Market research is conducted as part of product development for companies. Smart companies anticipate their customers’ needs and offer products to meet them. So, how do they figure out what their customers want?

They take some time to consider who their customers are and what kinds of things are important to them. Market research examines the following issues:

* Where the customers live
* How old they are
* What their marital status is
* Whether they own or rent their home
* How often they will be buying
* Whether they need to consult with other people in the family before making a purchase
* How many products they will be buying at one time

Once the market research company has a very clear idea of who their customers are, they can start to come up with a strategy to meet their needs. If a company can figure out what will motivate a person to buy, they can take the appropriate actions to create the kind of environment in their business so that customers are encouraged to pull out their wallets and buy something.

The way a company figures out whether they have made the right choices about how to attract business is by looking at their sales figures. Unfortunately, when a company is looking at their sales figures, they can only look at these numbers after the fact. Lower sales numbers mean that customers are not being offered the kinds of products they want to buy or there are customer service issues that are not being addressed.

To find out the answer to these questions, market research companies and their clients team up with companies that offer mystery shopping services. The client company will indicate what kinds of issues they want addressed and the mystery shopping company will work up a list of questions for its mystery shoppers to answer.

Shoppers, who look very much like the business’ typical customers, will pay a visit to the business. They may be given a specific script to follow to see how the employees respond to certain requests. Part of the assignment includes making note of the general appearance of the business as far as neatness and cleanliness is concerned. The mystery shopper will also indicate on his or her report whether they were greeted when they entered the premises and if the employee they were dealing with seemed knowledgeable about the products they are selling.

The mystery shopper will also make a purchase as part of their assignment. Notes will be taken as to whether this part of the transaction was handled quickly and efficiently. Employees should always thank the customer for his or her purchase and invite them to visit the business again.

The information gathered by mystery shoppers helps business owners and managers understand what visiting their business looks like from the point of view of a typical customer. The client company will know what parts of their training programs are effective as far as good customer service is concerned, and discover areas where they can improve. Employees who are doing well can be recognized and rewarded, while those who need more support to perform their duties well can be identified and given the help they need.

Many companies sell similar products and services to their customers. In a situation like this, offering exemplary customer service may make the difference between having a growing business and being left behind in the dust. Mystery shoppers provide valuable information to companies to help them determine if they are on the right track.