This mystery guest review was conducted at several venues of a prestigious hotel, including their bar and three restaurants. The objective of the review was to evaluate staff performance standards, identify any malpractices, and provide recommendations for improvement.
When conducting the mystery guest review, there were several key aspects that we wanted to examine in order to present a comprehensive and insightful report. These elements included:
Customer service: This is perhaps the most critical aspect of any luxury hotel experience. The staff should be polite, professional, and attentive to the guests’ needs at every touchpoint.
Potential risks or fraudulent activities: By observing staff behaviour and procedures, we look to uncover any discrepancies and irregularities that may indicate theft, fraud, or other unethical practices. For example, a mystery guest may notice that a staff member is not properly handling cash transactions or that inventory records do not match up with actual stock levels.
Cleanliness: The hotel, bar, restaurant and facilities should be spotlessly clean, with no evidence of dust, dirt, or grime.
Quality of food and drinks: The food and drinks should be of a high standard, with attention paid to presentation, taste, and quality of ingredients.
Atmosphere and ambiance: The hotel, bar, and restaurant should have a pleasant ambiance, with comfortable seating, appropriate lighting, and an overall welcoming atmosphere.
Facilities: Bathrooms to be well-stocked with toiletries and have functioning amenities such as hot water and good water pressure. Additionally, regular cleaning and maintenance should be conducted to ensure a pleasant experience for guests.
Attention to detail: A luxury hotel should pay attention to even the smallest of details, such as the quality of linen, the decor, the type of toiletries provided, and the presentation of towels.
General experience: The guest’s overall experience should be a memorable one, with attention paid to every aspect of their stay.
Our findings and recommendations:
Overall, the customer experience was positive, with polite and well-presented staff. However, there were instances where orders were not fulfilled or had missing components, which we documented in detail for the client. To improve the customer experience, we also offered the following action points in our comprehensive and bespoke mystery guest report:
- Ensure staff use the correct machine for cleaning glasses/crockery:
There were instances where glasses and crockery were not cleaned properly. Therefore, it was recommended that staff be trained to use the correct machine for cleaning glasses and crockery to ensure consistency in cleaning standards.
- Update page on the website with correct opening times:
The website page for the bar had incorrect opening times. Therefore, it was recommended that the page is updated to reflect the correct opening times to avoid any confusion for customers.
- Ensure replacement drinks and complimentary items are declared to management for stock audits:
It was observed that replacement drinks and complimentary items were not always declared to management for stock audits. Therefore, it was recommended that all such items are declared to management to ensure accurate stock audits.
- Check times on the Micros Terminals as receipt times differ from actual times:
The receipt times on the Micros Terminals did not always match the actual times. Therefore, it was recommended that the times on the Micros Terminals are checked and adjusted to ensure accuracy in order processing.
- Ensure cocktail recipes with correct measures are followed to assist stock control and guest expectations:
To improve stock control and meet guest expectations, it was recommended that staff follow cocktail recipes with correct measures. This will ensure consistency in the quality of cocktails served to guests.
6. By implementing these action points, the hotel and its establishments can now go about improving the overall customer experience, increase staff performance standards, and be alert to any potential malpractices.
About Mystery Guest Reviews:
The objectives of modern mystery guesting in restaurants and hotel business are to enhance the customer experience, manage risk, identify areas for improvement, and evaluate staff performance from the customer’s point of view. Mystery guests focus on stepping into the customer’s shoes and recording their experiences to identify areas of optimisation. The reviews should be adapted to focus on specific areas of interest or customer scenarios, such as single travellers, couples, families, or business travellers. Ultimately, the goal of modern mystery guesting is to help businesses optimise their customer experience and improve their overall performance.
When choosing a company for your mystery guest review, it is important to consider their experience and expertise in your industry, the quality of their mystery guests, and their ability to provide you with customised solutions that meet your specific needs.
Why choose Capcon for your mystery guest review:
Comprehensive and Objective Analysis: We provide a comprehensive and objective analysis of service standards applied throughout a hospitality business. This can help businesses identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions.
Industry Experience: We work across the entire hospitality sector, from restaurants, hotels and bars to casinos, theatres, and racetracks. This broad industry experience can be beneficial for businesses looking for a provider with a deep understanding of the sector.
Experienced Mystery Visitors: Our mystery visitors are highly skilled professionals with years of experience in the hospitality and service sectors. This expertise can enable them to accurately evaluate the customer experience and identify opportunities for improvement.
Real-time Feedback: Feedback is provided in real-time, allowing businesses to make immediate adjustments to improve the customer experience and increase sales.
Capcon’s services can be valuable for businesses looking to improve their customer experience, manage risk safely and effectively, stay competitive in the hospitality industry, and optimise profit. Find out more and get in touch.
