Mystery Analyses
Service quality is one of the most important factors for the customer loyality. Mystery analyses can reveal deficiencies of service through objective methods. This is possible and useful for all areas that could be the customers´ point of contact with a company.
Test subjects, specifically trained in mystery shopping, record the respective shopping ordering procedure at the POS or via internet (test purchases in a shop or online). Possible deficits in customer communication can be revealed through mystery calling or writing (testing quality of contacts via phone or in writing). The handling of complaints, availability, time needed for response and service, friendliness and competence of staff as well as flexibility regarding special requests, are examples of criteria that may be collected and assessed.
Results of several test subjects are recorded and evaluated in standardised survey protocols. Test results of different mystery analyses (several stores/ branches, time series) are intercomparable. It is also possible (and legal) to check competitors’ services as a basis to judge on and compare one’s own service quality.
The identified weak points are documented in a management summary and provided with specific recommendations for action. As a “service check” mystery analyses are a comparatively cost-effective method to measure and compare the state of service quality. Although they cannot replace differentiated customer satisfaction analyses, they indeed deliver a valuable additional perspective.
