If you run a store in the real world or online, you definitely want existing customers to become loyal, and to win over new customers, as well. However, for this, you need not only to provide them with top notch products and services; you also need to provide them with stellar customer support. For retail stores, this is an important factor, and it can set an important difference between stores that thrive and those that fail. To understand what customers think about your customer service, retail mystery shopping is a great research tool to try out.

What is this tool and how does it work?

The concept of mystery shopping has only been around for several years, but it is growing in importance as a market research tool, as more and more retail shop managers and owners appeal to it, to see if their employees are customer centered and offer all the assistance and the information needed when asked. Without proper customer support, any business suffers, and this is especially true when it comes to retail stores.

Usually, you need to contact a professional agency that will send mystery shoppers, which are people paid to pretend to be customers, to your store, and see how your employees ensure customer service. Their findings are reported to analysts who will give you the necessary insight on what does not work so well in your company.

You can also ask real shoppers

You do not always have to rely on retail mystery shopping, when you want to learn more about what your personnel is doing when not closely supervised. You can also run some surveys among real shoppers, to see what they have to say about the way they have been treated in your store. This information will serve you as a great tool for reforming the attitude and behavior of your personnel in order to gain more customers, and make the existing ones becoming more loyal.

Evaluations can also be done over the phone

While it is true that retail mystery shopping works wonders for brick and mortar retail shops, certain information can be acquired over the phone or online, as well. People posing as shoppers will make a call or contact customer service online and ask a series of questions to see how the personnel react and what information is being provided. This type of secret survey will reveal plenty of information that you will be able to use later to improve how customer service is provided in your retail store, be it online, or operating in the real world.

Such marketing research tools are needed, for getting a clearer picture of what works in your company. As soon as you learn what does not work, you will be able to take measures, as well.