Why Should You Be a Mystery Shopper?

If you’ve ever thought about becoming a mystery shopper, but aren’t entirely sure whether it’s right for you, here are some reasons you might want to give it a go: Try New Things One of the most exciting benefits of mystery shopping is that it’ll often lead you to restaurants…
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Three Simple Tweaks for Better Customer Service

Whatever your business’s wares, whether cuisine, cars, groceries, or something else, your first and most important product is your customer service. How your customers are treated and the impression they’re left with when they leave are the most important factors for both repeat patronage and evangelism. Your impressive selection of…
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Surviving in the World of Big Chains and Online Warehouses

The Verge posted a fascinating article describing so-called Amazon Nomads, independent merchants who scour out-of-the-way stores (often failing chains in small towns) for products on clearance to snap up and sell using Amazon’s storefront. But with all of the prognostications about the death of brick-and-mortar, one can’t help but think…
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The High Cost of Saving a Buck

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to save a buck. That’s why so many of us choose to shop at big-box stores that deal in such a high volume they can afford to sell their products closer to cost. Those narrower profit margins still translate to larger profits overall due to…
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Unconventional Mystery Shopping

Most mystery shopping can be broken into two categories: on-site and over-the-phone. In both cases, mystery shoppers interact with your employees to assess customer service, salesmanship, and other aspects of the experience, such as cleanliness, merchandising, wait times, the complexity of the automated phone-tree, and more. These are tried and…
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The P&L Report of Mystery Shopping

The Brandt Group offers many detailed reports with which our clients can interpret the mystery shopping data we generate. They can identify big-picture trends or focus on the minutiae, covering your entire company, a regional division, an individual store, a specific department, or even one employee. Each report has its…
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Where Quantity and Quality Meet

Common questions we’re asked by our new clients is, “How often should I mystery shop?” and “How many feedback surveys do I need?” To gain an understanding of our philosophy, let’s take a dive into the notions of quantity versus quality. Both Are Valuable You’ve undoubtedly heard adages about them,…
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Complete the Picture with Feedback Surveys

We’re fond of saying that customer loyalty isn’t something you earn once—it’s something you must earn over and over again at every opportunity. You earn it with each interaction, whether it’s when a customer visits your retail store, calls your customer service, or receives a follow-up call from your salesperson.…
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How to Show Employee Appreciation Through Engagement

Today is Employee Appreciation Day! This is the one day to say thank you to your employees, to show them you value the hard work they invest each and every day, and that you care about their well being. Right? Of course not. Just like Valentine’s Day isn’t the one…
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