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.