The restaurant business has multiple factors that determine its future success. In a cutthroat competitive industry, survival depends on many crucial factors too. One such factor is customer experience (CX). Smart restaurant owners focus more on CX along with other crucial factors. They measure CX by using a mystery audit process to get better insights into the service quality, industry compliance, and brand image.
What is a mystery audit for restaurants?
A mystery audit is a process adopted by the management of a restaurant to assess service quality, customer experience, industry compliance, and various other factors. It is either given to an independent contractor or is done by using SaaS digital platform to develop a checklist and hire inspection professionals.
Generally, a mystery shopping solution is sought to detect hidden issues or to evaluate the level of business operations of a restaurant. The hired inspectors visit the designated business points of a multi-location restaurant to walk in as customers and provide unbiased reviews. The reviews are recorded on a digital platform that delivers the inspection checklist.
Based on the observation and data generated, special analytical tools are used. These tools are incorporated into the digital inspection platform to provide reports. The reports showcase actionable insights that the restaurant management will follow and draw conclusions about what to change in the business operations.
How mystery audit can transform service quality?
Here is how mystery shopping for restaurants can deliver the best solutions regarding services and provide an extra edge in the competition to a restaurant brand.
1. Identification and resolution of service issues
It seldom happens that the employees cannot identify the underlying issues. Only the customers can experience the pain points that hamper the service quality. The audit process particularly aims at revealing such issues. It depicts what needs to be immediately addressed.
2. Customer insights
Customers walk into a restaurant with particular expectations in their minds. Such expectations can only be revealed when customers are interacted with. It is not possible all the time to seek reviews and interfere with their time in restaurants. This is why inspectors are hired for this purpose. They provide insights similar to that of the customers.
3. Staff accountability
Such audits develop new SOPs that designated employees will follow. In fact, audits related to the implementation of the SOPs reveal whether employees are following the protocols or not. It makes employees accountable. They will perform better and elevate the service quality to an expected level.
4. Industry compliance
Industry compliance related to health, safety, hygiene, service quality, etc can be checked and followed by using auditing as the perfect tool. Following local, state, and federal regulatory protocols will make a restaurant business safe legally.
Verdict
We can clearly depict how mystery shopping for restaurants can be the best tool to follow. Identifying service quality, and operational issues and gaining unbiased insights can transform the way a restaurant business performs. There is no doubt that the business can touch the benchmark performance level in no time by using such tools.