Surveillance method and secret shopper. Mystery Shopper Method. Types of covert research

The concept and essence of the method " Mystery shopper»

The effectiveness of the company, sales and profits, depends on the quality of customer service. It is always interesting what consumers think about you, whether they are satisfied with the service, whether they will come for more purchases. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a study of the service system at the enterprise, the work of personnel with clients in order to find out why customers leave or potential consumers do not become buyers.

In this case, the company's management undertakes a "mystery shopper" study to assess the quality of service in their outlets. The hidden nature of the study allows you to identify all the pros and cons of the work of sellers with customers, because they behave differently with an explicit controller. Mystery shoppers are completely ordinary people who go shopping and evaluate the level of service.

The mystery shopper method first appeared in the United States in the early 1940s. The object of study was precisely the sellers and cashiers in stores, as well as in restaurants, cafes, gas stations and other service organizations.

Such studies were the cheapest way to assess the work of staff with customers, as well as a quick tool to increase sales.

In Russia this methodology It has been used recently, but today it is very popular with companies - customers of research and companies - service providers. Many enterprises are moving away from product and price competition, and the quality of service comes first.

Definition 1

The Mystery Shopper method is a method marketing research, aimed at assessing the consumer experience received by the client in the process of making a purchase of a product or service, as well as measuring the level of customer service by the company's personnel.

There are other names for this research method used in Russian practice:

secret client;
secret shopper;
fake client;
control client;
customer service audit, etc.

The essence of the "Mystery Shopper" method is that under the guise of a buyer, an inspector enters the outlet. He looks around, consults with the seller, selects a product or service and makes a purchase. Sometimes scenarios of the behavior of such a control client are compiled (for example, an overly picky, capricious or conflict buyer).

Types of covert research

In the process of research by the "Mystery Shopper" method, the following is analyzed:

how interested employees were in customers;
what behavior of employees in different situations;
whether they were correct with clients;
Have all questions been answered?
how they consulted, etc.

In addition to the process of communication between the seller and the client, the mystery shopper evaluates the situation in the store, the availability of goods, their display and other factors. Such a comprehensive study allows you to identify all the shortcomings and take timely measures to eliminate them.

Allocate different types research using the "Mystery Shopper" method:

visits to outlets for test purchases (also with the return of goods for various reasons), checking the level of service, compliance with standards and studying competitors' prices;
orders in online stores, in social networks or applications for e-mail;
calls to points of sale and offices to receive detailed information about a product or service;
monitoring the representation of brands in stores;
verification of various BTL promotions.

The customers of such studies are banks, trading companies, service organizations, telecommunications companies (cellular operators) and others. The cost and time to complete the assessment depends on a number of factors:

number of control points of sales;
object of study (one employee, some specific employees or the entire staff);
the degree of complexity of the test scenario;
portrait of a secret client (social status, qualifications, income);
control purchase (a cash receipt must be attached);
recording a conversation with a salesperson or consultant;
photographs (if necessary);
questionnaire - a report on the work done (details of the study).

Remark 1

This research method is relevant for increasing the level of motivation of employees (salespeople, managers, etc.). Anonymous verification serves as a kind of incentive so that employees do not relax. Also, a mystery shopper is an ideal way to study the activities of competitors.

The Mystery Shopper method is used in the following areas:

employee motivation;
assessment of the employee training system;
marketing intelligence (analysis of competitors);
increasing loyalty to the product, service, brand and company;
application analysis advertising materials at points of sale;
assessment of the quality of order processing on the Internet.

This method can be useful for many companies, but especially in the field of trade and services.

Stages of conducting research within the framework of the Mystery Shopper method

In each case, approaches to the study are agreed with the customer, taking into account his desires and requests. But the general scheme for conducting research using the Mystery Shopper method includes a number of steps:

formulation of the goals and objectives of the study (the concept of the project is being developed);
compiling a list of requirements for the behavior of a mystery shopper;
agreeing on the working conditions of a mystery shopper (number of visits, calls or observations);
development of a scenario for the behavior of a mystery shopper (manner of behavior, text, questions, etc.);
development of questionnaires for reporting;
selection of mystery shoppers, their briefing;
visit outlet or organization by the buyer and filling out the questionnaire;
checking the correctness of the task (analysis of reports, monitoring the behavior of mystery shoppers by technical means);
drawing up a single report based on the questionnaires of all mystery shoppers;
development of recommendations for improving the company's activities;
transfer to the customer of a general report, which consists of conclusions and recommendations, as well as all the material of mystery shoppers (filled questionnaires, audio and video materials).

