In a world where the customer experience is at the heart of everything we do, it’s no longer enough to consult the reviews left on the Internet to understand what works – or doesn’t work – in a hotel. Customer feedback is numerous, spontaneous and often rich in lessons learned. But we still need to analyze them methodically and compare them with structured field observation. This is where a particularly relevant approach comes into play: that of the mystery shopper.
Rather than simply reading online comments, mystery guest feedback provides a concrete, neutral snapshot of the reality experienced in a hotel. This is a proactive approach, where a specially trained professional takes on the role of the customer, living the full experience, and drawing up a detailed, objective and operational diagnosis.
Useful but partial customer reviews
Platforms like Google and TripAdvisor are brimming with customer feedback. One writes:
“Very nice hotel, but no one at reception for several minutes. Not up to the positioning advertised.”
This kind of feedback is invaluable. It gives an immediate feeling. But it often remains subjective and isolated. Without context, it’s hard to know whether this malfunction is exceptional or recurrent. Many hoteliers read them, respond to them, but don’t always take the time to analyze them in depth.
Yet this is what a catering or accommodation manager, or even a general manager, should be doing on a regular basis. Take a step back, sit down with the teams, review customer feedback over several months, detect recurrences, cross-check impressions. But in reality, few find the time. And even fewer rely on cross-analysis with an audit conducted by a mystery shopper.
Mystery shoppers: an outsider’s view to enhance the customer experience
Mystery shopping is a valuable tool for improving hotel quality. It’s a constructive approach, providing an outside view of a typical customer’s experience. Using a precise scenario and a rigorous observation grid, the mystery shopper objectively analyzes the course of the stay, noting positive points and highlighting any shortcomings in the welcome, service or organization. The aim is never to judge or punish, but to identify concrete levers for team improvement.
Contrary to some preconceived ideas, it’s not a question of discovering the identity of the mystery shopper and giving him or her special treatment. This sometimes happens, particularly in establishments where the audit results are linked to internal bonus or recognition issues. However, this logic completely undermines the value of the approach. The aim is not to shine artificially on the day of the mystery shopper’s visit, but to observe the reality of everyday life, just as it is.
If the experiment goes perfectly, that’s obviously excellent news. But if it reveals malfunctions, that’s just as valuable. Because every difficulty, every sticking point is a learning opportunity. Mystery shopping allows us to take a step back, question existing processes and move towards more fluid, coherent and human hospitality. So there’s no reason to try to hide problems or embellish reality: on the contrary, it’s in authenticity that the best avenues for evolution are to be found.
At Delporte Hospitality, we prefer this audit to take the form of a direct exchange with the teams, followed by a one or two-day seminar, in order to share the mystery customer feedback, analyze it together, understand the causes and build concrete action plans with each department concerned: accommodation, catering, technical, customer service, sales…
Compare online customer feedback with field observations
The ideal approach is to cross-reference spontaneous customer feedback – that from the platforms – with that from the mystery shopper. It’s by comparing these two sources of information that we can identify weak signals, understand recurrences, and measure the real impact on the experience.
It is also essential to analyze the precise context of the mystery visit: who was on duty that day? Was it an experienced team or new collaborators? This type of detail has an influence on the results, and must be taken into account if mystery-shopper feedback is to be interpreted correctly.
Mystery shoppers can observe the welcome they receive at reception, the quality of service at the bar, in the dining room, at the spa, and the cleanliness and attention in the room. It covers every stage of the journey, and helps to objectify the often subjective feelings expressed in the comments.
A director recently told me:
“I thought everything was fine. The mystery audit brought to light details I hadn’t seen before. It was a revelation for the whole team.”
From observation to action
What counts is not so much the mystery shopper’s final score as what you do with it. An audit of this kind only makes sense if it is followed by a collective analysis and the implementation of concrete measures.
The aim is not to tick boxes, but to nurture a sincere, human and coherent culture of welcome. Ultimately, this strengthens customer loyalty, motivates teams and aligns standards with the establishment’s values.
A method that can be transposed to other worlds
While this approach applies perfectly to the hotel world, it is just as relevant for other sectors where the customer experience is at the heart of the relationship: banks, stores, public services, clinics, nursing homes and healthcare establishments. Wherever there’s hospitality, service and human contact, Mystery Shopping provides essential added value.
Delporte Hospitality supports hotels, companies and institutions wishing to audit and improve their service quality. The objective remains the same: to perfect the customer experience, by transforming mystery customer feedback into genuine levers for progress.
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