A national fast oil change service engaged Confero to conduct periodic mystery shop visits at its units. As part of the program design process, various departments within the company were asked about what they would like to see on the shop survey. As a result, several questions about safety procedures were added to the survey. The assumption was that, while a Confero shopper would be on site anyway, why not ask the shopper to check for several safety-related issues while the shopper is assessing customer service.
The mystery shopping program was a success, as expected, in that it identified areas of opportunity for customer service improvement. However, a significant side benefit emerged. As store employees realized the emphasis on safety, the required safety measures were apparently undertaken more regularly as they should always have been. The quick reports Confero provided allowed store managers to quickly remediate any safety deficiencies. The company saw a significant decline in the number of accidents as a result of the program. This lead to significant savings for the company.
