive shopper management system that is managed daily and continually ranks and rates shoppers on several quality metrics, ensuring that only those most qualified are completing the assignments.
Another key to a successful mystery shopping program is the ability to extend across a large geographical area. Many brands that utilize these programs will have locations across the entire country, so having the ability to fill these shops with secret shoppers is an integral aspect for success. It shouldn’t matter if the branch you are measuring is in Los Angeles, California or St. Cloud, Minnesota, the mystery shopping firm that your brand employs should have the resources to complete the assignment. Second To None has been in the mystery shopping industry for 30 years, and as a result we have one of the larger networks of mystery shoppers compared to other firms, rounding out at above 400,000 shoppers signed up across the United States and Canada. In addition, we can apply a refined shopper selection and training process that involves a customized selection of shoppers for your program based on any specific demographic and lifestyle characteristics that fits your program’s needs.
Mystery shopping can be a hugely beneficial part of creating a Customer Experience for your brand. These programs allow for your brand to achieve an outside->in perspective of your company, and in turn review unbiased reports of the current ongoing processes within your brand. Learn more about why Second To None meets the requirements for your brand’s mystery shopping necessities.
Mystery Shopping Success FAQs
What makes a mystery shopping program successful?
A successful mystery shopping program depends on ensuring data integrity, selecting and training qualified evaluators, and having a large network to cover diverse geographic areas. High-quality data and reliable reporting are key to gaining actionable insights.
How does evaluator quality impact a mystery shopping program?
Evaluator quality is critical because it directly affects the accuracy of the feedback provided. Proper training, monitoring, and management ensure that the data collected reflects true customer experiences.
Why is geographical coverage important in mystery shopping?
Geographical coverage is important because it allows brands to assess customer experiences consistently across all locations. A wide network of evaluators ensures comprehensive data collection.
The true path to customer joy begins with immersion. At Second To None, we don’t simply ask your customers about their perceptions, observations, interactions, and experiences.
We truly become your customers.
Snapshot is our mystery shopping program, which has been core to our company since our founding in 1989. Whether in-store, online, on app, or beyond, we uncover key drivers of the customer experience that are responsible for improving customer satisfaction. You’ll understand what customers are experiencing each and every day. Learn more about Snapshot.