MYSTERY SHOPPER

What is a mystery shopper?

Let’s start with the most basic, but very important question of, “What is Mystery Shopping?” To Sparrow Hospitality Training, mystery shopping is a training and observation tool for us to see where the main focus needs to be the audit.  With shoppers acting as normal customers writing detailed  audits about the service they experienced, managers and owners are able to get a rare glimpse of the service from a guest’s perspective.  What is a mystery shopper referring to the practice of hiring individuals, known as mystery shoppers, to assess and evaluate the quality of services and customer experiences in hotels, lodges and restaurants?

Mystery shoppers act as regular guests and interact with hotel staff, use various facilities, and provide feedback on their experiences. Sparrow Hospitality Training has a well-laid-out mystery shopping audit program that can help hotels and lodges and restaurants learn and analyze if their standard operating procedures (SOPs) and brand standards are being adhered to at the ground level. Mystery shoppers play a crucial role in evaluating employee performance. Through our discrete observations, we assess the knowledge, professionalism, and friendliness of staff members. This feedback is invaluable for identifying exceptional employees who go above and beyond, as well as identifying areas where staff training or retraining may be necessary. By recognizing and rewarding exceptional employees, establishments can foster a culture of excellence and motivate their staff to consistently provide outstanding service.

The Benefits of Mystery Shopping

Many owners/managers usually ask us, “Why do we need mystery shopping?” or “How will mystery shopping benefit our hotel?” 

Mystery shopping provides a great look at the service a hotel provides that you, as an owner or manager cannot personally see.  By using these audits, a service improvement training program can be implemented with the proper accountability.  The significance of mystery shoppers in the hospitality industry cannot be overstated. Our objective evaluations, detailed feedback audit, and real-time customer insights empower establishments to deliver consistent excellence, improve operational efficiency, and stay competitive in a dynamic market. By leveraging the valuable information provided by mystery shoppers, hoteliers and restaurant owners can elevate the guest experience.

At Sparrow Hospitality Training, our onsite training offers a highly personal and customized approach for establishment. Before Training commences a mystery customer, a hotel audit will be done providing an unbiased review of your operations. You can better understand how customers perceive your brand and whether good or bad it can help you improve sales and where areas of focus should be with the training. A detailed report will be given before training. Training in the hospitality industry becomes necessary to build strong, capable teams with high-level skills to serve customers.

If you only need an audit for your establishment, please feel free to contact us.