Do you want to know more about mystery shopping and how it can help your business? Have you always wondered what the "mystery" is all about? Perhaps you haveare mandated by the airport authority, opened a new location, or seek insights on why customers are leaving…or staying?
The Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) is the preeminent world-wide association overseeing the mystery shopping industry. Both businesses that offer mystery shopping services and the mystery shoppers that provide the feedback are members of the MSPA. According to the MSPA:
"Mystery shopping gives business owners, operators and executives insights into the extent that a company is delivering on its brand promises at the point of interaction with the customer. Through the use of unbiased third-parties who objectively record their experiences, mystery shopping providers help their clients understand what the average customer is experiencing, what staff behaviors should be acknowledged and rewarded and areas of customer service and customer interaction that can be improved."
If this interests you and you think it is a part of the solution for your needs, it is important to know what mystery shopping is and what it isn’t...MSPA continues:
"First, mystery shopping is neither a replacement for customer satisfaction measures, nor does it replace measures of customer expectations (nor are they replacements for mystery shopping). It is important that businesses know what customers want and like, but that is not sufficient. A business also must know how closely the actual customer experience mirrors the one the business desires the customer to have. That's where mystery shopping comes in. Mystery shopping is the ONLY reliable way to quantify and benchmark the customer experience. Mystery shopping provides data that lets the business owner make quick adjustments so that the customer's expectations are met and the customer is satisfied. That brings the customer back, builds loyalty and allegiance and protects the bottom line."
Customer Service Experts, Inc. (CSE) has been an active member of MSPA since its inception in the early 90’s. As a matter of a fact, Lise D’Andrea, our President and CEO has sat on the MSPA Board of Directors for several years. Do we know mystery shopping? You bet we do!
Learn how CSE uses mystery shopping to measure your customerand passenger experiences and improve them:
If you are just getting started in your research, this blog will help you to navigate the waters and answer initial questions you may have:
And, you may want to compare different forms of measurement to see which is/are the best for you! These two pieces will help you “piece” that together too!
- The 5 Scariest Company Initiatives That Are Actually Not So Scary
- The Top 3 Methods to Measure Your Customer Experience
Here's a Sample Airport Mystery Shop Form to get you started!
For more information on the mystery shopping industry, please check out the MSPA website.
No matter what method you choose to improve your customer service, the positive is that you are making an effort to improve your customer service! If you would like to bounce some ideas off of an expert-CONTACT US! We’d love to help you chart the course for the most effective way for your organization to improve your service.
