Mystery Shoppers “Catch” F&B Employees Giving Good Service

There’s a common perception that mystery shoppers enter a food and beverage or hospitality business to catch employees doing something “wrong”. And it’s that misperception that fuels an inherent dislike for mystery shoppers among the rank and file of any business that uses mystery shoppers to measure service performance.

And that’s a shame according to Paul Bol Raap, Managing Director of Dubai-based International Hospitality Check (IHC), who says, “Far too many F&B and hospitality managers cast the mystery shopper in the role of a ‘policeman’ who is employed to go undercover and catch employees at their worst, when they should be using mystery shoppers to catch their employees at their ‘best’.”

It’s not hard to develop an atmosphere of excitement over the pending arrival of a mystery shopper. All an employer has to do is establish a rewards system that compensates their employees in some way for a good shopping report.

“Some of the best ways to do this,” according to Mr. Bol Raap, “is to set up sales contests that are designed to involve the mystery shopping contingent.”

For example, a restaurant might consider a dessert “up sell” contest where servers are paid a spiff or commission whenever they sell the restaurant’s desert with the highest profit margin during the sales contest period. Add to that incentive a cash prize of $100, for example, for any server who makes an upsell pitch to a mystery shopper during their visit, and all of a sudden you’ve got a team that is not only selling more desserts, but one who is hoping that every customer that they serve is a mystery shopper.

Similar contests can be used to sell more wine, featured entrees, or any other high-profit item that management wants to promote.

It’s important for management to create an atmosphere where mystery shopping is used as an incentive for staff members to perform at their highest levels and for that incentive to be a positive reinforcement and not a negative one.

“Add a little bonus to anyone’s pay check who gets a flawless mystery shopping report and you’re establishing a motivational environment where employees are always incented to be at their best,” Mr. Bol Raap added.
Paul Bol Raap invites anyone who is interested in establish a rewards-based mystery shopping program that’s designed to increase sales and improve employee morale to visit http://www.internationalhospitalitycheck.com or contact Paul Bol Raap directly.