Mystery guest audit

A visit through the guest's eyes

A guest does not split the evening into departments. To them it is one story: were they noticed at the door, was water brought while they read the menu, did anyone come over when the main was late. A mystery guest audit retraces all of it. The mystery guest comes on agreed days and times as an ordinary customer, orders to a scenario and behaves as your regular would. Staff do not know the dates, so they just see a guest. In retail this is called mystery shopping; in restaurants and hotels we prefer "guest".

We write the scenario after a 30-40 minute briefing: what concerns you, which rooms, shifts and days matter, whether you have a service standard. If not, we adapt a base checklist to your format: coffee shop, restaurant, bar, hotel or spa. The approved checklist version is fixed, and the visit is scored against the version in force on the audit day.

What we assess

The checklist is split into sections. Each item has its own wording, weight and clear answer options, so the score does not depend on the mystery guest's mood.

• Welcome. How long the guest waits at the door, whether they are greeted, asked about a booking, shown to a table or waved at the room.
• Service. Presenting the menu, knowing ingredients and cooking methods, attention to the table between courses, response to a request or remark.
• Sales. Does the waiter suggest the dish of the day, a drink with the main, a dessert, and does it sound like advice, not a sales target.
• Kitchen and bar. Does the dish match the menu, serving temperature, how the plate looks, the quality of coffee or cocktails.
• Cleanliness. Table, cutlery, crockery, toilets. These items only deduct points: a clean room is the norm, not an achievement.
• Bill. How long it took, does the total match the order, is the service charge shown clearly, is a receipt given.
• Goodbye. Is the guest thanked, asked how it was, invited back.

For what a guest may expect of the bill and receipt, see our article on the service charge.

For hotels we add booking, check-in, the room, breakfast and check-out. For spas and bathhouses: the reception welcome, keeping to session times, the therapist's work.

What the score rests on

Every conclusion in the report draws on the visit evidence:

• timings of key stages: arrival, first contact, order, drinks and dishes served, the bill;
• the receipt and a photo of it;
• photos of dishes and table settings exactly as they reached the table;
• the mystery guest's written notes made right after the visit: what the guest asked, what staff replied, what went on in the room.

Before sending, a methodologist checks the report, matching scores to the evidence and cutting unsupported wording. Any item can be challenged; the methodologist reviews it against the same evidence. Only the methodologist changes a score, and every change is logged.

What you receive

• A report within 72 hours of the visit, in Russian or on request in English.
• Section scores and a total on your checklist.
• A timeline of the visit with stage timings.
• Photos of dishes, table settings and the receipt.
• The methodologist's comments: what exactly went wrong and where to start with the team.

See the sample report. A repeat audit on the same checklist shows what changed after the team debrief.

Visit scenarios

If bilingual menus, price tags and signage matter too, combine the visit with a language compliance audit.

When you need it

• You have opened a venue and want to see how the team works without you.
• The same complaint keeps recurring in reviews, and its cause is unclear.
• You run a chain, and outlets need comparing on one scenario.
• The team has been trained, and you want to see if it shows at the table.

We work in Almaty, Astana, Shymkent and other cities on request; see Cities.

Frequently asked questions