How can Mystery Shoppers improve customer service?
How can mystery shoppers improve customer service?
Becoming a Mystery Shopper is a great way to continue doing the things you know and love, like shopping on your local high street or browsing online- all whilst getting paid to do it! But did you know that the feedback you provide during your Mystery Shopping tasks can help businesses make impactful changes to improve their customer service? Read on to discover how your insights as a Mystery Shopper can support businesses.
What is a mystery shopper?
A Mystery Shopper is someone hired to visit a store or use a service to check out the customer experience. They act like regular customers, paying attention to things like staff friendliness, store cleanliness, and how well the business meets its standards. You’ll often find Mystery Shoppers in retail, restaurants, and other places where customer experience is key. It’s a helpful way for companies to make sure they’re offering their best.
How do mystery shoppers help businesses to improve customer service?
The insights that Mystery Shoppers can gather from completing Mystery Shopping assignments are invaluable to businesses that want to better understand and improve their offerings. Mystery Shoppers can:
Highlight gaps in customer service
Whether completing tasks in-store or online, as a Mystery Shopper you can uncover opportunities for businesses to improve. Through feedback, Mystery Shoppers can identify areas of improvement, giving businesses the chance to make small changes to improve their customer service. This could see you highlighting the way items are displayed in-store, commenting on the ease of the check-out process, or rating the effectiveness of a customer assistance phone line. The gaps you uncover will help businesses to take actionable steps towards improving.
Identify opportunities for staff training
The information shared in your Mystery Shopper feedback can help businesses identify specific services, offerings or stores where staff may need more training. For example, if a particular location has consistent issues with customer service or product knowledge, businesses can use that insight to provide targeted training to staff. This ensures that staff are better equipped to meet customer expectations, ultimately improving the overall customer experience and helping the business thrive.
Provide real-time feedback
Unlike online surveys or polls, as a Mystery Shopper, you can provide near-to-real-time feedback. Instead of waiting for an online questionnaire or automated responses, your observations are shared shortly after your visit, offering businesses immediate insights into their operations. This timely feedback allows companies to quickly address any issues and make adjustments to improve the customer experience, helping them to stay responsive to customer needs and maintain high service standards.
What skills help mystery shoppers to improve customer service?
As a Mystery Shopper, there are a range of skills needed to help businesses improve their customer service. Accuracy is crucial, as you will need to observe and report specific details about your experience, from staff behaviour to store cleanliness. Timeliness is also key, as businesses rely on quick feedback to make adjustments. Strong communication skills help in providing clear, concise reports. Great attention to detail will also allow you to notice both big and small issues. With these skills, you can identify areas for improvement, helping businesses improve their service quality and meet customer expectations.
Become a mystery shopper with IPSOS
It’s quick and easy to become a Mystery Shopper with IPSOS. You can register now using our simple registration form, submitting basic information including your name, age, and location. Once registered, you’ll get instant access to a variety of opportunities in your area and online through our IShopForIPSOS portal. You can complete a quiz in the certification section to access even more opportunities. You’ll also be able to access our extensive library of resources and training videos, which you can refer to at any time to ensure you make the most of your Mystery Shopping experience.
Want to support the businesses you love and earn some extra cash whilst doing it? Register today to discover tasks in your area. To find out more about becoming a Mystery Shopper with IPSOS, read our FAQs.
