Using Mystery Shoppers In Restaurants

There has been an increasing reliance on the use of mystery shoppers in restaurants. There are several reasons for reliance on such firms and individuals to rate various criteria. Typically, the characteristics of the restaurant that are check include how clean the premises are, how friendly the staff is, the quality of the food, whether food service is timely, correct check numbers and appropriate change given.

Although mystery shopping is a concept that is being more and more by business owners who want to know what is going on from the standpoint of a customer, finding a way to do so without constant monitoring of the premises is hard to do. Relying on the comments of those who post observations on the internet may not give a balanced view of the service and the food, since people are more likely to criticize than to praise.

A helpful feature of this type of restaurant review is that you can tailor the report to learn what you want to know. The shopping can occur as frequently or as seldom as you want to pay for. Because firms have a number of people from which to choose to do the review, they are not as obvious to restaurant employees. Some of the features that are typically checked are different than those which would appear on a Health and Sanitation Department audit.

There are some limitations that occur when using a mystery shopper, particularly when your business is in a neighborhood or community where the regular patrons are well known. The results of the review lose validity if the waitperson recognizes the shopper as someone who is not behaving in a typical manner. To some extent, being spotted is a function of a poorly trained reviewer of a company that doesn't set clear expectations.

The cost of the shop will depend on the features that are being reviewed. Some owners want pictures of certain features. For example, if the restrooms are to be reviewed for cleanliness, the reviewer might be asked to take a picture of any shortfalls. Different factors may be involved for a single diner/shopper than with a larger group.

The decision to use mystery shoppers in restaurants is one which might be considered if there is an owner or manager who is not able to be on the premises during all open hours. The time of review can be specified. The features which might be reviewed include cleanliness, food quality, service efficiency and accurate bill preparation and presentation.

Fresh Or Frozen Pros And Cons

Among many diners, there is a belief that fresh food tastes better and is better for you. In watching many of the popular food shows, you will find that fresh or frozen pros and cons are not presented in a balanced manner. There are certain types of foods where only fresh will do, but ruling out frozen foods may seriously limit the menus in some locations.

Availability is a key element. Not every restaurant has access to a fish market within reasonable distance. Nor can every cook go to the docks to pick up the day's catch to serve to customers. When it comes to seasonal foods, some are simply not available in either fresh or frozen form during certain times of the year. The availability of salad greens in northern climates during cold weather may be limited, and the lettuce itself may be several days old by the time it reaches your restaurant.

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The cost may make the different between choosing fresh food or frozen food. On the one hand, purchasing frozen food is usually more expensive than purchasing the same food fresh, because there is additional processing costs. This has to be balanced against the probability of more loss when fresh food is used. However, this equation assumes that there are no shipping costs involved.

Taste is another factor that is often used in favor of fresh food over frozen food. For most food items, fresh is better, particularly if it is not bruised or mishandled during the trek from farm, market, processing plant to the restaurant. If the correct freezing methods are used, there are steps taken to preserve flavor and avoid deterioration before freezing.

A restaurant must have the proper facilities for storage of the food items, regardless of whether it is frozen or fresh. Freezer burn is a risk even when the items are properly processed. In taste tests, diners rated fresh or quickly frozen items over those which had been frozen for more than a few days. There is also a need to thaw frozen foods properly in order to preserve flavor, without posing a health risk.

Looking over the fresh or frozen food choices, each owner or restaurant manager must review the elements of taste, cost and availability. It is assumed that the storage equipment will be adequate for either or both types of products. The sophistication of the customer palates may also be an element in making the choice.