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Mystery Shopping, Is It Really Effective?

Created by : JOGINDER SINGH CHANDNANI, CSS (Customer Service Specialist), Infiniti Retail  | 09 05 2011 08:51:42 +0000
Industry : Retail Chain/LogisticsFunctional Area : Productivity & Performance(Strategy & Execution)
Keywords : mystery shopping is it really effective?
Activity:  273 views;  last activity : 09 10 2011 12:10:46 +0000

Mystery shopper—someone paid by companies to masquerade as a customer to discreetly measure the quality of services in their showrooms and front offices—is the new blue-eyed boy of marketers and service providers who have realised the importance of customer experience in a competitive marketplace.

A slew of companies such as WeMark, Bare International, Shaw Hotels & Consultancy and Grass Roots now offer mystery shopping audit, helping brands assess and improve the performance of their sales staff. "Brands have to evolve along with change in consumer behavior.

Mystery shopping is a good measurement tool available for benchmarking. Many brands including retailers Shoppers Stop and Kimaya Fashions, restaurant chain Nirula's , electronics maker Samsung and Axis Bank have already made such audits part of their quality initiatives. And the list is growing steadily as mystery audits often throw up startling facts and reveal huge room for improvement.

  
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Yes, People is the most imp 'P' of all. Vs No. Service sector should more focus on 4P's First.
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People make a BRAND! People make a product successful making the brand live a life! People give a meaning to an existence. People are the consumers and the best emotional quotient for a brand / product life cycle. I seriously believe that these SURPRISE or SUPER QUIET background checks that are done are a very integral part of the reason FOR EXISTENCE for a BRAND / PRODUCT. These checks VALIDATE the reasons REAL TIME as they are the experiences that are minuted by the DIRECT END USER thus making the entire exercise plausible and deciphered to CORRECT any flaw in the processes. Mystery Audits are very healthy and are extensively used by the HOSPITALITY Industry and even the MODERN TRADE / RETAIL verticals. There is always a basis that you work on, particularly in the service areas of any industry. These are the constitution or fundamental behaviour patterns that have been established and followed even by a KIRANA / BARBER shoppe. PEOPLE form the crux of every existence!! Amazing topic Joginder!
By Makrand Bhave, Marketing & MICE, WIZCRAFT International  09 05 2011 09:25:10 +0000
 
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Yes, it could be great.
By AMISH , Admin/Facilities Manager, VKVC  | 09 10 2011 12:10:45 +0000
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True Makrand,

The concept is very well proven and most inexpensive method to analyse gaps.,yet not picking up at desired pace in India.

With experienced Product analysts conducting the process, complete novice with given questionnaires can provide excellent insight. Very powerful tool to third party independent analysis.                                                                @Joginder: It is like a computer....garbage in............. garbage out, therefore while of course the knowledge and experience of analyst, mode and method remain important. 
By Ravindra Sharma, Managing Consultant, CHEF-India  | 09 07 2011 07:05:22 +0000
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Yes your customers are the most inmportant. And if used well, it is an effective marketing tool. You will be surprised as to the true revelations that come out in mystery shopping. More so because the person doing it, sees the things as your real customer would ! |In fact i would say it is a good tool to replace the traditional research methodologies like focus group studies etc.that have a huge error margin in the first place. Obviously mystery shopping has to be indulged in only after your 4 P's are in place. It is a brand characteristic measurement tool and not a strategic tool to improve your business. Mystery shopping helps you in delivering a flawless customer experience.
By Jaygopal Raghavan, Marketing Manager, Landmark Group  | 09 05 2011 16:14:48 +0000
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Though it seems to be very interesting as well as strategic way to find where one is standing in the market in terms of service aspect.

Retail is in infancy, and matching international standards should be an evolution. And not Revolution. I doubt whether it can work. Because there are many other aspects to focus on, other than only service part. And also that only the floor staff attends customers, remaining thing is done by back end, which doesn't comes into picture (Customer's mind) if there is any problem regarding Stock. Its saying that Floor Staff is the face of Brand. Then why they aren't offered good salaries, superb product training, training for grooming standards, Career improvement programmes. And above all a bit of Delegation of Authority.

Then Mystery Auditors will have little to do. So firms should focus more on four P's first.
By JOGINDER SINGH CHANDNANI, CSS (Customer Service Specialist), Infiniti Retail  | 09 05 2011 09:06:51 +0000
Argue for "Yes, People is the most imp 'P' of all."
Argue for "No. Service sector should more focus on 4P's First."
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