The Spy Who Loves You: The Hotel Mystery Shopper

by

Antony Shaw

If knowledge is power , as Sir Francis Bacon asserted, then it would be self-sabotage for any hotel, serious about customer service and client return rates, to overlook the effectiveness of employing the services of a highly trained hotel mystery shopping team. Knowledge based client relationships are the surest way to ensure happy clients – and a happy client is a return client. Successful hotels know this and invest wisely in keeping their precious punters pleased and returning time and time again.

An informed, client-literate organisation successfully delights their specific demographic; ensuring a brand/client loyally that is absolute gold, a virtual life insurance for the establishment. Below are three irrefutable reasons for using undercover hotel testers – ignored at your business peril!

1. Loss prevention

Knowledge gleaned from the feedback of a hotel mystery shopping report is an invaluable tool for minimising status and fiscal losses. Losses are incurred on many levels when a client s first impression is lacking. Firstly, there are the marketing expenses, then the cost of advertising that may have got the business through the door, and is then lost in an instant when a customer is met with sub-standard service. An establishment s reputation is informed by lasting first impressions, be they positive or negative.

Theft is another legacy of the inattentive staff member. A lack of attentiveness and promptness boosts the chances of pilfering; the undesirable client is not a fan of the attentive staffer. Business losses are also incurred when product knowledge is lacking, products displayed incorrectly, or up-selling opportunities overlooked.

2. Positive Customer perspectives

A positive and accurate customer perspective is obviously gold for your business. This outcome is achieved through comprehensive staff training and the micro management of all areas of your establishment. It is pertinent to remember that it can t be fixed if it s not known to be broken – so knowing where to focus a company s energy is the first step in rectifying any lacking areas in the organisation. To know where a company s focus needs to be is ascertained by the results of a professional audit.

Investing in a hotel mystery shopping service can define your establishment s strengths and weaknesses and can also be tailored to incorporate an appraisal of your competitors. To know thy competition and to know thyself better than anyone else is wise counsel indeed.

Being wise to the service tactics, product offerings, policies and procedures of your competitors helps you to proactively compare and contrast your establishment and to inform profitable, entrepreneurial directions.

3. Unbiased Third Party Feedback

Hotel mystery shopping audit results eclipse the satisfaction survey or brand audit in reliability and usability. The professional feedback can be structured to focus on a particular issue that may be identified within your organisation. The fact is that the service provides unbiased and insightful information, the depth and breadth of which surpasses traditional market research or surveys. Customer information and feedback collated into a useable format, suited to on-going, in-house monitoring is a gift that keeps on giving.

Quality performance and quality standards are the cornerstone of a successful accommodation establishment that boasts a loyal clientele and a superb global reputation. Do your business a favour and let

hotel mystery shopping

work for you.

Antony Shaw, Vice President of Global People Development at IFH Institute for Hospitality Management, is a leading expert in the field of

hotel mystery shopping

. IFH provides high-level quality control for the worldwide hospitality industry through its renowned

hotel mystery shopping

program.

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