Blog by Bhairavi Sagar of Onion Insights

A common myth surrounding Mystery Shopping is that it is only useful for some industries like Retail, F&B, Banking, etc. and can be used only to keep an eye on Customer Service standards. But the real impact of Mystery Shopping can be much more diverse and far-reaching.

So, who in your organisation can use Mystery Shopping and to what end?

1) Brand and Marketing Managers

It is not news that Customer Experience is now as much a function of brand and reputation as it is of Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty as they are both closely linked. Mystery Shopping reports give an immediate insight into in-store experiences and how it can potentially shapes loyalty and word-of-mouth. Staying connected to these experiences can shape marketing communication to publicize unique and yet, authentic experiences.

2) Corporate Communications and Public Relations Managers

Your Corporate Communications and Public Relations team is an expert in identifying potential reputation and/or integrity issues. In crisis and issues management, preparedness and prevention are essential.  A deep insight into front line experiences can help your Public Relations team identify potential PR crises and resolve them before they happen or worse, go viral on social media. No reactive statement is as effective in reputation management as proactively preventing issues before they happen.

3) Dealer Network Managers

If you are a channel run business, for instance a technology or automotive brand that sells through a complex network of exclusive as well as multi-brand and dealer led outlets, Mystery Shopping can help ensure not only that your Customers get consistent brand experience throughout your retail network but also, your Dealers’ loyalty to your brand.

4) Human Resource and Talent Development Team

From rewarding great employees to identifying training needs, one of Mystery Shopping’s most deep impacts comes from your HR and Talent Development Teams.

5) Customer Service Stakeholders

Saying that Customer Service has truly gone virtual is an understatement, especially with e-commerce, multichannel banking, online healthcare, and the app-led service economy. From call centres to social media, email, and phone, the number of customer touch points has increased dramatically in recent years. New age Mystery Shopping programmes take an in-depth view of all touch points to ensure that Customer Experience is consistent from pre- to post-purchase phases.

6) Compliance and Integrity Stakeholders

Mystery Shopping has proven to be effective in high compliance industries like banking and finance, healthcare, and travel. An insight into real-time operations can identify minor infractions before they become full-fledged compliance issues.
Few Market Research programs have such a far-reaching impact on organisations. This highlights the return on investment of Mystery Shopping programs. Let’s talk about how Mystery Shopping can solve your Brand’s pain-points or prevent them before they happen.

Bhairavi Sagar
Founder/Managing Director at Onion Insights