Customer Perception Surveying (Mystery Shopping)
Do you know what your guests really think of your business?
What if you're assuming your standards are OK and your guests don't agree?
At present, you are probably basing your management decisions on comments from your customers or other forms of direct feedback. Extensive research in the US, UK and Australia and our own experience have shown that this type of feedback is not likely to represent the views of your broad customer base or be be terribly accurate — people seldom tell the truth in hospitality encounters if they are not happy for fear of conflict or adverse reaction. What if there are chronic aspects of your business that are causing a problem and you don't know it?
For more information on this please see the articles 'Measure — don't assume' from our Library and the article published in the Melbourne Age Epicure section Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.
Ask yourself a basic question: 'Is my business growing much faster than inflation?' Lack of growth is a sign that something is probably wrong — especially if you are pumping money into marketing or expensive advertising and not getting a good result. There will be similar businesses around your area that are busy and in in strong growth mode. Why are they doing so well while you are not? The answer most probably lies in public perceptions of your business. Why do people pass you by and resist trying your establishment? Why don't they give you a go? Why do they try you and not come back? What are they seeing that you can't see? Do you want to:
- expand your overall customer base?
- increase the incidence of repeat business?
- improve or expand your customer average sale?
- build on your reputation and elevate the quality of your establishment?
- identify and assess new areas of sales and service opportunity?
- ascertain what your competitors are delivering?
- reduce the chances of a bad review in the media?
Measured, objective reports by 'mystery guests' are an invaluable and powerful management tool. They enable you to identify many concrete opportunities to improve your business. Eldred Hospitality has a team of over two hundred specially trained customer perception surveyors (mystery guests) in every state of Australia, and can supply people who closely match your target markets.
Improve your business and stay ahead of your competitors by basing your managerial decisions on measured reality — and not on risky assumptions. Customer perception surveys are the most accurate marketing tool available to fine tune your hospitality business. They evaluate peoples' perceptions of your:
- telephone manner and handling
- exterior, interior and staff presentation
- customer service standards
- speed of service
- food and beverage quality
- suggestive selling, up-selling and merchandising
Every day our teams of surveyors head out to review hotels, restaurants, resorts and other hospitality businesses on behalf of our extensive client base. They take great pride in what they are doing, and take the attitude that they are working with you. Because they are carefully trained in observation and survey techniques and because they adhere to a strict, set procedure, the reports you receive are extremely detailed and are the equivalent of many casual customer encounters.
Each survey is unique; we create it to specifically suit the needs of your particular business and particular style of operation. The report is presented to you in an easy-to-read and concise form, providing you with an objective means of analysing the strengths and weaknesses of your business.
You have a control system over your accounting. Why not have a control system over the most important aspect of your business — the perceptions of your customers? The best aspect of perception surveying is it's inexpensive.