... Is Big Brother watching ?

Once seen as a mere surveillance device, mystery-shopper visits have now become efficient tools in customer relationship management and the improvement of service quality. A mystery-shopper study is by no means a way of punishing employees, but truly an opportunity for identifying and managing potential issues, ensuring a lasting enhancement of customer satisfaction. Mystery-visits point out the weaknesses of a network, but also highlights the stronger aspects which should be developed. They constitute an ideal way of motivating employees, and federate teams around common service quality related values and objectives. When done on a regular basis, Mystery-visits become a real barometer for service quality. Neutral and objective, they can also be a basis for setting up competitions and challenges between different outlets of your network.

... It’s long and complicated to set-up

To make sure that the survey goes well and that the results obtained really match your requirements, it is to avoid rushing during the preparation phase. We are specialised in Mystery-Shopper studies. To elaborate your survey, RefletClient™ has a large range of operational tools and a network of agents at your disposal. Elaborating a survey is not complicated : to set up your Mystery-Shopper audit, we will present you with scenario projects, measuring and analysis grids, along with synthesis documents. You simply have to choose the projects which best correspond to your activity and specific needs. Depending on the discussions necessary and on your interlocutor’s reactivity, your Mystery-visits can usually begin within two weeks.

... Doing Mystery-Shopper studies online is not serious

UUse of the internet, e-mail, SMS texting and telephones allows us to conduct surveys at a very competitive price, and to provide a type of reactivity that traditional snail-mail based systems cannot offer. Of course, we take all precautionary measures to make sure that you get is the best quality there is :

• Agents are hired in a traditional way ( C.V. resume with a personal letter) with an interview.
• Reality of their visits is always verified with specific questions, double-checking or some physical proof.
• Analysis and verification of visit results is done at headquarters, by a designated supervisor specialised in your project.
• Storage and back-up of your data is managed according to a fixed security scheme.
• You have access to your results through your own personalised and secure internet access, which can be made into an httpS:// the safety standard currently used by banks.

By combining the undeniable advantages of the internet with the framework and control of agents and results, we can assure you that you will get an effective working solution at a competitive price.

... they’re just a bunch of students trying to earn some pocket-money

Indeed, many students do work for RefletClient™, where they are employed in consumer scenarios focusing on the 18-25 years old target.

But our consumer panel is much larger, reaching all socio-professional categories. For instance, if your current customers are mostly active corporate executives, living in a couple with children, this will also be the profile of the Mystery-Shopper agents used to survey your network. Please keep in mind that RefletClient™ agents are not professional actors playing a role, but actually real consumers. In this way, you can be assured of dealing with a panel which will faithfully match your usual customer base.

... each visit costs at least 100 euros

The cost of a single visit varies greatly. It is linked to the complexity of the scenario and time necessary to complete it. Buying bread at the baker’s is a very different operation from buying a car with some credit arrangement ! At RefletClient™, field service (completion of the visit) is of good quality and this will account for most of a single visit’s cost. Let us remind you that our agents are paid for their observation, as we feel that this is essential to maintain Mystery-Shoppers’ eagerness and objectivity. Regardless of all these elements, a Mystery-Shopper-visit done in a network which is integrated into a regular audit will cost you far less than 100 euros !

... RefletClient™ prices are too low for a quality product

Comparing prices of different offers, one might be surprised by the cost-effectiveness of RefletClient™. This is because we constantly work on keeping our costs under control, in order to offer such competitive prices :

• We use modern communication mediums ( the internet, e-mail…) to save money on mail communication costs between our agents and headquarters (for questionnaires, visuals and samples…)
• We also use special software designed specifically by RefletClient™ for the management of Mystery-Shopper surveys, which allows us to gain speed and efficiency at every stage of the study.
• Data is processed on the spot, by the agent himself. Bypassing the use of a data-capture operator not only reduces costs but increases collection quality, and also avoids third-party and time related mistakes.
• Our physical headquarters are not located in a very expensive area of Paris. This means that while you are warmly welcomed to visit us and inform yourself on the reality of our work, you will not be paying for high-priced representation offices in our survey prices..

... our employees will never accept Mystery-Shopper visits

Nowadays, statistics show that Mystery-Shopper visits have lost their image of Big-Brother-like surveillance, and are well thought of by 97% of employees.
Information and communication plays an essential role in getting your staff to accept this tool. It is important that teams in charge of customer service and relationship (main focus of our surveys) understand that Mystery-visits are not there to punish employees but rather to help all teams improve together. When presenting the project to your network, it is advised to use an external consultant in order to guarantee a form of objectivity and neutrality of the study. RefletClient™ consultants are available to help you present your project and, if need be, to reassure employees on the methodology used in Mystery-Shopper studies.

.. a single Mystery-visit is enough for a complete analysis

From the first visit onwards, you will receive information regarding what is happening in your retail outlets : positive points and also unsatisfactory elements which need to be worked on.
A single visit does indeed tell you if the measured goals are reached or not: if during a visit the customer never sees employees smile or say goodbye, and the shop’s windows are dirty, quality requirements are obviously not met. A single Mystery visit is therefore enough to present you with a single snapshot image of your outlets’ service quality. However, one must keep in mind that Mystery-visits are primarily a tool for motivating your field-teams, and improving the quality of their work. Which means that it is necessary to measure evolution through time, and to compare different situations ( morning, afternoon, during the week, on weekend, at opening hours, just before closing time…) A single visit is therefore not enough to activate a lasting increase in service quality within your network .

.... It is too expensive for the expected return benefits

Acquiring new customers will cost you 5 times more than gaining customer loyalty from existing ones. This implies that no reasonable effort to improve service quality should be seen as too expensive… Mystery-Shopper surveys will often turn out to be way cheaper than other consumer studies. Costs are related to the project’s complexity and the number of visits necessary, but remain quite moderate in relation to the amount of information obtained. Furthermore, once the tools are setup, you only need to pay for the single visits in the survey’s next waves. Thanks to our large network of agents spread out throughout the terrain, we can certify that you will never pay for local travelling expenses !