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Trust but Verify

2012-10-15 12:23:57

Aaron Kennedy, president of Noodles Co., uses "secret shoppers" to keep tabs on

each of his 20 restaurants.

Aaron Kennedy, president of Noodles & Co., in Boulder, Colo., can't check on

each of the 20 noodle restaurants in his $14-million chain on any given day. To

keep tabs on his employees, he relies on some outside help -- namely, the

Performance Edge, a Pleasant Grove, Utah, company that uses "secret shoppers"

who report on their experiences with retail stores and other businesses. In

addition to gaining valuable information, Kennedy uses the program as a

motivational tool. "We have it locked into a bonus program," he explains.

Here's how it works: Every two weeks, a mystery diner visits each noodle shop

in the chain and files a report on the restaurant's service, food quality, and

atmosphere. The report consists of a detailed evaluation form that includes

such specific questions as "Did the cashier make you feel welcome through eye

contact, a smile, gestures, or remarks?" and "Did the server arrive with your

food within five minutes of completing your order?" Store managers can check

the results over the Internet. When a mystery diner gives a location a perfect

score for two consecutive surveys, each employee at that restaurant gets a $25

bonus. Kennedy says the program, which he's had in place since last year, has

"achieved absolutely amazing results."

At $65 a review, the mystery-diner solution is no bargain, Kennedy concedes.

But as he expands his business, he says, the program offers him invaluable

quality assurance. "As a larger company with more locations, we need it all the

more," he says.