Programs

We have programs to suit all businesses and budgets, from fast food take-aways to fine dining restaurants, budget hotels  to luxury resorts.  We charge a modest initial flat fee to set-up your program, thereafter an agreed amount per assessment depending on complexity, duration and program selected.  Sampling and inspection costs are limited to agreed budgets and recharged on a cost recovery basis.  We don’t tie you in to lengthy contracts, and you can suspend your program at any time by giving us at least one month’s notice.

We do not use off-the-shelf mystery shopping software.  We started with a blank sheet of paper and designed our programs from the ground up.   This meant identifying and mapping all the touch-points in a customer’s experience and presenting them in a logical, progressive way.   We drew on our extensive experience of the industry, so we knew exactly what we should be assessing, and what our clients want to get out of programs such as these.

Anonymity and impartiality are our guiding principles, and you can be sure our assessors’ reviews are free of any hidden agenda.  We don’t try to sell-in consultancy work based on our findings, although we are pleased to recommend industry trainers and consultants who can assist in this regard.  Our job is to assess how well you do what you do, and provide your team and advisors with independent, informed and unbiased feedback. 

Our reports cover the entire journey from before a customer arrives at your premises, to the impressions they are left with, and all that they experience in between.   For a restaurant, this might typically mean that we look at around 170 elements of the customer experience, whilst for a luxury resort this could be over 2300 criteria.  Plus, there’s plenty of insightful, knowledgeable commentary where you need it. Find out more.

Affordable

We have programs to suit all businesses and budgets, from fast food take-aways to fine dining restaurants, budget hotels  to luxury resorts.  We charge a modest initial flat fee to set-up your program, thereafter an agreed amount per assessment depending on complexity, duration and program selected.  Sampling and inspection costs are limited to agreed budgets and recharged on a cost recovery basis.  We don’t tie you in to lengthy contracts, and you can suspend your program at any time by giving us at least one month’s notice.

Bespoke

We do not use off-the-shelf mystery shopping software.  We started with a blank sheet of paper and designed our programs from the ground up.   This meant identifying and mapping all the touch-points in a customer’s experience and presenting them in a logical, progressive way.   We drew on our extensive experience of the industry, so we knew exactly what we should be assessing, and what our clients want to get out of programs such as these.

Credible

Anonymity and impartiality are our guiding principles, and you can be sure our assessors’ reviews are free of any hidden agenda.  We don’t try to sell-in consultancy work based on our findings, although we are pleased to recommend industry trainers and consultants who can assist in this regard.  Our job is to assess how well you do what you do, and provide your team and advisors with independent, informed and unbiased feedback. 

Detailed

Our reports cover the entire journey from before a customer arrives at your premises, to the impressions they are left with, and all that they experience in between.   For a restaurant, this might typically mean that we look at around 170 elements of the customer experience, whilst for a luxury resort this could be over 2300 criteria.  Plus, there’s plenty of insightful, knowledgeable commentary where you need it. Find out more.

iGUEST mystery dining programs

From a food truck to fine dining, we can tailor a mystery guest program to suit you.  Whilst we offer a road-tested suite of templates for fine dining, mid-spend, bars and quick service restaurants (QSRs) to get your program up-and-running quickly, every template can be amended to focus on specific areas and issues so that the feedback you get is relevant to your style of operation and current needs.

Typically, our reports feature three or four sections covering SERVICE, SELLING, PRODUCT and ENVIRONMENT, with each section containing individually graded criteria and detailed commentary.  Our ‘executive summary’ provides context to the visit, and an easy-to-digest summary of findings and opportunities for improvement. 

iSTAY accommodation surveys

Our ‘one night’ accommodation program is designed to suit all hospitality operators offering bed only or bed and breakfast accommodation at whatever level they operate.  Accommodation reports cover all aspects of the guest experience, with focussed sections on ACCOMMODATION and HOUSEKEEPING in addition to service and environment. 

More complex operations, such as luxury resorts and country house hotels, will typically require ‘two night’ (or more) programs to allow detailed assessment of various food and beverage offerings, leisure and retail facilities.

iSHOP hospitality retail shops

Whether you are a specialty butcher or a cellar door, we can develop a program of mystery shops to assess how well your team interacts with your typical customer base and promotes your product.  We use our own team of Invisible Guests, so the quality and depth of reporting is very different to those of typical mystery shopping providers.

Our comprehensive reports cover all elements of customer service, the products you sell and the environment your customers experience, with performance and benchmarking graphs and dedicated sections summarising opportunities for improvement and how likely your customers would return and recommend your business.

iSALES function sales assessments

Want to know how well your team sell your function and conference facilities?  Our iSALES assessments cover the entire process from initial enquiry to the final follow-up to clinch the deal, and all the steps in between.  We’ll look at your promotional material, how well this was communicated and how quickly your team were able to grasp our mystery assessor’s brief and deliver a solution that would lead them to want to hold their function at your venue.

Assessments can be desk-based or can include an assessor visit to assess the ‘show-around’ component of the sales process, and we can also quote for including up to four of your key competitors so that you can benchmark your performance against theirs.