Mystery Shopper Research Articles

Impact of Emotional Intelligence and Motivation on Job Satisfaction among “Mystery Shoppers”

This research paper focuses on “Mystery Shopping”, making mystery shoppers the target respondents of this research study. While previous studies have taken into consideration the motivational aspect, this research extends the scope to consider EI and its mediation between motivation and job satisfaction. Simple percentage analysis has been used to analyse the demographic profile of the respondents as well as an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and corresponding CFA. The hypothesized eleven factors of CFA (4 factors for motivation, 5 factors for Emotional Intelligence and 2 factors for job satisfaction) model fits the sample data very well. The major rule of thumb RMSEA is .87, RMR is 0.30 and AGFI is .891 which has satisfied the CFA model fit criteria. It is found that job satisfaction is enhanced only through motivation directly rather than being mediated by EI. Thus the lacking aspects have to be considered by the mystery shoppers to enhance job satisfaction through a well-balanced emotional state.

Access to Developmental Pediatrics Evaluations for At-Risk Children.

To determine a national average wait time for developmental pediatric evaluations and to understand differences in access based on whether an appointment is requested by an English or Spanish-speaking caller. We conducted a mystery shopper study in which a bilingual research assistant called developmental pediatrics programs affiliated with US children's hospitals listed on a public directory requesting an appointment for his simulated child experiencing a developmental problem. If an appointment was not provided, a wait time estimate was requested. Programs that provided an estimate in English were called within 24 hours using a translated script. We excluded programs that did not include a developmental pediatrician, only accepted referrals from within their health system or plan, focused on specific disorders, or did not conduct initial evaluations. Of 244 hospitals listed, 140 unique programs were identified and called in English. One hundred four programs were reached. Ninety programs met inclusion criteria, 75 provided an estimated wait time. The mean estimate was 5.4 months (standard deviation: 4.5). Among these 75 programs, 62 were reached in Spanish but only 55% provided a wait time estimate; 31% did not provide language accommodations. The difference between average estimates obtained in English and Spanish was not statistically significant. Among a national sample of US children's hospitals, we identified barriers to evaluations conducted by developmental pediatricians including long wait times and inadequate Spanish language accommodations at some programs. More work is needed to identify optimal strategies to connect children with developmental concerns to evaluations when necessary.

Mystery Shopping als onderzoeksmethodiek in het domein van het toegepast onderzoek

Mystery Shopping as a research methodology in the domain of applied research Jacqueline Smith & Karlijn Uijtewaal The article introduces the qualitative research method of Mystery Shopping in the domain of applied research. To that end, its principles and applications are addressed. Next the methodological steps to be taken are outlined and procedures to be followed are presented. Finally, ethical issues regarding the use of Mystery Shopping are discussed.

SOME FEATURES OF ASSESSING OF THE QUALITY OF TOURISM SERVICES

Quality is an important indicator of industrial and business activity of enterprises, because it affects the competitiveness of products, customer satisfaction, and ultimate profits. For businesses it is important to evaluate the quality level of their services in order to know their strengths and weaknesses. Therefore the problems of assessing the quality of tourist services are very relevant. The aim of the research is to define the methods of assessment of tourist services quality, and reveale their advantages and disadvantages. The results of the research show that the main parameters of assessing the quality of tourism services include indices, defining technical, functional and ethical quality of the tour. We offer to supplement them following indicators: economic, environmental, ergonomic, and informational. Firstly, environmental indicators include the availability of clean environment, using environmentally friendly materials, technologies, visiting wildlife areas. Secondly, economic indicators are the price of a tourist product, the optimal ratio "price-quality", and advertising costs. Thirdly, ergonomic indicators include: optimal parameters of microclimate for the person at all stages of tourist services; physiological and psychological comfort tourist habitat; anthropometric matching items to person. Finally, information indicators are the availability of information about the tour operator and travel agent, quality advertising media, high-quality brochures and other promotional material, information on the Internet etc. The most common methods used to assess the quality of tourism services are as follows: SERVQUAL, SERVPERF, method of critical incidents, mystery shopping and K. Ishikawa diagram. Having conducted the research we may conclude that it is difficult to rate the quality of tourism services, because the tourism product is characterized by such features as intangibility, complexity, subjectivity etc. Therefore, we suggest using special methods to assess the quality of services, mainly based on the survey and the survey of consumers.

Low Prevalence of Substandard and Falsified Antimalarial and Antibiotic Medicines in Public and Faith-Based Health Facilities of Southern Malawi.

