Nations Restaurant News

HR & Customer Service
Wingstop franchisee: "Secret to mystery shopper success is good customer service for all" -

By Dina Berta

(May 29) - Treat every customer like a mystery shopper and you won't worry about poor ratings on anonymous customer service surveys, said Diwan, franchise owner of a Wingstop fast-casual restaurant in Mentor on the Lake, Ohio. Abou-Diwan's store had perfect mystery shop scores nine times in a row, and his store won a secret "shop off" between three other Wingstops in the 450-unit chain. The Garland, Texas-based company has been using Satisfaction Services Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to conduct mystery shops among its franchised stores. Each year, the franchisee with the best score is recognized at the company's annual conference. Abou-Diwan and his wife won a trip to Hawaii. It will be their first vacation since they opened their store two years ago.

How do you use the mystery shop reports?
I print them out and go over them with employees. If the employee needs to improve, we talk about what the customer is looking for. It may just be a smiling face, friendlier service. They want that personal touch. Talk to them. Make them feel comfortable. Even the cooks are learning to be friendly.

How do you motivate your employees to take care of the customer?
When we treat everyone very well and we upsell and we make sure the store stays spotless, then the kids are happier. Then they are busier; they are getting bonuses or extra hours. I tell them it's like we're the theater. Customers are going to be watching us, no matter what we do. Everything is cooked to order so they have to wait for their food. If they see we're not a happy family, they may say, "Well, the food is good, but the service is bad," and they will never come back.

Are you seeing any tangible results from perfect mystery shop scores?
Our sales have increased 20 percent for the year, so far. We don't advertise as much as other concepts. We do not have a big budget. Word of mouth is what is building this concept. We get customers who travel 40 minutes or longer to get here and try our food.

Service is our passion, Satisfaction Services, Inc. ® Customer Satisfaction guaranteed.

Contact Satisfaction Services 800-564-6574

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One of the highlights of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Hospitality Show based around the Orlando Convention in the Orange County Convention Center: Peabody Hotel Mike Albert, founder of Satisfaction Services, The Mystery Shopping Company, and a panel of vendors will discuss “Evaluating the Customer Experience,” focusing on creating and maintaining a positive customer experience using customer satisfaction measurements.

Mike Albert was in the restaurant industry for 20 years and is a motivational speaker on hospitality, the steps of service and creating a positive customer experience. 954-564-6570