Local Authorities benefit from Mystery Shopping

More and more Local Authorities are using Mystery Shopping programmes to measure customer service. Service levels are being measured for all communication channels with service users, face-to-face, telephone, letter and email.

When major changes take place within local services the local authorities implement mystery shopping programmes to measure the effect of the change on staff and users of the services they provide.

Some local authorities recruit their own shoppers for specialist services but most are turning to mystery shopping companies for their expertise. Setting up internal mystery shopping programmes can prove to be expensive and time consuming. Employing a professional mystery shopping company allows an impartial, consistent and constant approach. These companies employ and train local residents to be able to carry out visits inconspicuously and report in a fair and unbiased way.

Most local authorities use the published customer service standards as a basis for their assessment criteria, however some work with the mystery shopping companies to benchmark what they measure against other non-government sectors.

Mystery shopping not only identifies strengths and weaknesses but also highlights training needs. Changing behaviours is difficult in every organisation, however it is proven that where mystery shopping is used as an improvement programme, change can be achieved in a shorter timescale.

Mystery shopping can be used not only to provide vital feedback but in a proactive way to reward staff who are doing a great job. Managers can use feedback as a way of raising issues, action planning and praising staff for a job well done.

For success to be achieved mystery shopping programmes should be actively sponsored at all levels of the organisation and communicated well to every member of staff. Objectives must be clear and staff well briefed before programmes commence to ensure full participation and buy in. It is best to present to staff, managers and union representatives as part of the set up process and consult with them at each key stage.

Local authorities have achieved high levels of satisfaction from the mystery shopping programmes that they have implemented and gained useful feedback.

Mystery Shopping within the Hotel Sector

As the hospitality industry moves toward achieving higher standards than ever, the measuring and defining of customer service standards is essential.

Exceptional levels of customer service are vital to the success of any leading hotel brand. Hotels need to continually monitor and evaluate the service their staff offer their customers and are turning to Mystery Shopping Programmes as a means to measure that service.

The benefits of Mystery Shopping Programmes within hotels are endless. Not only do the programmes measure and monitor the levels of service the hotel provides but improves sales and customer retention. Continual measurement ensures standards are constantly achieved.

By increasing staff awareness about the importance of customer service for each department ensures that staff are clear about the standards required and how to achieve them.

Many hotels use customer surveys and satisfaction questionnaires as a method of collecting customer data but find that this does not give them the whole picture of the service they provide their customers.

The customer journey can start months ahead of a stay and the initial contact is vital to set the right impression. Mystery Shopping Programmes tend to cover every aspect of the hotel visit from a customers perspective. This can be from the reservation process right through to check out and in some cases after sales follow up. Advanced mystery shops also review the hotels website and advertised features and offers.

Every customer touch point should be measured against set company standards. There are a wide range of service elements that can be measured and evaluated in every hotel department.

Hotel mystery shopping programmes prove to be most successful when every member of staff is involved in the process. Organisations who ensure that every member of staff is trained in the service level standards set and understand the expectations of the customers they serve are rewarded with improved sales and increased customer retention. The Mystery Shopping Programme reportage should be shared amongst all staff within every department. This is so staff can see themselves how they are performing against standards set. It is vital that reports are presented in a positive manner and wherever possible staff are rewarded for their achievements. Hotel Mystery Shopping programmes are sometimes referred to as Mystery Guest, Secret Customer and even Mystery Diner Programmes.