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.
