Develop in-depth analytics with mystery shopping

Do you know when you plan several actions and promotions to attract more people and increase sales, but the numbers don't improve? Perhaps this happens because some factor is making the consumer experience difficult. And to fix this, you need to see the entire situation through the eyes of your customers.

Therefore, we have brought a detailed explanation of a modality called mystery shopping. If you've heard of this tool, but still don't understand its importance for improving purchasing processes in a company, prepare to be surprised by the data collection that this research model offers!

After all, what is a mystery shopper?

A mystery shopper is literally a person, hired by a company, to carry out an entire purchasing process and record everything that happens. Consequently, this generates a complete report on the purchase processes and whether the customer experience is satisfactory.

According to the company Your Hidden Shopper, a representative of the sector, the concept of a person disguised as a customer to obtain information has existed since the 2000s, in Brazil. And these agents are guided with courses and scripts that maintain an attitude close to that of a real customer.

Discover: in that matter from the Small Businesses & Big Business program, the insertion of a mystery shopper in practice!

This mystery shopping service is carried out by companies that verify their own service. But, what information is collected and how will it help?

To explain better, we list the main factors that are evaluated and improved after the arrival of the mystery shopper.

Customer service

The classic problem of poorly performed service by a team member is one of the first setbacks recorded by mystery shoppers. Whether it's the attendant's attitude, lack of guidance, poor communication or lack of support, problems with service will be recorded!

Quality of the product and/or service

In this regard, we have two perspectives that reduce customer satisfaction:

– Problems with product delivery: order arriving late, product in poor condition, wrong deliveries, etc.

– Factors that do not favor the customer, evaluating only the company’s perspective.

In this second point of view mentioned, many examples happen simply because the production phase and cost savings are ahead of the consumer experience. See the example we put together to understand better:

A soap company changed the packaging of the final product, where the bar soap was now 100% enclosed in cheaper plastic packaging, with the intention of obtaining positive numbers at the end of the month. However, the values ​​were not satisfactory and no one could discover the problem from the company's data.

Using a mystery shopper at the dispensers to check what was happening, they realized that most people smell the soap before putting it in the shopping cart. The fully enclosed packaging prevented consumers from smelling the product, allowing other brands to stand out.

As simple as it may seem, small details weigh on the purchasing decision. And with the mystery shopper, it is much easier to discover and correct these obstacles.

Online service is also not left out!

Just like in-person service, the mystery shopper also observes problems and speeds up the correction process on the companies' platform.

Slow pages, contact links that don't open, the lack of contacts and buttons for social networks are situations that mystery shopping highlights.

Keep an eye on the competition

Being aware of what your competitors are doing is also a way of gathering information to update yourself and seek a path where your brand becomes much more authentic.

The idea of ​​sending a hidden shopper to a competitor's unit may feel like cheating, but this will only be an unfair attitude if you are thinking about copying companies in the same segment as yours. In fact, Beatz does not recommend any tactic that copies other people’s work. You shouldn't be like the competition, but better than them.

As you investigate the other businesses in the area, discover the flaws that exist just to ensure that you are not committing the same sins as them, making these your strengths.

I hired the mystery shopper and I have new information. And now?

Well, if you've already discovered what you need to improve in the product and in your point of sale, now is the time to get your hands dirty and make the necessary changes to boost your business.

Is your team outdated or does not have standardized service? Consider new hires and set up training to organize your team members!

Does the product leave the factory in perfect condition, but arrives at the customer with defects? Notify the distribution center and companies involved in the delivery to locate and correct the problem.

Does your product not meet all customer needs? Gather your team and think about precise and positive redesigns.

Finally, this was our explanation of what a mystery shopper is and how this service adds valuable information to any company. Did you enjoy reading and want to learn more about other tactics that help improve your results? Just keep an eye on the Beatz's blog!