We’ve often mentioned the short-term and long-term benefits of using a mystery shopping service to gauge whether your customers are having a pleasant experience with your business. This article from Hotel News Resource, points out that the true value brought by a mystery shopper is that he or she will enter your business with a fresh pair of eyes and can, therefore, provide you with unbiased feedback.

Using a mystery shopper can be an inexpensive way of finding out if your customer loyalty initiatives and special programs have a noticeable effect on the customer, or whether you may be putting your energies into the wrong places. You’ll gain insight into whether the training programs you have in place are making a difference in the way employees and customers interact, and be able to adjust those programs accordingly if weaknesses are exposed.

The article also states that a customer evaluation program such as mystery shopping can be an invaluable tool when coupled with other methods, such as customer satisfaction surveys and employee-provided data and insights. The author recommends all three as a way to get a well-rounded picture of whether or not you’re serving your customers well and encouraging repeat business.