The obtained results can become the basis for conducting trainings with the company's personnel.

In the previous article, we talked about the features of the customer service standard. What role does the mystery shopper play here?

Read the first part of the article here.

Mystery shopping method

TERM!

Mystery Shopper (from the English. Mystery Shopper / Secret Shopper, also an imaginary buyer) is a research method that is used to monitor compliance with the standard of customer service by salon employees.

Any person who knows the service standard of this organization can act as a mystery shopper, and his task is to verify compliance with this standard. At the same time, it is very correct (convenient, profitable) to involve family or friends as a mystery shopper. These are the people who sincerely help to improve the standard of service, give a detailed feedback about all the shortcomings in the actions of your employees. At the same time, you can agree on discounts / additional procedures for working as a mystery shopper. It is important that your family members or friends do not let anyone know who they are to you.

BY THE WAY!
If you need to automatically calculate the salaries of your employees, keep records of goods, cash flows of a beauty salon and see the balance of mutual settlements, then we recommend trying Arnica - beauty. In Arnika, this is implemented as simply and conveniently as possible.

In contrast to the test purchase used in the USSR by OBHSS employees, the data obtained as a result of mystery shopping audits are used to improve the quality of service and increase customer satisfaction in the audited organization, to improve the professionalism of employees, and also as an audit of outlets.

INTERESTING!

There are various terms for the mystery shopping method in Russian: mystery shopper, imaginary shopper, mystery shopping, secret client, secret shopper, hidden shopper, control client, anonymous shopper, etc. The most common terms on the Russian market are mystery shopper, mystery shopper , secret guest.

Mystery shopping research can be used for a wide variety of tasks: to assess the system of staff training, staff motivation; as part of programs to increase loyalty to the brand or product of the company; to evaluate the use of POS materials and promotional materials; in order to analyze the quality of work of competitors; to stimulate sales of products; to assess the quality of processing applications from the site or telephone operators. Thus, this action can be used to solve huge amount salon tasks.

How to prepare mystery shoppers

1) Get acquainted and learn practically by heart the standard of service;

2) learn by heart a checklist (or evaluation form), which is filled immediately after visiting the salon when leaving it;

3) a sound recording device is provided (to write a detailed report on the action);

4) difficult situations that a mystery shopper can create for staff are discussed in advance in order to check their conflict/work with complex objections.

INTERESTING!

A mystery shopper can become an additional income for students, neighbors, colleagues from other partner salons, or even regular customers(for a discount). As a rule, one check costs from 500 to 1,000 rubles. depending on the complexity of the checklist.

Of course, the haircut is paid for with a "hiding place", the money is then returned. BUT!!! You can try to negotiate not to pay for the work. This option is suitable for students.

Outsourcing

Monitoring "mystery shopper" can be done independently or outsourced, that is, to involve a professional provider organization in the work. The budget and scope of work depend on certain parameters. These are already different prices, but in the end you get a more accurate result.

Although we all need to understand that the work of a mystery shopper is the subjective opinion of one person. Therefore, the more detailed the checklist, the more detailed and objective the answer. And the most accurate material in this case becomes an audio recording.

Mystery shopper inspections can be carried out not only through site visits, but also through phone calls, e-mails, etc., depending on the service procedures being tested. The objects of the study are salespeople and consultants at retail outlets, telephone managers and consultants, online consultants on the site, who process applications by e-mail and through the order form on the site.

By the way

Offer the client online, possibly in the Arnika beauty salon online management system. Especially convenient is that this does not require the participation of the administrator. So no one will forget to ask, will not let a negative review get lost. Each assessment is tied to the service provided or a specific master.

Additional evaluation criteria

observance by employees of etiquette norms (friendliness, goodwill, etc.);
discipline;
the appearance of employees and compliance with the corporate identity of the company;
compliance with work standards by employees;
cleanliness and order in the premises and workplaces of employees;
customer service skills,
service speed;
auxiliary and promotional materials, etc.

IMPORTANT!
When introducing two tools (standard of service and “mystery shopper” promotions), it is important to remember that what is not controlled is not executed.

The most effective is the combination of internal and external control procedures.

Internal control is provided by monitoring the work of employees by managers, the results are recorded in specially designed forms.

