Many businesses invest in mystery shopping as a tool to evaluate customer experience. Mystery shopping is a very effective measurement tool as it allows you to replicate a real customer enquiry and create a measurement criteria, based on your sales process and training programme. Mystery shopping can take place face-2-face, via phone or online to measure every touchpoint that a customer can interact with your business.  

When we talk to prospective clients, we are amazed at how much they invest in their mystery shopping programmes but how little of the information they actually use. This could be likened to buying an expensive smart phone but only using it to make calls and send texts. Surely you would save your money and just purchase a basic handset that does those things perfectly well.  

We recently spoke to an automotive manufacturer who invested heavily in a video mystery shopping programme. When we discussed the details behind the programme and what they did with the information provided, they talked entirely about the report analysis and the insight into the data, but not once mentioned the video footage. When I asked about how often they viewed the video files they admitted it wasn’t very often, sighting that they didn’t have the time to sit through 60 to 90 minutes worth of footage for each mystery shop. On further discussion they reported that 92% of their network engaged with the data analysis feedback via their online portal, but only a staggering 6% engaged with the video footage. When I asked why they were paying for something they clearly were not using, it was evident that they weren’t aware there was an alternative more cost-effective solution.  

At My View we specialise in high level detailed analysis mystery shopping. We work with a number of clients who previously utilised video mystery shopping but, having switched to a more cost effective analysis mystery shopping programme, agree that they get the same value out of the data without having to find the time to watch hours of video footage.  

If you are interested in exploring your options for a more cost-effective mystery shopping programme that still delivers insight and value, please contact us and a member of our team will be in touch. 

 

Madelaine Cook 

CEO & Founder 

My View Limited