All businesses aim to make profits. Getting more customers doesn’t help but making customers come back for products and services will benefit the company. Customer experience and customer service are two significant factors that allow a business to thrive. Mystery shopping is the ideal chance for companies to gain insight into the experience of customers. It’s an investigational approach to market research.
A mystery shopper is a person who appears to be a consumer looking to purchase a product or service. These shoppers are trained to ask pre-scripted questions and record their interactions and experiences. They gauge the store ambiance, product availability, staff behavior, and level of service and send a review to the mystery shopping company. They gather critical information that gives better insight into customer service. Mystery shopping companies create a profile of target customers. They find people who match that profile and train them to become mystery shoppers.
Responsibilities of mystery shoppers
- Mystery shoppers travel to the stores assigned to them by the mystery shopping company.
- They should always remain discreet and behave like a regular customer.
- They need to interact with the store employees to gauge customer service.
- They are required to inspect the store and identify the areas for improvement.
- They purchase products from the store to assess the product’s quality.
- They should submit a detailed report after visiting each store.
Benefits of mystery shopping
1. Employee evaluation
Employees interact with customers while purchasing a product or service. The employee-customer interaction should be good for the success of a business. Mystery shoppers interact with the employee, ask questions about the products and check the employee’s knowledge about a product. They inform companies how well the employees represent their brand.
2. Customer satisfaction
Mystery shopping allows brands to assess their customers’ satisfaction. Mystery shoppers watch other customers’ reactions to the products, engage in a conversation with them, and get their feedback. Customers share their opinion about a product with the mystery shopper than with the store employees. Some mystery shoppers come to the store with pre-prepared questions for the customers.
3. Competitor comparison
Businesses need to know how their competitors are doing. Companies can stand out from their competitors only through information about their products and performances. Mystery shoppers help companies do it by visiting stores and conversing with the employees about the competitor’s products. They also evaluate the customers buying the competitor’s products and services.
4. Evaluate new products
Businesses introduce new products from time to time. They need to find out whether the product will yield the desired results. The product may be promising, but the right strategy is required to make it reach potential customers. Mystery shoppers visit the stores that sell the new products and help to spread the word about it to other customers.
5. Find well-performing employees
Mystery shoppers identify the products and services that need to improve. Some employees in the stores may perform excellently to sell the products to customers. They encourage the customers to buy the products and contribute to the brand’s sales. Businesses need to recognize these employees and appreciate their efforts. Mystery shoppers help enterprises to find deserving employees from various stores.
Being a mystery shopper is an exciting experience. These shoppers understand the customers’ expectations and help brands improve their products to meet customer needs. Most shoppers enjoy their work because they go to new stores and locations each day.