Substandard and falsified antimalarial and antibiotic medicines represent a serious problem for public health, especially in low- and middle-income countries. However, information on the prevalence of poor-quality medicines is limited. In the present study, samples of six antimalarial and six antibiotic medicines were collected from 31 health facilities and drug outlets in southern Malawi. Random sampling was used in the selection of health facilities. For sample collection, an overt approach was used in licensed facilities, and a mystery shopper approach in nonlicensed outlets. One hundred and fifty-five samples were analyzed by visual and physical examination and by rapid prescreening tests, that is, disintegration testing and thin-layer chromatography using the GPHF-Minilab. Fifty-six of the samples were analyzed according to pharmacopeial monographs in a World Health Organization-prequalified quality control laboratory. Seven out-of-specification medicines were identified. One sample was classified as falsified, lacking the declared active ingredients, and containing other active ingredients instead. Three samples were classified as substandard with extreme deviations from the pharmacopeial standards, and three further samples as substandard with nonextreme deviations. Of the substandard medicines, three failed in dissolution testing, two in the assay for the content of the active pharmaceutical ingredient, and one failed in both dissolution testing and assay. Six of the seven out-of-specification medicines were from private facilities. Only one out-of-specification medicine was found within the samples from public and faith-based health facilities. Although the observed presence of substandard and falsified medicines in Malawi requires action, their low prevalence in public and faith-based health facilities is encouraging.

Uloga i značaj Competitive Intelligencea s posebnim osvrtom na mystery shopping

Since organizations today are facing an intensive increase in global competition, dynamic business environment, and a rapid development of information and communication technologies, many world authors state that the main key for the survival, growth and development, are accurate, timely and relevant information. Therefore Competitive Intelligence – being a process through which an organization collects, analyzes and manages data and information from the competitive environment, is becoming more and more important, and that is why the authors of this paper are presenting its complete and actual overview. Mystery shopping (MS), as a form of CI, is considered to be one of the most powerful tools available to organizations that help managers and decision makers to identify areas that need improvement. The aim of the paper is to point out the importance and benefits that Competitive Intelligence and Mystery shopping are bringing to the companies that make use of them. Through the research of relevant scientific literature, the authors conclude that organizations are increasingly focusing on the development and improvement of CI and MS because it allows them to develop efficient and rapid responses to decisions made by the competition, achieve the desired goals, and improve their present and future position.

Underage alcohol-purchasing strategies and alcohol availability through self-checkout lanes in supermarkets

ABSTRACTBackground: To prevent alcohol availability through retail, legal age limits forbid the sale of alcohol to minors in many countries. This study tested the effects of minors’ alcohol-purchasing strategies and knowledge of compliance with age-limit legislation on the availability of alcohol through retail in the Netherlands. Methods: Making use of exploratory, field-experimental design, eight 17-year-old minors participated as mystery shoppers over the period of one weekend. The mystery shoppers were allowed to use their own strategies to buy alcohol. The experiences of the first group were shared with the second group. Results: Out of the 134 times, the shoppers entered an outlet to buy alcohol, and 119 attempts were successful (11.2% compliance). A total quantity of 225.78 US gallons of alcohol-containing beverages was bought. The first group bought 53.93 L on their final day, and the second group bought 53.92 L on their first day, making use of the strategies of the first group. Conclusions: Current self-checkout lanes in supermarkets produce extreme alcohol availability and are even less effective than traditional checkout lanes: Policies for age verification fail. This first small-scale study shows that underage mystery shoppers learn quickly and are able to buy more alcohol with each subsequent visit.

Mystery Shopping: Demand-Side Phenomena in Markets for Personal Plight Legal Services

Personal is the sector of the legal services industry in which the clients are individuals, and the legal needs arise from disputes. This article proposes that competition among personal plight law firms is suppressed by three demand-side phenomena. First, consumers confront high search costs. Identifying competing law firms willing and able to provide the needed services often requires significant expenditure of temporal and psychological resources. Second, comparable price and quality information about firms is scarce for consumers. Both of these factors impede comparison shopping and reduce competitive pressure on firms. A third competition-suppressing factor is observed in tort legal service markets, where offerings are typically priced on a contingency basis. Contingency fees have relatively low salience to consumers, and this reduces consumers' willingness to negotiate and comparison-shop on the basis of price. This analysis is supported by the author's empirical research with Ontario personal plight lawyers as well as the existing literature. The article concludes by suggesting possible consequences of this analysis for regulatory policy.

Parent Burden in Accessing Outpatient Psychiatric Services for Adolescent Depression in a Large State System.