External control - is provided by conducting special programs by external specialists (Mystery shopping, a survey of real customers after the visit).

Application Benefits

1. Piggy bank of experience: required by staff knowledge remains in the salon, is fixed in the standard and transferred "by inheritance" regardless of changes in the staff.

2. Control and motivation: it is possible to control the sales process, as well as create a motivation system, since the standards are directly related to assessment and training.

3. A clear work goal for employees and increasing employee loyalty to their salon. This brings stability to his work and saves time for managers.

4. The standard encourages the management of the organization to constantly think about what mistakes in customer service employees can make, when and how to intervene in the service process in order to prevent such errors (proactive strategy).

5. Fast onboarding: The standard is a practical tool for onboarding new employees into a team and engaging them in the customer service business process at the proper level.

6. Trust of customers: the standard brings order to the business, and this gives customers confidence that the company's employees know their business.

In other words, the standard sets the ideal image of the work of the staff. This contributes to the professional growth of employees, satisfaction of the motives of self-development and self-realization, thus ensuring the stability of the enterprise.

Text:Elena Tropin a, expert of the magazine, HR director of the Special Economic Zone "Titanium Valley"

When conducting marketing research, ethical issues arise quite often. Compliance ethical standards in this area is very important, since the results and consequences of research not only have no value without mutual trust of the ordering and performing parties, but can also do harm. Since this "product" is specific, it will be useful to the customer only if he is sure that the research was carried out honestly and objectively. In addition, marketing research in most cases is based on information provided by respondents voluntarily. If respondents are in doubt about anything, they will refuse to cooperate or be insincere, leading to subjective conclusions and a waste of time, effort and money - at best. At worst, the company will exacerbate the situation with hasty and wrong decisions.

When it comes to Mystery Shopper research, things are much more complicated. The very name of the method is associated with something "spy", and therefore illegal.

The norms, standards and ethics for conducting Mystery Shopper research in the West are developed and regulated by the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA). In Russia, the activities of companies providing the “mystery shopper” service are in fact not regulated by anything. MSPA does not have effective mechanisms for quality control of the services provided in the Russian Federation and the CIS, so Russian market Users of the "mystery shopper" service have to independently check the quality of services, as a rule, focusing on the recommendations of colleagues and through competitions when choosing a contractor.

Mystery shopping research should not be used as a basis for dismissals and penalties;
Personnel must be notified in advance of possible systematic checks by the "mystery shopper" method;
Scenarios for mystery shoppers should be safe, exclude the performance of illegal actions by them;
In the case of video/audio filming, the names of the employees being checked cannot be disclosed unless they have been warned about this in advance;
During video/audio recording, the names of competitors’ employees cannot be revealed, as they could not have been warned about this in advance…

As for the actions of the mystery shoppers themselves, it should be noted here that during the inspections, no trade secrets they don't have to take it out. All that is required from a secret client is to objectively evaluate the quality of the service in accordance with the criteria of the questionnaire. Besides:

A mystery shopper must remember that he evaluates the quality of service, and not a specific consultant / seller. He does not act as a spy or "informer", but gives people the opportunity to look at themselves from the outside;
A mystery shopper should avoid unreasonable estimates. Any positive or negative assessment must have an objective justification. Real information about the quality of work is a tool for improving the quality of work of the staff of the company being valued. Distorted estimates (both underestimated and overestimated) will not allow employees to use their potential appropriately and draw valuable conclusions for the future;
The mystery shopper should not distribute the results of the visit to outsiders - in order to protect the confidentiality of the customer company.

The other side of the question is which organizations are being audited. The public is very ambiguous about such checks, for example, in medical institutions, arguing that patients due to such checks may be deprived of timely medical care. But after all, if all business processes in the clinic are debugged, patients should not be left without attention even in case of emergency. And if not, the gaps in the company's work must be eliminated, and this is precisely the goal of the Mystery Shopper.

In this technique, as in any business, there are pitfalls, but in the hands of a professional "Mystery Shopper" will allow you to achieve your goals and meet the expectations of the customer without affecting anyone's interests and without overstepping the boundaries of what is permitted by ethics.

High competition dictates the following chain: quality service - increase in quantity regular customers- Increasing profits. Without quality service, it is now difficult to keep a client in a store, cafe, beauty salon. Perhaps, initially you will be able to attract a client with a low price, but then even it will not save you, since exactly the same company with low prices, but with a better service, may appear. And, it is logical that all buyers will go to a customer-oriented company. Therefore, it is so important to develop service standards, implement them in organizations, train employees to find an approach to each customer. The built service system needs to be controlled. For these purposes, they use such a popular method as a mystery shopper\u003e (mystery shopping\u003e).

