How can mystery shoppers help you improve your restaurant's hospitality quality standards?

1 What are mystery shoppers?

Mystery shoppers are people who visit your restaurant as regular customers, but secretly evaluate your hospitality performance based on a set of criteria. They usually follow a scenario or a checklist that covers aspects such as the appearance and cleanliness of the premises, the friendliness and professionalism of the staff, the quality and presentation of the food and drinks, the speed and accuracy of the service, and the overall satisfaction and value for money. They then write a detailed report with feedback and suggestions for improvement.

2 Why use mystery shoppers?

Mystery shoppers can help you improve your restaurant's hospitality quality standards in several ways. First, they can give you an objective and unbiased assessment of your strengths and weaknesses, as they are not influenced by your expectations or preferences. Second, they can help you identify areas of inconsistency or discrepancy between your standards and your actual performance, as they can compare different visits, locations, or staff members. Third, they can help you monitor and reward your staff, as they can recognize and praise good practices, or point out and correct bad ones.

3 How to use mystery shoppers?

To use mystery shoppers effectively, you need to follow some steps. First, you need to define your hospitality goals and standards, and communicate them clearly to your staff. Second, you need to select a reliable and professional mystery shopping company or agency that can provide you with qualified and trained shoppers who match your target audience and expectations. Third, you need to agree on the frequency, timing, and scope of the visits, and the format and content of the reports. Fourth, you need to review and analyze the reports, and use them as a basis for feedback, training, or action plans.

5 How to avoid pitfalls of mystery shoppers?

Mystery shoppers can also have some drawbacks or challenges, if not used properly. Here are some common pitfalls to avoid. First, you need to avoid relying solely on mystery shopping, and use other methods of feedback and evaluation, such as customer surveys, reviews, or complaints. Second, you need to avoid being too rigid or unrealistic with your standards, and allow some flexibility and creativity for your staff. Third, you need to avoid being too negative or punitive with your staff, and foster a culture of learning and improvement. Fourth, you need to avoid being too complacent or satisfied with your results, and always strive for excellence.

Mystery shopping is a powerful tool to help you improve your restaurant's hospitality quality standards, if used wisely and effectively. It can help you assess, monitor, and enhance your hospitality performance, and create a loyal and happy customer base.