This study examined barriers facing parents who seek outpatient psychiatric care in a large state system for adolescents with depression. A total of 264 outpatient facilities licensed to treat youths in New York were contacted by using a mystery shopper methodology. Callers tracked the number of call attempts, in-person appointments, and other steps required prior to seeing a psychiatrist. Fewer than two-thirds of parents made a psychiatry, therapy, or intake appointment. Of those who did not make an appointment, 19% received no referrals. Most callers made at least two calls and spoke with at least two people before initiating scheduling. Virtually all clinics required at least one intake or therapy appointment before receipt of a psychiatry appointment. Parental burden did not differ by region, urbanicity, clinic type, seasonality (spring or summer), or insurance status. Families of youths with mental health needs face considerable burden in accessing timely treatment.

Selling antimicrobials without prescription – Far beyond an administrative problem

IntroductionSelling antibiotics without prescription is common in many countries; beyond the administrative restrictions, this practice is a risk for patients and society. The aim of the study was to evaluate the information provided by the staff of the pharmacy to a simulated patient requesting an antibiotic. Material and methodsA prospective study was carried out in January 2013 – February 2014 in the Health Region of Tarragona, in which a mystery shopper visited 220 pharmacies requesting an antibiotic to be sold. ResultsThe actress was not asked about allergies in 73.9% of cases and never was asked about possible pregnancy. Recommendation to see a doctor was observed in 36.1% of cases. When antibiotics were not sold, the explanation provided by the staff was reasoned only in 9.9% of the cases. ConclusionIt is necessary and urgent to improve the training of pharmacists in dispensing antibiotics but also strengthen basic health knowledge among the population.

Understanding the Role of Accredited Drug Dispensing Outlets in Tanzania’s Health System

IntroductionPeople in many low-income countries access medicines from retail drug shops. In Tanzania, a public-private partnership launched in 2003 used an accreditation approach to improve access to quality medicines and pharmaceutical services in underserved areas. The government scaled up the accredited drug dispensing outlet (ADDO) program nationally, with over 9,000 shops now accredited. This study assessed the relationships between community members and their sources of health care and medicines, particularly antimicrobials, with a specific focus on the role ADDOs play in the health care system.MethodsUsing mixed methods, we collected data in four regions. We surveyed 1,185 households and audited 96 ADDOs and 84 public/nongovernmental health facilities using a list of 17 tracer drugs. To determine practices in health facilities, we interviewed 1,365 exiting patients. To assess dispensing practices, mystery shoppers visited 306 ADDOs presenting one of three scenarios (102 each) about a child’s respiratory symptoms.Results and DiscussionOf 614 household members with a recent acute illness, 73% sought outside care—30% at a public facility and 31% at an ADDO. However, people bought medicines more often at ADDOs no matter who recommended the treatment; of the 581 medicines that people had received, 49% came from an ADDO. Although health facilities and ADDOs had similar availability of antimicrobials, ADDOs had more pediatric formulations available (p<0.001). The common perception was that drugs from ADDOs are more expensive, but the difference in the median cost to treat pneumonia was relatively minimal (US$0.26 in a public facility and US$0.30 in an ADDO). Over 20% of households said they had someone with a chronic condition, with 93% taking medication, but ADDOs are allowed to sell very few chronic care-related medicines. ADDO dispensers are trained to refer complicated cases to a health facility, and notably, 99% of mystery shoppers presenting a pneumonia scenario received an antimicrobial (54%), a referral (90%), or both (45%), which are recommended practices for managing pediatric pneumonia. However, one-third of the dispensers needlessly sold antibiotics for cold symptoms, and 85% sold an antibiotic on request. In addition, the pneumonia scenario elicited more advice on handling the illness than the cold symptoms scenario (61% vs. 15%; p<0.0001), but overall, only 44% of the dispensers asked any of the shoppers about danger signs potentially associated with pneumonia in a child.ConclusionADDOs are the principal source of medicines in Tanzania and an important part of a multi-faceted health care system. Poor prescribing in health facilities, poor dispensing at ADDOs, and inappropriate patient demand continue to contribute to inappropriate medicines use. Therefore, while accreditation has attempted to address the quality of pharmaceutical services in private sector drug outlets, efforts to improve access to and use of medicines in Tanzania need to target ADDOs, public/nongovernmental health facilities, and the public to be effective.

