Why your restaurant shouldn’t use a secret shopper
How many servers do you have? What about hosts, food runners, and waiters?
In many restaurants, the reception staff can number more than 30 people.
More than 30 people!
Now imagine you hire a secret shopper. You hire this person to come to your restaurant as a “regular customer”; one who has questions about the menu, drink selections, and the restaurant. Nothing too unusual. That’s what customers do, they ask questions.
Suppose your mystery shopper does a great job; They walk in, ask questions, order drinks, test drink times, critique the food, the server, the host, the food runner, etc. They write everything in a report and discuss it with you over coffee.
Can you identify the problems with this? Let’s consider this scenario together before you hire a mystery shopper.
Credentials. How is this restaurant consultant/mystery shopper rated? Was this secret shopper from an agency or is he a friend of yours? Do they specialize in any particular area, such as food, service, drink, etc.? or are they trained at all levels? Where is your training from? How long have they trained? What kind of restaurant do you specialize in? My point is, can you trust his “eyes for the room”.
How many employees are criticizing? Chances are they’ve had time to criticize a server, a food runner, a host, and a bartender. But what about the other 5 or 20 people who work in your restaurant? You have an entire army of servers that make up your restaurant, why would you spend time and money criticizing one or even five employees? There has to be a more effective way of looking at the entire staff and operation of the service.
who do they criticize What if the person being criticized is the newest server? What if they’re the restaurant coach? Or what if the server leaves the industry? morning? What if the chef just reamed the food runner and is nervous? What if your server is having a “down” day?
Your suggestions. What will they suggest and does it even matter? When you receive information from the customer’s point of view, you gain an understanding based on perception rather than solution. How are you going to fix the problems that the “secret shopper” has seen? Will the secret shopper give you ways to turn around problems or let you figure it out on your own? Will they just tell you that the food was brought to the wrong table or will they tell you why what happened? Will they tell you that your server took too long to greet them or will they tell you why Did the server take too long to greet you?
What you want to hear are actionable solutions, not perceptual issues.
Restaurant owners and managers want to provide better service and mystery shoppers have created a service to meet that need, but unfortunately it has missed the mark.
If you’re determined to find out what’s really going on behind the scenes of your restaurant, there’s a more efficient and solution-oriented way to do it.
Hire a “secret trainee”: someone who comes to be trained by your trainer.
This is a great way to see what is being taught to new servers, what is emphasized, what attitude is conveyed, and what knowledge is shared.
A professional restaurant industry “trainee” and can offer you solutions to your service issues based on what’s going on behind the scenes. You can get genuine insight into your service’s strengths and weaknesses from someone who knows how to deliver impeccable service.
You can learn:
1. Which servers have problems.
2. Which servers do not follow the protocol.
3. What is the general knowledge of your servers.
4. Which service procedures are ineffective.
5. What service procedures could be introduced to your service team to make them more effective.
6. How to increase communication.
7. What works and what doesn’t in terms of service.
8. How team-oriented is your front-staff service team?
9. When there is a breakdown in communication.
10. Feasible ways to build a stronger service team.
How can you find a restaurant service professional to hire?
To find the best service leaders, you need to find the best restaurants with the best service.
What are the best restaurants in your city? Ask your friends, your guests or use the Internet to find restaurants with the best service ratings.
You should look for servers that have a history of leadership and knowledge. Don’t focus on servers that have been in the industry for a long time. Experience does not always equal excellence. Look for servers to lead service teams or be captains at great restaurants. These are the servers that can walk into your restaurant and see your restaurant service as a whole and offer you solutions to problems.
There are great servers across the country who live, eat and breathe service and would love to help you and your servers take you to the next level of service.
Find them. Hire them. Listen to them. Be better.