Goals and objectives of the mystery shopping method

To improve service and quality of service is the goal of Mystery Shopper research>. In order to achieve the goal, when preparing the study, it is necessary to clearly formulate the objectives. The quality of the audit depends on how correctly they are delivered and formulated. Let's analyze what problems are solved using the mystery shopper method>.

Checking compliance with the developed standards using the mystery shopper method>

In stores>, cafes, banks, beauty salons, boutiques, there are instructions that indicate how an employee of the company should behave with clients. The mystery shopper study allows you to check whether the company's employees comply with the developed standards, whether they follow all the required instructions.

If you have any questions about the services offered by our company or want to order a service, then just call

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Checking the knowledge and skills of employees

The mystery shopping> method makes it possible to check how well employees know the characteristics and functions of the goods and the assortment list, how well they are able to make a high-quality presentation of products.

Comparative analysis of competitors

The method allows to carry out comparative analysis. Mystery shoppers visit specified outlets and then note the pros and cons of the companies in the report. Thus, the customer receives useful information about yourself and your competitors.

Assessment of the company's customer orientation

Customer focus is important competitive advantage companies. If the client has to choose between similar companies, then he will give preference to the one in which he is comfortable, which cares more about the interests of the client. The secret shopper method helps to assess how customer-oriented a company is.

Determination of knowledge of sales techniques

For good sales Sellers need to know and be able to use sales techniques. Without proper knowledge, it is difficult to make a sale. Whether employees know how to use sales techniques helps to determine the mystery shopper.

As you can see, a mystery shopper helps to solve various problems: from the simplest to the most complex ones. Correctly formulated tasks are the key to good research. Therefore, it is so important to choose a professional agency that will organize and conduct the study at the proper level. In order to order a mystery shopper service from professionals> in St. Petersburg>, Moscow and other cities of Russia and the CIS, call the numbers indicated above.

Mystery shopper

Mystery shopper(from English. Mystery Shopper/Secret Shopper , also imaginary buyer) - a research method that is used both as part of a marketing research aimed at assessing the consumer experience received by a client in the process of purchasing a product or service, and in order to solve organizational problems, for example, measuring the level of compliance with customer service standards by employees in an organization, etc.

To collect information, specially trained people (mystery shoppers) are used to carry out checks on behalf of potential / real customers and report in detail on the results of checks. Research objectives affect the level of requirements for mystery shopping. In most cases participation in mystery shopper research should not be the only source of income for these people.

There are various terms for the method mystery shopping in Russian: Mystery shopper, imaginary buyer, mystery shopping, secret client, secret shopper, hidden buyer, control client, anonymous buyer, customer service audit and others. The terms most commonly used on the Russian market are Mystery shopper and imaginary buyer.

Organization of the study

Research objectives

Unlike test purchases used in the USSR by OBHSS employees, the data obtained as a result of mystery shopping inspections are used to improve the quality of service and increase customer satisfaction in the audited organization, to improve the professionalism of employees, and also as an audit of outlets.

The "mystery shopper" study can be used to assess the system of staff training, staff motivation; as part of programs to increase loyalty to the brand or product of the company; to evaluate the use of POS materials and promotional materials; in order to analyze the quality of work of competitors; to stimulate sales of products; to assess the quality of processing applications from the site or telephone operators.

In the course of assessing the quality of service by the “mystery shopper” method, first of all, compliance with the standards of the company whose outlets are being checked is assessed. Mystery shopping should not be a method of competitive intelligence: the conduct should be carried out according to scenarios that do not cause harm commercial activities audited organizations.

Study parameters

Monitoring "mystery shopper" can be done independently or outsourced, that is, involve a professional provider organization in the work. The budget and scope of work depend on the following predetermined parameters:

the number of outlets participating in the monitoring,
object of evaluation (each employee of the outlet, any few employees, specific employees),
documentation (questionnaire or questionnaire and a verbal description of the visit to the outlet),
monitoring the work of a mystery shopper (photo, video and audio recordings),
the content of the questionnaire, objects of study,
number of reports (several times per period or one final),
portrait of a mystery shopper (for example, social status - high or low earnings),
method of processing the received data (manually, programmatically).