Do we have a car for you? Encouraging the uptake of electric vehicles at point of sale

This study investigates shopping experiences at dealerships selling electric vehicles (EVs) in Ontario, Canada. In 2014, twenty mystery shoppers were trained and sent into 24 EV-certified dealerships (with a total of 95 shopping experiences) to observe the sales approach towards EVs. Results show that a common barrier for shoppers is the unavailability of EVs at the dealership – including a lack of EV models on site to view or test-drive as well as a three- to four-month waiting period to receive the vehicle once ordered. A multiple regression model was developed to explore which factors influence the likelihood of deciding to purchase an EV. Findings suggest that, controlling for brand, the key success factors are a salesperson's positive attitude and the availability of an EV on site. It is important for future policy makers to acknowledge the influential role of market intermediaries, such as dealerships, in the adoption of EVs. The research findings demonstrate a potential for government agencies to work with dealerships and/or salespeople to improve EV uptake by encouraging the presence of floor models and vehicles for test-driving on site, and by increasing the accuracy of information being provided to customers.

The effectiveness of ID readers and remote age verification in enhancing compliance with the legal age limit for alcohol.

Currently, two different age verification systems (AVS) are implemented to enhance compliance with legal age limits for the sale of alcohol in the Netherlands. In this study, we tested the operational procedures and effectiveness of ID readers and remote age verification technology in supermarkets during the sale of alcohol. Following a trained alcohol purchase protocol, eight mystery shoppers (both underage and in the branch's reference age) conducted 132 alcohol purchase attempts in stores that were equipped with ID readers or remote age verification or were part of a control group. In stores equipped with an ID reader, 34% of the purchases were conducted without any mistakes (full compliance). In stores with remote age verification, full compliance was achieved in 87% of the cases. The control group reached 57% compliance, which is in line with the national average. Stores with ID readers perform worse than stores with remote age verification, and also worse than stores without any AVS. For both systems, in addition to effectiveness, public support and user friendliness need to be investigated. This study shows that remote age verification technology is a promising intervention that increases vendor compliance during the sales of age restricted products.

The availability/accessibility gap of palliative care and supportive care services at 40 National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers.

122 Background: All NCI-designated, comprehensive cancer centers report having consultative palliative care services alongside six other supportive care services. Inaccuracies in the understanding of these services among frontline office staff may undermine their accessibility to patients. We investigated how easily new patients could access these services when first contacting a major cancer center. Methods: We used a ‘mystery shopper’ format to simulate calls made by a family member of a recently diagnosed patient. We used a standardized call script, describing a female patient, age 58, recently diagnosed with inoperable liver cancer. We called each center four times on different days and evaluated quantitative and qualitative components. Descriptive statistics were calculated for each quantitative measure. Results: We placed 160 calls to 40 NCI-designated cancer centers. 38.2% of callers were unable to receive complete information about supportive care services. Overall, only 37.6% of callers (60.8% of those reaching someone who could answer questions) were told all 7 supportive care services were offered. In 9.5% of calls, call recipients gave an answer other than “yes” to whether the cancer center offered palliative care. Callers were told regarding palliative care: that it was for end of life patients only (2 calls), that there weren’t doctors who focused on symptom management (3), its availability depends on review of medical records (2), or that the call recipient was unsure either of the availability of palliative care (10), or did not know what the term meant (2). Availability responses other than “yes” were obtained in the following frequencies: multidisciplinary approach (14.6%), patient navigation (12.1%), genetic assessment (9.5%), psychological services (7.6%), and cancer education services (6.4%). Conclusions: Despite the stated availability of seven key supportive care services, accessibility was limited in one-third of calls. In about 10% of cases where a person was reached, the call recipient was unable to confirm that palliative care was offered. Further research is needed to close the availability vs. accessibility gap in oncology palliative and supportive care.

Accessibility and Barriers to Oncology Appointments at 40 National Cancer Institute–Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers: Results of a Mystery Shopper Project

Patients turn to National Cancer Institute (NCI) -designated comprehensive cancer centers because of perceived better quality and more timely access to care. However, recent studies have found that patients at various institutions may struggle to gain access to an appointment or obtain consistent information from attendants. Our study employs a mystery shopper format to identify and quantify barriers faced by patients seeking to make a first consultation appointment across a homogenous sample of 40 NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers. Five mystery shoppers used a standardized call script to inquire about first available appointment times and service offerings. When inquiring about a date for a first available appointment, 29% of callers were unable to secure an estimated date without registering into the center's database, 51% were able to secure an estimated date, and 20% were provided with an actual date. Of estimated or actual dates for a first available appointment, 74% were greater than 1 week away. There was no statistically significant variation between appointment availability across insurance type or US region. Our study highlights the difficulty of accessing information about appointment availability. Although not statistically significant, inquiries regarding first available appointments for Medicaid patients resulted in longer estimated or actual wait times than those for patients with private insurance, and Medicaid shoppers noted qualitative differences. Although our study was limited by small sample size and imperfect analytic methods, our results suggest the need for more efficient and accessible care for patients at our nation's top cancer centers.

