Mystery shopping
MYSTERY SHOPPING: AN EFFECTIVE METHOD FOR MEASURING INTERNAL QUALITY SERVICE
1.0 Contents
2.0 Executive Summary
The Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) is the premier building society in Jamaica and prides itself on providing excellent customer service. Consequently, JNBS conducts an internal quality service survey twice per year to help staff recognize how their performance and customer service delivery is perceived by individuals in other departments.
This approach has provided the Society with some critical data and information regarding departments/branches perceptions of the importance and performance of the various services received from the other departments/branches.
However, while the survey provides information on the elements of service quality, such as telephone conduct; accessibility to telephone, willingness to cooperate and help; usefulness and reliability of information provided; interest in resolving any conflict that may rise; and the importance of the department/branch (being evaluated) in achieving the department’s overall goals and objectives. It is limited in its capacity to provide information on the service experience as it unfolds; instead, it gathers opinion about the service experience rather than assessing the actual activities and procedures that are being carried out.
Statistics, averages and trend data are very useful indicators that can be used to assess departments/branches service quality. However, without more detailed qualitative information, improvements maybe be misdirected and fail to target the real cause of poor service quality. The adoption of a ‘mystery shopper’ style evaluation of service delivery offers a new dimension for the assessment of the quality and perceived value of services provided by departments/branches.
The mystery shopper approach can also:
Act as diagnostic tool in identifying the strengths and weaknesses in Society’s service delivery;
Assess departments/branches performance
1.0 Contents
2.0 Executive Summary
The Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) is the premier building society in Jamaica and prides itself on providing excellent customer service. Consequently, JNBS conducts an internal quality service survey twice per year to help staff recognize how their performance and customer service delivery is perceived by individuals in other departments.
This approach has provided the Society with some critical data and information regarding departments/branches perceptions of the importance and performance of the various services received from the other departments/branches.
However, while the survey provides information on the elements of service quality, such as telephone conduct; accessibility to telephone, willingness to cooperate and help; usefulness and reliability of information provided; interest in resolving any conflict that may rise; and the importance of the department/branch (being evaluated) in achieving the department’s overall goals and objectives. It is limited in its capacity to provide information on the service experience as it unfolds; instead, it gathers opinion about the service experience rather than assessing the actual activities and procedures that are being carried out.
Statistics, averages and trend data are very useful indicators that can be used to assess departments/branches service quality. However, without more detailed qualitative information, improvements maybe be misdirected and fail to target the real cause of poor service quality. The adoption of a ‘mystery shopper’ style evaluation of service delivery offers a new dimension for the assessment of the quality and perceived value of services provided by departments/branches.
The mystery shopper approach can also:
Act as diagnostic tool in identifying the strengths and weaknesses in Society’s service delivery;
Assess departments/branches performance
References: Erstad, M. (1998). “Mystery Shopping Programmes and Human Resource Management.” Contemporary Hospitality Management 10(1): 34–38 Wilson, A. M. (1998). "The Role of Mystery Shopping in the Measurement of Service Performance." Managing Service Quality 8(6): 414-420. The Council’s Corporate Research and Consultation Team (CRAC) http://www2.kirklees.gov.uk/involve/document/MysteryShopping.pdf