Mystery shopping for fundraising – DIY guide

Aim- to provide a concise and practical mini

toolkit to enable delegates to carry out a

simple, targeted mystery shopping programme

which assesses the key elements of

stewardship and supporter care in their enquiry

and donation processes.

Sue Morgan

Getting to know you

Session outline

• Outline of the process and what resources are

needed

• Working with the mystery shoppers

• What questions to ask and designing the

feedback

• Analysing and using the results

Benefits of mystery shopping in charities

• Monitored and measured service performance • Improves supporter loyalty • Makes employees (and volunteers) aware of what is

important in supporter care and stewardship • Identifies training needs • Can allow for competitive analysis between locations • Ensures positive relationships when in direct contact

with supporters • Raises standards of service delivery • Objective analysis • Backs up decisions for change

A mystery supporter project to assess fundraising stewardship

-Enables assessment of supporter enquiries and cash donations plus initial follow through phone, post and online.

-Methodology, feedback questions, summary report and some benchmarks to assess performance included.

Process P

lan

nin

g What do you want to know?

Agree timeline

Plan type and number of mystery shops

Op

erat

ion

al

Recruit the mystery shoppers

Carry out the mystery shops

Collate feedback A

nal

ysis

an

d r

epo

rtin

g Review feedback

Produce a report

Create follow up action plan

Share with team

Suggested activity plan

Activity Channel Number

Enquiry Telephone 2

Online/Email 2

Post 2

One off donation ( £10)

Telephone 2

Online/Email 2

Post 2

Suggested enquiries /information requests.

• I am thinking of doing some fundraising to support you – do you have any suggestions?

• I would like to make a donation but am not sure what is the best way to do this?

• If I make a donation, what will the money be spent on? • Please will you send me some information about your

charity to help with my fundraising? • I have some jewellery/pictures to donate – would you

be able to sell them? • I want to do a sponsored run/walk – do you have any

which I can take part in?

Donation

Resources

• Project Manager – organised, methodical & analytical

• Up to twelve mystery shoppers for one batch of activity ( based on this example)

• Donation fund of at least £60 plus funds to pay mystery supporters where necessary

• Spreadsheets

• Feedback forms

Example timeline Task Week 1 &

2 Week 3 & 4

Week 5 & 6

Week 7 & 8

Week 9 & 10

Week 11 & 12

Recruit & brief mystery supporters

Carry out tasks

Wait for follow up

Submit feedback

Analyse and create report

Prepare action plan

Follow up with team

Mystery Shoppers

Mystery shoppers-specification

• Not on database/ not recognisable to your charity

• Different person for each donation or where follow up needed (can do multiple anonymous enquiries)

• Able to write concisely and clearly

• Observant and objective

• Has IT equipment/ phone

• Available when needed in your plan

Mystery shopper briefing

• Can be verbal but must follow up with clear written guidelines on the task

• Include specific timings for the task and feedback

• Notes and guidance on submitting the feedback form

• Contact details for queries

• Payment/expense claim information if necessary

Instruction example • The task: • Enquire by email on ways to support the charity through organising or taking part in a local

fundraising event e.g. organising a coffee morning for the charity, or taking part in a local event organised by the charity, such as a 5k run.

• Please send the email to (provide address) and the activity must be carried out between 1st and

15th September 2016 and the email should be sent during working hours. • Reporting Back • The feedback form must be completed by .(insert date). Make sure you review the form before

you start the task so that you can assess all aspects which are required. • Keeping track of the info • It is up to you how you keep track of what and when you receive from your charities but it is really

important that you log and record the details of all contact and also keep hard copies of any mailings etc. Note, you must agree to receive follow up communications so we can assess what was provided to you.

• If you are unsure of anything or have any queries please email me or call on (insert telephone)

Process recap P

lan

nin

g What do you want to know?

Agree timeline

Plan type and number of mystery shops

Op

erat

ion

al

Recruit & brief the mystery shoppers

Carry out the mystery shops

Collate feedback A

nal

ysis

an

d r

epo

rtin

g Review feedback

Produce a report

Create follow up action plan

Share with team

Feedback

What to assess

What to assess- suggestions • Initial response times • Enquiry resolution success • Knowledge of staff who responded • Thanking – timing and opinion of supporters • Quality of signposting • Banking – timing • Gift Aid • Compliance with required communication preference

statements • Communication style of staff who responded • Supporter impressions

Type of Questions • Details of the date and

time of the mystery shop

• Names of any individuals who responded

• Ratings 1 to 5 to focus decisions

• Limit narrative

• Use Yes/No where possible to check specifics

Sample Form

What does it tell you?

Measuring Success

What you will know • Response times – enquiries, banking, thanking • % of contact dealt with by the first person • Ratings on staff knowledge, communication skills and

listening skills – individual and collectively • Satisfaction ratings • Supporter impressions- appreciation levels, process,

positive impression of charity • Thanking effectiveness • % of Gift Aid • Compliance with communication preference

requirements

What does it tell you?

Comparators: sector strengths and weaknesses

ENQUIRY HANDLING

• Mail weakest channel

• Telephone strongest

• Common issues: failure to respond, not fully answering the question, time to respond, passing on.

DONATIONS

Mail weakest channel

Initial processes strong

Online strongest for one off donations and telephone for regular giving

Channels- donations, overall satisfaction scores out of 5

3.65

3.7

3.75

3.8

3.85

3.9

3.95

4

4.05

4.1

4.15

4.2

Online Telephone Mail

Channels

• Mail weakest, let down by issues of signposting and speed and occasional failure to respond.

• Online strongest but the only one where the follow up was weaker than the initial access rating

• Telephone can be very varied with inconsistent skills and service levels experienced

Overall supporter impressions

82% 77%

66%

60% 57%

53% 52% 49% 48%

30%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

The charitymade it clearwhat I had to

do

The processwas easy and

simple

I understoodwhere my

moneywould be

spent

I feltappreciated

It made mefeel positive

about thecharity

I wouldrecommendthis charityto others

I felt I wasresponded to

as anindividual

I feltinvolved

I would belikely to

continue tobe a

supporter

The charitytreated mebetter than

expected

Common supporter care KPI’s to measure results against

• % of calls answered 95%

• Calls answered within 5 rings or 20 seconds

• Thanking – letters within 3 days

• Emails responded to within 24 or 48 hours

• Banking within 3 days

“ People will forget what you did, people will forget what you said, but people will never forget how you made them feel” Maya Angelou

Contact for form copies

sue@thinkcs.org

@yorksue