Mystery Shopping arrives in the Middle East

Mystery Shopping is the practice of using trained shoppers to anonymously evaluate customer service. The Grass Roots Group, a business services agency, is a major provider of Mystery Shopping services across the globe and is lining up a Mystery Shopping panel to target a variety of sectors including Retail, Restaurants, Hotel, Finance and Automotive in the GCC. The panel will allow business the chance to assess their current services and that of competitors in order to determine how and where they can benefit from performance improvement and measure the effectiveness of any programmes undertaken.

"Whilst customer service in the GCC has previously been of a high standard, this is in danger of falling as staff struggle to cope with the pressure from rapid development, economic boom and the growth in population." said Mark Spicer, General Manager of Grass Roots.

"Mystery shopping provides an accurate picture of the customer experience, using real people in real situations to report their experience. We are inviting people of all backgrounds representative of the GCC's demographic characteristics to join our panel, which will reflect the region's rich diversity including rich and poor from the various nationalities,"

adds Mark Spicer.

Grass Roots have been providing this facility since the early 1980s and now have a worldwide panel of over 100,000 shoppers. Grass Roots research that shows one in four customers is unwilling to repeat or recommend a visit to an outlet based on the service they received. Mystery Shopping will benefit any business that needs to monitor and measure service performance and improve customer retention.

"In customer services, bad news travels fast. One unhappy customer will tell 5 other people of their bad experience with service. However, our Mystery Shopping programme is not about spying on bad employees but is more focussed on improving customer experience. Mystery shopping also helps client organisations to reward people for a job well done while identifying areas where training may improve customer service and sales. " said Mark Spicer.

Mystery Shopping allows a client to measure all touch-points with customers. Grass Roots carry out three types of Mystery Shopping; in person, by telephone or on the internet. In each case, the shopper completes a questionnaire which they then enter on the website, allowing for a rapid response to their findings. Grass Roots work with clients to establish goals and objectives which are then measured in the final report. Once the true facts of customer interaction are discovered, excellence can be recognized, shortcomings addressed and processes changed or standards set.

"Mystery Shopping also creates positive management and employee relations, as it enables client organisations to motivate staff by offering incentive-based reward systems for good performance," adds Mark Spicer.