Exploring mystery shopping companies to intiate your service program?

      Be sure to ask these Ten (10) Questions of all mystery shopping companies

Are you exploring mystery shopping companies for a secret shopper program at your business? Best of luck; there are over 600 mystery shopping companies in North America alone.

Whether you choose us or another firm, here are a few questions that you should have satisfactory answers to, from mystery shopping companies you are seriously considering.

Question #1: Are the mystery shopping companies as committed to your industry as you are?

The mystery shopping industry is comprised of several major segments. The largest ones are hospitality, foodservice, retail, healthcare, and financial services. If your business falls into one of these segments, you are well aware that the sub-classifications are quite extensive.

Gas stations, supermarkets, pharmacies, clothing stores and big box retailers like superstores would all be in the retail segment, but what if you are a luxury retailer selling handbags and accessories that cost $600 and up? What if a meal for two people in your restaurant typically costs $150 or more? Would you want shoppers whose main experience is doing 'grab and go' shops and fast food restaurants? The answer is most likely no.

Identifying if there are experienced shoppers in your segment is only one reason to ask this question. When you set up your mystery shopping program, you will want to make sure the measurements and actionable outcomes of the program give you an advantage over your competitors. If you want to set the bar higher for your team, the mystery shopping company will have to know where that is.

Another consideration is that building sustainable, actionable quality metrics is an art-form requiring a partner that truly understands your vision and your customer dynamic. Select a mystery shopping company that serves 'best of breed' competitors in your market space and you have a much greater chance of creating a smart and sustainable program.

Lastly, we always feel that true partnerships are created when vendors have 'skin in the game' and don't merely look at you as part of their diversification plan.

Question #2: What kind of insurance do they carry?

A reputable company will carry more than the minimum in business liability insurance and can name you on the policy if necessary.

Question #3: Where do the mystery shopping companies get their evaluators?

This is a very important question to ask as practices vary greatly. The shoppers are almost certainly independent contractors, so there needs to be screening and security checks in place. These processes should be easily explained by the mystery shopping company to your satisfaction. The ideal scenario is that the company you choose does not outsource any of their shopper functions. This gives the company you are working with (and therefore you), the most control over the evaluators chosen to complete your evaluations and their performance.

There are mystery shopping companies that use third-party scheduling companies who are paid based on fulfillment. That means that a major motivation behind servicing your account is simply getting someone/anyone in there to do the shop. The mystery shopping companies 'borrow' these shoppers and have little or no knowledge of their performance, background or skills.

The least desirable part of this arrangement is that the shoppers are allied with the scheduling company, not you, because they want more assignments down the road. At that point, you, the client, are twice removed from the person doing the evaluation.

Question #4: Can the mystery shopping company guarantee 100% fulfillment and what happens if they don't?

Any mystery shopping company can serve your locations in NYC, LA or Chicago. If you have stores in remote areas, make sure those locations are discussed and that they will get the same quality of care as the easier-to-fulfill, urban locations. Demand 100% fulfillment for all of your locations. Good mystery shopping companies will not have a problem with that and will work with you to make sure your needs are fulfilled.

Question #5: Will the mystery shopping companies re-use or repeat evaluators at any of your locations?

Nothing undermines a good mystery shopping program faster than when a shopper is recognized while doing a shop. If a shopper was onsite six months or even a year ago, it is too soon. Someone on your team will remember and recognize them, rendering the report relatively worthless and undermining the value of the program. People tend to vividly recall shoppers when the reports are shared with them.

Good secret shopping companies have the resources to make sure repeats do not happen.

Question #6: Where is your data being stored and how secure is it?

Make sure your mystery shopping company is following standard data security protocols and that your sensitive data is handled with care. If they use a third party to store your data, have that company issue a statement about their security and back-up procedures.

At CHG, our data servers are monitored 24/7 and data is backed up every hour. Our client data is protected by a Cisco firewall and we back-up redundantly every 24 hours offsite. We guarantee that if our servers are down for 48 hours, we will provide hard copies of any report a client requests. A reputable mystery shopping company will give you similar assurances.

Question #7: What if you want to check if your employees are stealing?

Proceed carefully if you are seeking someone to come in and observe cash handling or specifically look at areas of employee theft. When you perform this activity for that purpose, it is no longer considered by many state authorities to be mystery shopping, but rather a form of surveillance. The rule of thumb is that anyone conducting surveillance needs to be licensed to do so in that state. Consult your attorney and beware of mystery shopping companies that offer these services without being licensed.

Question #8: Are the reports available online?

The best mystery shopping companies provide a complete online solution. Gone are the days of getting static attachments that 'silo' your data. Moreover, your mystery shopping company should offer a full-service suite of queries and custom reporting.

Question #9: What kind of support do I have once I begin a program?

This is a good question to ask if the mystery shopping company outsources any of their functions, especially the database.

There should also be defined procedures and communication channels that allow input from all your stakeholders. What happens if a unit challenges their score or has issue with the shop? How do we add new users? What if we need to make changes to the form? When do you need to know if I want to make changes to the shop methodology?

If it is an effort to use the mystery shopping program, your staff will not buy in.

Question #10: What is the turnaround time on reports?

Make your mystery shopping company guarantee a turnaround time. No matter how simple or complex the shop, reports are perishable; their value is mitigated as each day passes.

Best of luck in your search for the perfect mystery shopping company for you!