The dawn of the flourishing world of the internet and digital technology has paved the way for many marketing tools. Since then, it has become easier for brands to incur valuable feedback from their customers, with genuine and authentic perspectives on their products and services. 

One might think that the indirect and traditional techniques of feedback gathering have ceased to exist, but the concept of using mystery shopping has become anything but. While seemingly obsolete, the mystery shopper’s method can still be used, especially paired with your current and more innovative efforts. 

With that being said, here’s how traditional meets innovation, and to a business committed to growth. This could perhaps be the best investment you can make. 

Mystery shoppers as auditors of minimum service standards 

Customer experience management requires multiple facets of efforts, and mystery shopping deserves a supporting role as an audit of your customer feedback efforts. Assuming that you’ve hired the services of a professional mystery shopper, they will be able to provide you with invaluable insights about your products and services, particularly when it comes to how it’s currently selling. Are your sales staff selling the product as intended, displayed, and described properly? 

Through their feedback, you’re able to grasp a deeper understanding of your customers, especially their needs, wants, and expectations. You will also be able to analyze how they interact and engage with your brand. So long as they’re utilized properly, mystery shopping will help pinpoint underperforming areas and direct you to the best possible solutions.  

It’s cost-efficient in more ways than one

Although you won’t be learning how customers feel about the actual product or how messages were delivered to them in detail, mystery shopping is cost-efficient. For every observation you gather from a professional shopper, you receive more from actual customers, now improved due to the feedback you’ve gathered. 

They can also be used to chalk up those bad shopping experiences, but you need to uphold your end of the bargain—at the end of the day, your customer experience will be dictated by how you handle your store. In other words, your products and services need to live up to expectations. 

It’s been written in the pages of history 

Mystery shopping still exists simply because it works. While the methods may not be as straightforward as today’s digital tools may provide, mystery shoppers have helped companies bounce back from the bad and revel in the good. 

History has proven its effectiveness time and time again. It gathers insights you may have otherwise missed, helping you gain steady footing and come up with plausible solutions. However, it’s crucial to note that mystery shopping only succeeds when paired with direct customer feedback. Only then will you be able to understand success and transform your business into that very vision. 

The Bottom Line

Although the benefits of mystery shopping are undeniable, at the end of the day, no one knows your business as you do. That said, delivering your brand’s finest falls into your hands, as with other people behind the operations. 

Mystery shopping will merely highlight what’s already existing, helping to strengthen your core competencies. It’s a source of insights, not the entire solution—use it wisely, and ensure that you only hire the best possible mystery shoppers!

If you’re on the hunt for a mystery shopper company, JM Ridgway offers the best solutions. We also offer customer service and sales performance audits, along with background checks and undercover operatives. Allow us to help you improve your company’s sales and customer service—get a free consultation today!

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