As you may (or may not) know, HS Brands Global offers a phenomenal service for brands who want more information about their brand experience. This service, known as Mystery Shopping, involves highly trained shoppers soliciting the company’s services or products and then reviewing customer service aspects, like employee behavior, cleanliness, displays, and other similar components that contribute to a customer’s overall experience and satisfaction.
There may not be the perfect ten questions for every business, but considering what you want to measure, these questions should lead you down the right path. Remember that how you write those questions needs to be extremely specific. You want to ensure that there is no ambiguity as to what your answers are telling you. After all, these questions should lead to actionable plans for your company, and you can’t do that if the feedback you receive isn’t clear, concise, and to the point.
Was the store clean and well-maintained?
This only applies to brick-and-mortar stores, but no customer wants to walk into a dirty or unorganized store.
Were you offered help by an associate or team member?
There is nothing more frustrating for a customer than walking around a shop when you need help, and no one is around to help you.
Did the cashier mention the loyalty or rewards program during your transaction?
Cashiers shouldn’t badger the customer if they politely decline, but they should mention the loyalty program to encourage customers to sign up.
Was every item or service you wanted to purchase available?
The fastest way to lose your clientele is to routinely not offer the products or services they came to you to buy. If products aren’t available, you may need to consider restocking more often.
How long did you wait for your order or service to be completed?
If customers have to spend too long waiting, they may take their business elsewhere. If the wait is long, your company may need to hire more staff or change something operationally to be more efficient.
Did the quality of your product or service meet your expectations?
Your clientele will likely have an idea about what they expect from your brand, and if you don’t live up to those expectations, they may be frustrated.
Were you surprised by the prices for the services or products? If so, how?
The answer here can be two-fold. You might learn that customers were pleasantly surprised by low prices or upset about high prices, compared to other brands in your industry.
How long were you present before you were acknowledged or greeted by an associate or team member?
As mentioned before, no one likes to feel ignored.
Was an associate or team member able to answer your questions?
While a customer may not need help with something, they might inquire about a product or service. Your employees need to be well-versed in your brand to answer competently.
Did the associates or team members behave in a friendly manner?
Learning that your team is behaving rudely is never beneficial, but it is better to know than be left in the dark.
Remember, not every question may pertain to every single industry or type of business, but the ideas behind these questions are the important things to consider. These questions should serve as guidelines and can be modified appropriately for your company. At HS Brands, we help you create brand specific questions, so the data you receive is helpful, trustworthy, and actionable to ensure your company’s future success.