Objects of study

Mystery shopper inspections can be carried out not only through site visits, but also through phone calls, e-mails, etc., depending on the service procedures being tested. The objects of the study are salespeople and consultants at retail outlets, telephone managers and consultants, online consultants on the site (using instant messaging, voice and video communication), managers who process applications by e-mail and through the order form on the site.

Criteria for evaluation

As part of the audits, as a rule, the following parameters are evaluated:

compliance with the norms of etiquette by employees (friendliness, goodwill, etc.);
speech of employees (literacy, politeness, intelligibility);
the appearance of employees in terms of neatness and compliance with the corporate style of the company;
performance by employees accepted standards companies;
cleanliness and order in the premises and workplaces of employees;
merchandising;
service speed;
availability of employees for the client.

Reviews may also assess product knowledge and sales skills. However, it must be understood that this method does not replace, but is additional to other procedures for evaluating personnel performance, such as appraisals, expert opinions, testing, observation, etc.

Additional options for checks

Control purchase. During the test, a test purchase may be made. In this case, an additional document that allows you to control the work of a mystery shopper is a cash receipt.

Dictaphone recording of the conversation. In some cases, when the visit of a mystery shopper is carried out in person or by phone, for the purpose of subsequent analysis, a dictaphone recording of communication with the employee being checked is used. The entry is used when evaluating employees in the segment of expensive goods for the purpose of conducting a subsequent individual training employee and correction of skills of his work with the client. In this case, the employee in respect of whom the check was made will be familiarized with the records.

The dictaphone recording cannot be a control tool for the mystery customer, as it reveals the identity of the employee and the identity of the mystery shopper.

Photo and video recordings. Some mystery shopper service providers additionally offer a video recording of a visit to an outlet, as well as photo reports, depending on the goals of the project. As a rule, this significantly increases the budget of the event.

Reporting, data collection and analysis systems

To organize the collection and processing of information in the course of such studies, companies often resort to specialized online reporting systems that allow them to improve the quality of information by reducing human factor, to automate the routine work of processing and mixing a large amount of data received from field personnel. As a rule, a mystery shopper has access to such a program using the Internet and a browser - he enters the collected information and submits reports online. Managers and customers immediately see the information received and can analyze it.

Modern systems are equipped with the functionality of constructing analytical graphs and tables directly in the online reporting program, which greatly simplifies the method of data analysis and reduces time. As a rule, such systems make it possible to control mystery shoppers, receive photo reports and reporting forms, automate the routine work of collating data from different regions, improve the quality of information transmitted from the fields, relieve the burden on project managers, make the interaction between the client and the agency transparent, and increase confidence.

Initially, all reporting in projects was done manually using spreadsheets, but soon specialized software products(online systems), which have become available to any type of company, regardless of size.

Ethics

The norms, standards and ethics of conducting mystery shopping research are developed and regulated by the International Association of Mystery Shopper Service Providers (MSPA) and independent companies, employees of the objects being inspected must be warned in advance that during certain period they will be checked periodically by mystery shoppers, and the results of "mystery shopper" checks should not serve as a basis for punishment and dismissal of employees.

In the Russian Federation, the activities of providers of the “mystery shopper” service are in fact not regulated by anything. MSPA does not have effective mechanisms for quality control of the services provided in the Russian Federation and the CIS, therefore, in the Russian market, users of the "mystery shopper" service have to independently check the quality of services, usually focusing on the recommendations of colleagues, through tenders when choosing a contractor, checking whether the company is -contractor member of MSPA.

Notes

Links

Marketing and management Mystery shopping: operating errors. Marketing and Management (October 2008). archived
Svetlana Shesterneva Kazakhstani companies are interested in Mystery shopping service. Panorama (October 29, 2010). Archived from the original on February 14, 2012.

Chulpan Gumarova And now the mystery shopper goes to the banks. Capital (June 08, 2011). Archived from the original on February 14, 2012.
Tatyana Pleshchivtseva Undercover client. 24.ua (May 13, 2008). Archived from the original on February 14, 2012.
Ksenia Meleshko Shopper case. Glavred (September 24, 2008). Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
State institutions are recognized by Russians as the worst places in terms of quality of service. rambler.ru Archived from the original on February 14, 2012.
Anton Matveev The auditor is coming to you. TourInfo (July 21, 2009). Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2009. Article on the application of the mystery guest program in the hotel industry

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