The impact of mystery shopping on credit unions has changed significantly
over the years.
"Before, we had to explain mystery shopping," said
Judi Hess, owner of Customer Perspectives in Hooksett, N.H. "Now
that the discipline has proven its value to the industry, we need
to explain new ideas for maximizing your program."
And the opportunities to maximize your program can be customized
to suit your business.
For example, one credit union in California uses mystery shopping
on a regular basis to monitor all member touchpoints - teller
shops, loan shops, phone shops, new account shops, etc. Management
uses the data to pinpoint specific areas that may need improvement.
Mystery shop reports for this organization were showing only
a 62 percent score for employees asking questions and listening
for cues of how the credit union could better service members.
They implemented a training program that taught employees what
types of phrases to listen for and what kinds of questions to
ask. In a year's time, the same question received an 82 percent
score.
"If employees aren't listening and asking questions, they're
missing opportunities," said Renee DeSantis, President, Game
Film Consultants, a mystery shopping firm in Austin, Texas. "That's
where the value of mystery shopping is very evident. It clearly
shows where to focus your training efforts."
In addition to revealing a credit union's strengths and weaknesses,
mystery shopping can also be used to see how well you measure
up to the competition. Evaluating the same customer touchpoints
at competitive banks and other credit unions allows significant
insight into opportunities to gain new members.
