Mystery shopping programs can help boost performance in call centers, too


From August 2007

By Karen M. Kroll

Savvy retailers are aware of the value that mystery shoppers can add to the performance of their bricks-and-mortar stores. A growing number also are recognizing that mystery shoppers can boost the performance of their call centers, as well.

Like their counterparts in stores, call center mystery shoppers act like regular consumers; they ask questions about the merchandise, and some even place orders. They record each step of the purchase process, and relay their experience to the retailer’s management team in order to help it measure and boost sales associates’ performance.

Mystery shopping is an $800 million industry that is growing at a rate of 20 percent annually, according to estimates from Mystery Shopping Providers Association, a Dallas-based trade group. While MSPA doesn’t have separate figures concerning the use of mystery shoppers in call centers, this also appears to be a fast-growing area.

“In the last nine months, we’ve seen a lot of momentum in call centers,” says Ron Welty, president of IntelliShop, a Perrysburg, Ohio-based consumer research firm and member of the MSPA board of directors. “People are tired of just paying lip service to customer service.”

Retailers operating in multiple channels want to ensure that the customer experience is similar across all channels. As a result, while call centers traditionally have measured performance by volume, a growing number of operators also are measuring quality.

Austad’s Golf, a Sioux Falls, S.D.-based golf retailer, began a mystery shopping program in 2005. Management’s goal was to ascertain just how well its sales associates were adhering to Austad’s standards for working with customers, such as approaching them with a non-sales greeting as they walk into the stores. “It focused our selling team on the standards we expect,” says Patrick Penney, vice president and chief operating and financial officer.

In a call center program, mystery shoppers evaluate employees’ sales skills, demeanor and product knowledge. For example, they may note the number of rings before the service representative picks up, the representatives’ tone of voice, how well he helped the customer navigate the order, the protocol used to place customers on hold, and whether the service representative thanked the customer.

The frequency with which a call center is “shopped” can vary. At Austad’s, for instance, call frequency generally doubles to twice weekly during golf season. (While no “magic number” exists, the more calls made to a customer service center, the greater the likelihood that the noted behavior is happening on a wider scale, Welty says.)

Sometimes, the mystery caller purchases items, allowing him to evaluate the entire process from call to delivery of the merchandise. In the case of Austad’s, mystery shoppers typically place larger orders, then immediately notify the call center manager that the purchase should be voided.

Typically, a mystery shopping program should be in place for at least two quarters in order to obtain reliable baseline data, Welty says. And given the turnover prevalent in call centers, the program should be ongoing.

Benefits of short-term program
A short-term program can be a valuable addition to an ongoing program. For example, IntelliShop worked with a financial services company for several months, as management was concerned that calls weren’t being answered in a timely manner. The mystery shoppers placed a large volume of calls, and the client experienced dramatic improvement; it will repeat the program in about six months to determine whether the change is being sustained.

One question that invariably arises is whether management should make employees aware that some customers will be mystery shoppers. Experts agree that it’s best to inform them of the program in a positive way, Welty says, by emphasizing that it will be used to measure and improve performance, and not as a “gotcha” ploy. In this way, employees who are mystery-shopped are less likely to feel that they were deceived – and most will be more likely to treat all customers well.

What’s more, in order to improve performance, employees first need to know how they’re doing: Mystery shopping can provide that baseline. “If you don’t tell employees what they’ll be measured on, it’s hard for them to improve,” Welty says.

Some companies review calls with the individual employees involved, coaching them on areas in which they can improve. Others simply post departmental statistics, and let employees know they should review the information regularly.

Austad’s uses its mystery shopping programs as a training aid, Penney says. When the company first implemented the program in its stores, employees’ scores were averaging about 62 percent. “It was very disappointing,” he says. By reviewing the reports with store and sales managers and pointing out ways that associates could improve performance, scores have risen to the mid-70s.

While the improvement is gratifying, management knows its work isn’t over. “This is an initiative that must be worked on every day,” Penney says.

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