The review of modern methods to evaluate users servicing quality

Marketing methods of evaluating services of both readers and library users online are important to improve the quality of library-information servicing. The most commonly used methods to assess the quality of library services are statistical indicators analysis of activities (attendance, the number of resources/services access, etc.); surveillance; user survey; questionnaires; analysis of online services and Internet resources to determine the level of user satisfaction (online questionnaires, «like» estimates and others). In assessing satisfaction/dissatisfaction of users, their servicing quality such marketing tools as SERVQUAL, LibQUAL + {TM}, SERVPERF, «mystery shopper», «Kano methododology» and the concept of «neutral zones» by Ch. Bernard are more relevant. Their applying makes it possible to obtain accurate and complete information on the efficiency of employees’ work, to develop a program of activities and necessary recommendations to improve the quality of library servicing.

Facilitating mental health research for patients, clinicians and researchers: a mixed-method study

ObjectivesResearch registers using Consent for Contact (C4C) can facilitate recruitment into mental health research studies, allowing investigators to contact patients based on clinical records information. We investigated whether such a...

Exploring added value through the service process: a comparative multiple case study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is threefold: first, to evaluate how the service process of the market leader differs from the other actors’ processes and whether the service process explains the success of the market leader; second, to identify the success factors of the service process; and third, to test and analyse how the mystery shopping method works as a measurement tool to evaluate the service processes, including the quality of such processes. Design/methodology/approach – The case study focuses on the service processes of kitchen fitments. The paper is an explorative multiple case study. The results of the study are based on seven service processes of seven different kitchen fitment stores in Finland. The mystery shopping method has been utilised in an empirical data collection process. Findings – The study revealed the most important factors in the service process that differentiate the market leader from the other operators. The results indicated that there are three main aspects highlighted in the market leader’s service process. The results also reveal that mystery shopping is a workable tool for analysing service processes. Practical implications – The study identifies the key factors that affect the success of the service process of kitchen fitments companies. By developing these factors, companies can increase service quality. The results also reveal that the mystery shopping method can be a workable tool to evaluate service processes. Originality/value – The study reveals the most important factors in the service process that differentiate the market leader from the other operators. It can be stated that these factors also explain their success. Thus, the results of the study are applicable at least in companies which operate in the kitchen fitments industry. Furthermore, the results can be utilised to some extent in companies which are developing their service processes.

Организация обучения персонала сервисного подразделения в гастрономическом бизнес-сегменте кофеен

The article discusses the issues underpinning the role and importance of the organization and evaluating the effectiveness of staff training in the hospitality industry&#x0D; on the example of coffee shops. The author gives practical recommendations and presents step-by-step algorithm for identifying training needs, diagnosing the&#x0D; level of knowledge and skills of staff, organization of the learning process and evaluating its results in order to increase the attractiveness of the coffee, increasing&#x0D; the number of customers and create the highest level of service offered. Evaluation criteria for staff of service department using the method of «Mystery shopper» is&#x0D; reviewed and systemized, specific diagnostic tools and experience of their application in specific circumstances are represented. The article presents recommendations&#x0D; for organizing and conducting training activities in the form of training « Skills of hospitality,» and gives a detailed description of the basic elements of the program&#x0D; of training of the service personnel coffee shops.

Ethical challenges in designing and conducting medicine quality surveys

ObjectivesIn this paper we discuss the main ethical challenges related to the conduct of medicine quality surveys and make suggestions on how to address them.MethodMost evidence‐based information regarding medicine quality derives from surveys. However, existing research ethical guidelines do not provide specific guidance for medicine quality surveys. Hence, those conducting surveys are often left wondering how to judge what counts as best practice. A list of the main ethical challenges in the design and conduct of surveys is presented.Results and conclusionsIt is vital that the design and conduct of medicine quality surveys uphold moral and ethical obligations and analyse the ethical implications and consequences of such work. These aspects include the impact on the local availability of and access to medicines; the confidentiality and privacy of the surveyors and the surveyed; questions as to whether outlet staff personnel should be told they are part of a survey; the need of ethical and regulatory approvals; and how the findings should be disseminated. Medicine quality surveys should ideally be conducted in partnership with the relevant national Medicine Regulatory Authorities. An international, but contextually sensitive, model of good ethical practice for such surveys is needed.