Restaurant
An alarmingly high percentage of restaurants fail within their first few years of opening, and an even larger number struggle, year-over-year, while returning a modest bottom line profit to their operators. Even with such a competitive landscape and known high risk of failure, restaurants continue to open at record rates.
For this reason, it is critical that restaurant operators actively seek to “wow” their customers by providing unique and exceptional guest experiences.
One of the most useful tools used to measure the guest experience is collecting customer feedback, and it comes in many forms and degrees of usefulness.
Surveys are helpful for collecting large quantities of data points but lack the detailed information that mystery shops provide
Online reviews are biased toward a particularly negative or positive experience whereas mystery shops are unbiased
Internal audits lack the customer’s viewpoint, but mystery shops capture the operation in its natural state
How Our Strategic Feedback Programs Drive Value
Drive Operational Performance
- Our Clients Use mystery shops to evaluate the service steps from an objective vantage point.
- Mystery shops help our clients to maintain brand standards across their restaurants.
- Mystery shops are a second set of eyes for our clients, and the reports provide information that their Executive Team, District Managers and Store-level Managers can use to drive change.
- Our clients use mystery shops to measure the effectiveness of employee training and evaluate performance.
Measure Operational Changes and New Initiatives
- Mystery shops provide our clients with feedback on new programs and initiatives from an operational perspective and can help evaluate employee behavior changes during the roll-out.
- Our clients use mystery shops on a project-by-project basis as a check-in for executional standards or to evaluate a new practice.
- Mystery shops provide our clients with the depth of information needed to successfully introduce new products.
Preferred Method of Collecting Feedback
- Mystery shops are our clients’ preferred tool for collecting customer feedback because of the accuracy and depth of feedback.
- Many of our clients use surveys in excess, but the number of questions asked and data that can be collected is limited. Mystery shopping is a much more detailed and thorough tool.
Constructive Criticism and Coaching
- Our clients use mystery shops as a constructive tool, not a ‘gotcha.’
- Our clients distribute the mystery shops to their management team to use for positive reinforcement and coaching.
Don’t Just Take Our Word For It: Hear What Our Clients Are Saying
“A Closer Look has been very easy to work with! During the pandemic, we pivoted to different types of mystery shops for our team members, as well as had an increased need for competitive market analyses because of the ever-changing market landscapes. Very happy to recommend A Closer Look to anyone who would like thorough, detailed, and swift mystery shops and competitive market analyses.”
– VP of Sales and Marketing, MBK Senior Living
Let us tell the story of your guest experience first-hand.
Track Your Business Pulse
Engage with your customers in real-time and measure customer experience
Reports and Analytics
We boast over 50 different reports to help our clients drill down to the data they need to help their business thrive.
Dine Out. Write. Get Paid.
Enjoy a meal by providing detailed feedback at one of the many partner restaurants we work with
Build Loyalty the New Way
Learn how your customers feel before it’s on social media
What Our Clients Are Saying
"A Closer Look has been very easy to work with! During the pandemic, we pivoted to different types of mystery shops for our team members, as well as had an increased need for competitive market analyses because of the ever-changing market landscapes. Very happy to recommend A Closer Look to anyone who would like thorough, detailed, and swift mystery shops and competitive market analyses."
VP of Sales and Marketing
MBK Senior Living
“The old adage ‘Inspect What You Expect’ is so true. The staff never knows when a mystery shopper will stay, so every guest becomes a mystery shopper. We began with an average company score in the 80 percentile and ended last year in the 90’s. We have a goal this year to increase by at least 5% company-wide. Because of this wonderful program, our company is consistently in the top 5% of all of our brands. Thank you, A Closer Look, you help keep us on our toes and our guests, owners and associates’ benefit. You are the best!”
Vice President of Sales and Orgizational Development
Newport Hospitality
"Our company has worked with A Closer Look for the past 5 years. The level of partnership is foundational to our growth and we look forward to expanding our business with A Closer Look as our long term partner."
Director of Ops Excellence
Main Event, Inc.
"After over 20 years of being associated with A Closer Look, I wanted to take a few minutes to express my appreciation for the outstanding service you have continued to deliver to our properties and Area VP's throughout these years. The flexibility your company offers in reports, trending and analysis is unmatched by other like sources."
Senior Vice President
Hilton Management Services Focused Service Division
"Leisure Care is incredibly proud to have A Closer Look as a trusted partner, resource, and expert with our competitive analysis and Sales Advisor evaluation needs. Their entire team is professional, courteous, flexible, and eager to support our evolution of senior living consumer assessments. Their willingness to partner and grow as we adapt and react to the ever changing marketplace is a breath of fresh air. Their operational support, coupled with excellent shopper evaluations, provides us the platform to strategize, thrive, and increase occupancy throughout our portfolio."
Senior Director of Sales
Leisure Care
"Utilizing A Closer Look has brought our service to the next level! We constantly engage in discussions & enhancements with the team to ensure we stay at the top of our game. Floor & Decor would recommend them to any business looking to gauge service levels and get some real insights into their operations."
 
Senior Manager Customer & Associate Experience
Floor & Decor
"The Regency Senior Living communities have partnered with A Closer Look for over a decade, and we continue to be extremely satisfied with the professionalism of the team and the ability to modify the program to our priorities. The reporting metrics are exceptional and help pinpoint areas of growth opportunities. I would not hesitate to recommend this company to my colleagues in our industry."
Chief Operating Officer
Regency Senior Living
"A Closer Look has been instrumental in guiding our training and marketing initiatives to drive positive guest experiences as we grow. We are blessed to have a great vendor partnership with the team at A Closer Look!"
Vice President of Field Operations
Clean Juice
"Our company has utilized A Closer Look as a partner in gaining stronger intelligence into competitive market shifts as well as ways for improvement amongst our own communities. While it is almost impossible to get 100% accurate data in this industry, I have found great benefit in A Closer Look’s flexibility in utilizing our internal market survey forms as well as their timeliness and communication. We have been successful in utilizing the information to grow our communities not only in occupancy and revenue, but also in coaching and training abilities to strengthen our team."
Corporate Director of Sales
Integrated Senior Lifestyles
"A Closer Look has been an amazing partner in our mission to be the coolest frozen dessert brand. While we strive to provide the most flavorful experiences to each and every guest, A Closer Look provides integral insight as to what our guests see and feel during their time with us. Their shoppers are thorough with visits and thoughtful with feedback, shopper reports are quickly ready for review and the reporting systems that A Closer Look provides are robust but user friendly. We are thankful for this program so we can pride ourselves with the WOW's and work on any opportunities out there."
Director of Company Operations
Jeremiah's Italian Ice
"A Closer Look has consistently and thoroughly followed through with everything we have asked of them since the inception of our program. It's one thing for a company to make promises on what they can do, but it's quite another for them to actually follow through with such success!"
Chief Operating Officer
Build-A-Bear
