• Mystery Shopping your Customer Experience

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    Updated: 15th April, 2025 | Created: 24th June, 2022
    Proinsight Staff Chloe

    Chloe Kinch

    Director of Client Success | Proinsight Mystery Shopping

    Businesses across a broad range of industry sectors have been using mystery shopper services for decades now and mystery shops have proved time and time again to be an effective way to see things from your customer’s point of view. Whilst there are a variety of mystery shopping services available, some are more beneficial than others in particular sectors and they can provide an insight that will be invaluable to ongoing success.

     

    It is becoming increasingly common for businesses in the leisure and entertainment sector to work with mystery shopping companies to ensure they’re providing the best possible customer experience. No matter what type of family entertainment facility you own or run, whether it’s a trampoline park or a bowling alley, providing an exceptional customer experience is key to staying busy and relevant. Some of the best mystery shopping services that can help you to improve your customer experience include;

     

    Face-to-face mystery shopping

     

    In order for your family entertainment establishment to be profitable, it needs to be busy and in order to stay busy, you need to provide an unrivalled customer experience. Face-to-face mystery shopping provides you with the opportunity to understand your customer experience on a normal day in your facility. Every aspect of the experience will be assessed during this type of mystery shop, from customer service and overall atmosphere to quality of attractions and cleanliness, and the feedback you receive from a mystery shopper can be incredibly useful.

     

    The insight provided through face-to-face mystery shopping will enable you to make changes to your customer journey that can help to improve the overall experience you provide. When you provide a better experience, not only will people be more likely to return to your entertainment facility again, but they will also tell others about how much fun they had. This will help to ensure you always have people coming through the door and spending money with you.

     

    Competitor mystery shopping

     

    Unlike traditional mystery shops that take place in your own establishment, competitor mystery shops involve a mystery shopper going into your competitors’ facilities. Mystery shoppers will provide you with feedback about the experience they had with your direct competitors, giving you an insight into what they’re doing well and what they’re not so great at.

     

    Competitor mystery shopping will help you to understand what sets you apart from the competition, enabling you to highlight your USPs to customers. In addition to this, the feedback you receive will bring to your attention what you need to do in order to be more competitive and you can then make valuable improvements to your customer experience. Ultimately, this mystery shopping service will help you to ensure that you’re not losing business to your competitors and that you’re remaining busy.

     

    Market research

     

    The vast majority of family entertainment facilities will undertake market research before they open their doors to customers, however, it is beneficial to continue conducting research. It goes without saying that customer trends change over the years and market research is one of the best ways to learn what your customers really want at this particular moment in time.

     

    Research programmes designed by mystery shopping companies can provide you with a better understanding of the current market and the findings can be used to drive strategic decisions for future growth. Hearing directly from your target market about their wants, needs and preferences puts you in the best possible position to update your services and attractions to ensure you’re delivering an exceptional customer experience. Listening to your ex-customers, current customers and potential customers is crucial to improving your business.

     

    Using mystery shopper services in the UK

     

    Working with a mystery shopping company is undeniably beneficial for businesses in the leisure and entertainment industry, and if you would like to try some mystery shopper services in the UK, contact us at Proinsight today. We can help you to improve your customer experience by providing you with an invaluable insight into your customer journey, and we have helped clients such as Body Worlds, Superbowl and Parkdean Resorts over the years. Our expert team will work closely with you to design a mystery shopping programme that meets all of your needs and we will become a trusted business partner. We look forward to hearing from you.


    David Hopkins

    David Hopkins

    Managing Director at Proinsight Mystery Shopping

    David has a long history in the business of doing good business. In 2008, he co-founded Proleisure, a leisure consulting company, where he identified a growing need for deeper customer insights across the industry. This led to the launch of Proinsight Mystery Shopping in 2014, with a vision to provide businesses with the valuable data needed to enhance customer experience.

    Now, as we approach our 10th year, Proinsight has become a leading provider of specialist mystery shopping, auditing, and research programs, serving a diverse range of sectors across the UK including real estate, fitness, retail, hospitality, and so many more. We remain committed to helping our clients achieve excellence and drive meaningful improvements in their businesses.

    David is deeply committed to enhancing customer service across all industries. His passion lies in providing valuable mystery shopping insights that empower clients to take actionable steps towards improvement. By delivering these insights directly, David helps businesses create effective strategies to elevate their customer experience and drive meaningful change.


    Chloe Kinch

    Chloe Kinch

    Director of Client Success at Proinsight Mystery Shopping

    Chloe joined Proinsight Mystery Shopping as an Account Manager in 2017. Prior to her role at Proinsight, she served as National Sales Manager at Parkwood Leisure, where she gained extensive experience in exceeding customer expectations and developed a deep understanding of the leisure industry.

    Chloe quickly advanced within Proinsight, progressing from Account Manager in 2017 to Head of Client Success in 2020, and ultimately to Director of Client Success and shareholder in 2022. In her current role, she leads client relationships with prestigious brands such as David Lloyd, Dyson, and Apple. Chloe is responsible for designing bespoke mystery shopping programs tailored to each client's specific needs, aimed at enhancing customer service and optimising sales processes across various industries, including real estate, hospitality, retail, leisure, and more.


    Lucy Winn

    Lucy Winn

    Brand and Communications Manager at Proinsight Mystery Shopping

    After graduating with a degree in Marketing from the University of Westminster, Lucy successfully grew and scaled her own e-commerce womenswear clothing business over a span of four years, expanding into international retail markets including Japan, the US, and France. With extensive expertise in brand development and digital communications, Lucy has driven commercial growth through strategic initiatives like influencer marketing, digital campaign management, and both online and offline retail expansion.

    In July 2024, she joined Proinsight Mystery Shopping as Brand and Communications Manager, where she leads the strategy and management of all digital platforms, including the website and social media, with a focus on driving shopper sign-ups and generating client leads. Additionally, she oversees event management for both internal company days and major external summits like Connect CX. At these events, we emphasise the critical importance of exceptional customer service across various industries, positioning it as a cornerstone of a brand’s overall UX strategy.


    Robert Brocklesby

    Robert Brocklesby

    Senior Client Success Manager

    Robert is a Senior Client Success Manager at Proinsight, bringing over 20 years of consultancy and industry experience in customer service measurement and development. Throughout his career, he has led numerous high-impact projects for well-known clients across the UK, spanning a wide range of sectors. His work has consistently driven significant improvements in customer experience and contributed to sustainable, profitable growth.

    Robert recognises that each client is unique. He designs tailored Mystery Shopping programmes to monitor, enhance, and elevate the customer journey, aligning with each organisation’s specific goals. In addition to his consultancy work, Robert is a qualified teacher and regularly delivers customer service workshops. These sessions focus on identifying key strengths and uncovering areas for development, empowering frontline teams to drive continuous improvement.


    Deborah Jones

    Deborah Jones

    Senior Client Success Manager at Proinsight Mystery Shopping

    Debs has spent the last 25 years working in the health and fitness, hospitality, leisure, and childcare industries, holding senior management and consultancy roles. She has also enjoyed some backpacking and travel adventures along the way! In her spare time, she loves all things health and wellness, spending time with friends and family, and hiking with her lovely dog!